PBT Initiative and PCBs

Spokane River Regional Toxics Task ForceHolly Davies, Ph.D.

April 24th, 2013

Reducing Toxic Threats

Identify & Gather Data

on Chemicals of Concern

• Benign design• Kids & environment protected• Manufacturers share the

responsibility

MANAGEMENT Needed but costly strategies to prevent the release of toxics to the environment.

PREVENTION

Safer Alternatives

Green Chemistry

Phase out PBTs

Averting toxic exposures and avoiding future costs is the smartest, cheapest and healthiest approach.

CLEANUP Needed but costly solutions to avoidable contamination.

PBTs

• Persistent- they remain in the environment for a long time

• Bioaccumulative- they build up in organisms and in the food chain

• Toxic- they are harmful to the health of humans and/or other species

Why are PBTs a priority?

• Travel long distances and cross media• Span the boundaries of programs, geography

and generations. • Traditional single-media approaches won’t

solve the whole problem.• We need to address PBTs through integrated

use of all agency tools and programs.

EnvironmentDegradation and Dispersal

Non-PBT chemical release

PBT chemical release

Sources

Sources

Increasing Concentrations

2006 PBT Rule (Chapter 173-333 WAC)

• Goal is to reduce and phase-out PBT uses, releases, and exposures in Washington

• List of 27 individual PBTs and groups • Chemical Action Plans (CAPs)

– Process to prioritize and schedule– Content

• Procedural rule

What is a CAP?

• Chemistry • Health effects

– Human – Wildlife

• Monitoring• Sources• Laws and

Regulations

• Policy Options – costs

• Recommendations– Agency actions– New laws – Education – Partners

Chemical Action Plan identifies, characterizes, and evaluates uses and releases of a PBT and recommends actions to protect human health and the environment

Process for Preparing CAPs

• Plan and collect information with • Different programs within Ecology and DOH• Other agencies as appropriate• Experts

• Work with external advisory committee• Review and collect more information • Develop draft recommendations

• Public review and comment on draft CAP• Final recommendations and Final CAP

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Selected CAP Actions

• Mercury (2003)– Ban on some uses– An agreement with dentists to collect mercury amalgam waste

• PBDEs (2006)– Ban on some uses, after an alternatives assessment

• Lead (2009)– Lead-based paint assessment and remediation

• Commerce and Health

– Toxic Metals focus for pollution prevention planning• PAH (2012)- continued agency work on

– Wood smoke– Creosote treated wood– Vehicles

PCBs

• Chemistry • Health effects• Monitoring• TSCA, CWA, and other regulations

Production, Uses, and Releases• Puget Sound Toxics Loading Study Sources (2011)

– Large capacitors– Small capacitors– Residential trash burning– Transformers– Sealants in older buildings

• Pigments and Dyes• Salmon • Spills• Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)

– Hazardous waste treatment and disposal• Other legacy products?• Other inadvertent production?

Total 2,200 kg/yr

Inadvertent production

• List of 77 “likely” to produce PCBs– Many chlorinated compounds

• Titanium dioxide– TiCl4 intermediate in chlorine process involves

inadvertent production of PCBs– Sulphate process involves more spent acid waste

How much PCBs are…

• In the environment?• Being released from legacy products?• Being inadvertently generated?

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ResourcesHolly DaviesSenior Scientist(360) 407-7398Holly.Davies@ecy.wa.gov

Carol KraegeToxics Coordinator(360) 407-6906Carol.Kraege@ecy.wa.gov

Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic chemicalshttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/pbt/

Reducing Toxic Threats http://www.ecy.wa.gov/toxics/index.htm

Puget Sound Toxics Loading Assessmenthttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pstoxics/index.html