PCB
Disposal has cleaned up several sites in Canada where electrical
equipment required draining and removal and at PCB-contaminated
substations where other impermeable and porous surfaces required
decontamination and confirmatory sampling and analyses. Solid
PCB wastes are collected and placed in 18-gauge drums, totes
or lugger boxes depending on the quantities involved and contaminated
liquids are either collected in 16-gauge drums or hauled off-site
in bulk tankers.
Cleaning
Tanks & Tanker Trucks
In
our experience, bulk storage tanks and tanker trucks only licensed
to carry non-PCB oils and other liquids, often become accidentally
contaminated with PCBs. PCB Disposal can decontaminate these
trucks and tanks so they can be reused for non-PCB materials.
The contents are drained from the tanks or tanker trucks and
the vessels are cleaned to meet the government's criterion of
less than 10 µg/100 cm² which is confirmed by wipe
sampling and gas chromatographic analysis at our laboratory.
Concrete
Removal and Disposal
Often,
concrete surfaces that have not been coated with an impenetrable
epoxy coating become contaminated with PCBs due to spills or
leaks from mishandling of electrical equipment or drums. In
many cases, the oils or askarels penetrate so deep into the
concrete that it must be removed physically by jack-hammering
or scarification. Every effort is made to decontaminate impermeable
surfaces but any concrete found to be "untreatable"
in situ is removed from site to our transfer station for destruction
by incineration.
