The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico (SEMARNAT for its Spanish acronym) recently promulgated a standard establishing environmental protection specifications for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB).
The new standard entitled Official Mexican Standard NOM-133-ECOL-2000, Environmental Protection-Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Handling specifications, was published in the Official Journal of the Federation on December 10, 2001. The standard went into effect 60 days after its publication date, on February 8, 2002.
A number of classifications of PCB-containing materials are individually defined, including PCB equipment, PCB electrical equipment, PCB-contaminated equipment, PCB waste, PCB hazardous waste, and liquid and solid PCBs.
The new standard applies to all facilities where any of these PCB-containing materials or products are in existance, including hazardous waste treatment and storage facilities. PCB-contaminated materials are equipment or devices containing PCBs with a concentration greater than 50 ppm o 100g/100 cm2. Affected facilities must comply with the following requirements:
Within one year of the standard's promulgation all PCB equipment, PCB electrical equipment, and PCB waste that was in storage before the NOM went into effect must be eliminated.
PCB equipment in operation in sensitive areas (where there is a risk of contact with the public or food), as well as PCB electrical equipment and PCB-contaminated equipment in use at rural, urban or industrial substations must be eliminated by December 31, 2008. All waste generated during the decommissioning process must be eliminated within nine months of the decommissioning date.
The standard also places a number of handling and storage restrictions on PCBs, defines specific labeling and marking requirements, and classifies certain electrical equipment. For instance, all fluorescent ballasts manufactured before 1980 or those without a manufacturing date are to be considered PCB electrical equipment for purposes of this NOM.
Hazardous waste transportation, treatment, and disposal require specifc authorization from the federal environmental agency. Exports of PCB equipment or PCB contaminated equipment for purposes of disposal is prohibited. The standard sets maximum air emission, wastewater, and solid waste limits for PCB thermal, chemical and biological treatments, as well as soil remediation levels for PCB spills.
Finally, there is a provision in the NOM for SEMARANT to review the elimination deadlines two years after the effective date, based on the results of compliance.
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(*) Reprinted from Pulse Point, under an affiliate agreement with MexRegs
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