Pcb Fact Sheet

PCB FACT SHEET

Yankee Rowe

May 2000

PCBs

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of man-made chemicals that were manufactured in the United States from 1929 to 1977. Because of their stability, resistance to fire and electrical insulating properties, PCBs were primarily used in the greatest quantities in electrical transformers, capacitors, heat transfer systems and hydraulic systems. Lesser quantities were used in voltage regulators, adhesives, caulking compounds, inks, lubricants, paints, sealants, carbonless copy paper, coatings, electrical switches, plasticizers, circuit breakers, dust control agents, and older fluorescent lighting fixtures.

Manufacturing of PCBs ceased in the United States in October 1977 after it was determined they were accumulating in the environment and did not easily break down.

PCB-CONTAINING PAINT AT YANKEE ROWE

As part of decommissioning, a radiological and non-radiological hazardous material assessment of the plant site was conducted and is continuing. The assessment identified that the interior and exterior of several plant structures had, like many industrial facilities, been painted with PCB-containing paint prior to 1977. Unlike PCBs in liquids, such as transformer oil, these PCBs are solid and part of the dried paint.

Interior Surfaces:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) regulate the control and remediation of PCBs in Massachusetts. Yankee has worked closely with both agencies to ensure the appropriate handling of PCB-containing paint that exceeded established PCB limits on interior surfaces as interior portions of the plant were dismantled and cleaned. Some of the interior painted surfaces are in areas of the plant that contained radioactive materials.

Exterior Surfaces:

Dismantlement of most of the buildings on the plant site will not take place until after 2001 when the used fuel has been transferred from the spent fuel pool to an aboveground dry storage facility. In preparation for future dismantlement, Yankee has begun to remove PCB-containing paint that exceeds established PCB limits on the exterior of selected buildings. For example, paint that exceeded established PCB limits was removed from exterior surfaces of the Turbine Building. Because of its height and configuration and the fact that the interior surface surrounded an area with radioactive material, the Containment Building (the large white sphere) will ultimately be cut into sections and disposed of in a disposal facility licensed for both radioactive and PCB-containing materials. The paint on exterior surfaces of buildings, including the Containment Building, is not radioactive. As part of a routine maintenance program, the outside of the Containment Building has been regularly painted. Non-PCB containing paint has been used since 1977. The exterior of the containment sphere was most recently painted four years ago. In 1996 and 1997, the exterior upper and lower hemispheres of the Containment Building were coated with a penetrating treatment to fix peeling paint to the metal surface.

CURRENT PCB STATUS AT YANKEE ROWE

Recently, Yankee discovered paint chips on the ground underneath the Containment Building that appeared to have been removed by ice and snow melting off the top of the exterior of the containment sphere. The paint chips were sent to a lab for analysis and determined to be PCB-containing paint. As a precaution, hay bales were placed around storm water collection basins to prevent the paint chips from migrating.

To determine if any paint chips had migrated, samples were collected of surface water, soils and sediment from the storm water collection basins, the point where the basins discharge at Sherman Pond, and the sediment in the pond near the discharge point. No PCBs were detected in the surface water. However, levels of PCBs in some of the samples from the collection basins, discharge point and pond exceeded the MADEP limit of 2 parts per million. Yankee notified the EPA and MADEP of the discovery and began developing an action plan.

The action plan, of which the immediate portions have been approved by the EPA and MADEP, is underway and includes the following:

• Immediate clean up of paint chips from storm water collection basins.

• Repainting of the Containment Building to prevent additional paint loss.

• Development of a sampling plan to determine the extent of PCB paint chip migration. Submittal of the complete plan to the EPA and MADEP.

• Development of a remediation plan for review and approval by the EPA and MADEP.

PCB UPDATES

Yankee will provide regular updates on all decommissioning activities, including the status of the PCB paint chip sampling and remediation efforts, to the Yankee Rowe Community Advisory Board and on the Yankee Rowe web site at