Give PCBs the 1-2-3

Farms, businesses and industry have been offered what’s likely to be a final chance to freely and safely dispose of PCBs.

And Taranaki farmers and enterprises are being strongly urged to take advantage of the offer of free collection and disposal of PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls.

Widely used in the electricity industry from the 1930s, PCBs were banned in 2004 because of their health and environmental hazards. They can still be found in old-style transformers and capacitors, and were also used as heat exchange fluids, paint additives and in plastics.

The free disposal service will run until the end of the year or until four tonnes of PCBs are collected nationwide (on a ‘first-come, first served’ basis). It is being organised by Transpacific Technical Services Ltd and funded by the Ministry for the Environment from the landfill waste levy.

The Taranaki Regional Council’s Director-Environment Quality, Gary Bedford, says although a significant amount of PCBs were safely disposed of during hazardous waste collections organised by the Council and Fonterra over the past two decades, the latest scheme is a good opportunity to “mop up” any remaining material in this region.

“We’re urging farmers to look at the electrical and switching equipment in old dairy sheds or wool sheds, and businesses and industries to similarly check any older infrastructure they might have,” he says. “Disposing of PCBs is complex and expensive, and there’s unlikely to be another offer of free disposal.”

For more information and to register PCBs for collection, call 0800 PCB WASTE. Some conditions apply and some assistance is available. Details can be found at www.transpac.co.nz or www.trc.govt.nz/hazardous-wastes.