Inventory of PCBs in Estonia

1
Inventory of PCBs in Estonia

• Tarmo Lindemann
• Chief Officer
• Waste Department
• Ministry of the Environment
• tarmo.lindemann_at_envir.ee

2
Assistance in implementation of the Disposal of
PCBs/PCTs Directive in Estonia

• Cooperation between the Estonian Ministry of
  Environment and the Danish Ministry of
  Environment and Energy, 1999 - 2000
• carried out by COWI Consulting Engineers and
  Planners AS
• Subconsultants
• PIC Estonia AS, Estonia
• ChemControl AS, Denmark
• Danish Industrial Compensation AS, Denmark

3
PCB-s in EWC
4
Assistance in implementation of the Disposal of
PCBs/PCTs Directive in Estonia

• Possible sources of PCBs
• Power capacitors produced in the former USSR,
• KC-types, KM-types and K?-types
• KC types must be considered as containing PCB
• Content of PCB-substances (analysed)
• KC-types 0.6 - 29.3
• KM-types lt0.005 - 0.0212
• K?-types not detected

5
Assistance in implementation of the Disposal of
PCBs/PCTs Directive in Estonia

• Possible sources of PCBs
• Transformers
• Of the transformers produced in the Soviet Union
  for civil purposes only transformers with
  typenumber TNZ from the Chirchik factory in
  Uzbekistan can contain PCB.
• Content of PCB-substances in analyzed samples
  (mixtures of several oils) lt0.00005 - 0.00036

6
Assistance in implementation of the Disposal of
PCBs/PCTs Directive in Estonia

• Preparation for additional inventory
• - Compilation of questionnaires (for capacitors
  and transformers)
• - Drawing up of a list of enterprises - potential
  holders of PCB containing equipment
• Enterprises within the power production and
  distribution network
• Large industrial consumers of electricity
• Inactive enterprises
• Military installations

7
Procedure for Management of PCB/PCTsRegulation
No. 71 of 19 July 1999 of the Minister of the
Environment

• Holders of equipment containing more than 5 dm3
  of PCBs shall notify the Estonian Environment
  Information Centre (EEIC) of all items of such
  equipment by 1 July 2001 at the latest.
• When notifying the EEIC of equipment containing
  PCBs, the holder of the equipment shall complete
  an inventory sheet on each item of equipment
  containing PCBs
• The EEIC shall keep continuous account of
  equipment containing PCBs and shall compile the
  first summary inventory on the basis of the data
  of inventory sheets by 1 August 2001 at the
  latest, and shall subsequently check and update
  the summary data once a year (by 1 February of
  each year).

8
The PCB-database

• PCB-database is a part of the Information System
  on Environmental Permits (KLIS),
• which includes
• - waste permits
• - hazardous waste licenses
• - hazardous waste consignment notes
• http//klis.envir.ee/klis

9
The PCB-database

• KLIS PCB-database allows
• - to maintain and process all the information
  delivered by holders of PCB-equipment
• - to keep and print out information in format of
  the official inventory list
• - to compile reports and summary data according
  to PCB-regulation
• - to make data on PCB-equipment available to
  public via Internet

10
Activities

• Proposed technical assistance project with COWI
  had no follow-up stage for inventory as it was
  originally planned
• According to regulation the obligation to notify
  EEIC about PCB-equipment lies on the holders of
  equipment (enterprises)
• Estonian MoE has not launched special project on
  PCB inventories, but has distributed for county
  environmental authorities all the materials
  concerning PCB-equipment, questionnaires and
  reports to inform and help potential PCB-holders
  (2000-2001)

11
Preliminary results

• by 1 July 2001 has notified only the biggest
  energy company Eesti Energia AS (several
  substations)
• Additional notifications (mainly from Ida-Viru
  county) - questioning by environmental
  authorities, 2001-2002
• 1 February 2003 - notifications from 7
  enterprises ( substations of Eesti Energia)
  having PCB equipment.
• Amount of PCBs (oils containing gt0.005 of
  PCB-substances) - 75616 kg (71649 kg in
  capacitors, 3967 kg in transformers

12
National PCB waste management plan

• Planned activities
• PCB waste research 2005
• guidance material 2006
• notes to potential PCB containing equipment
  owners 2006
• finding firms who needs help regarding PCB by
  local departments of MoE 2007-2008
• environmental inspectorate control visits 2008
• last present PCB containing equipment and PCB
  waste disposal 2009
• all PCB containing equipment and PCB waste must
  be disposed by 31.12.2010

13
Mapping PCB containing equipment and waste

• Research was done by SWECO EESTI AS in 2005
• Results

14
Conclusions, needs, next steps

• The number of enterprises which have notified
  about PCB-equipment is obviously insufficient
• Enterprises have to be additionally informed
  about problems connected with PCB-equipment.
  Assistance is needed for identifying potential
  PCB sources in the enterprises.
• It is reasonable to launch special project
  concerning PCB-inventory in the country,
  involving local or foreign consultants or
  technical experts.
• More deeper involvement of MoE, County
  environmental authorities, EEIC and Environmental
  Inspectorate is needed to accomplish the
  inventory of PCB equipment in relatively short
  time.