Contact EPA Pacific Southwest Cleanup
Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Other Federal Statutes and PCB Regulations
Learn more about how TSCA and PCB regulations intersect with other federal statutes including:
- CERCLA/Superfund
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Clean Water Act (CWA)
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
- Clean Air Act (CAA)
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
Additional CERCLA Resources
- CERCLA/Superfund Orientation Manual (PDF) (177 pp, 1.3MB) - TSCA and CERCLA commonly interact if polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are involved in a CERCLA response.
- PCB Contamination at Superfund Sites
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry lists over 850 Superfund sites with PCB contamination. Cleanup at some sites has since been completed. - Guide on Remedial Actions for Superfund Sites with PCB contamination (PDF) (5 pp, 484K)
- PCB Site Revitalization Guidance Information on characterizing, cleaning up, containing, and disposing of PCB waste
- The Brownfield Revitalization Act clarifies the relationship between TSCA and the Brownfield program. Section 211 of the Act prohibits Brownfield funding from being used at sites where PCB remediation should be performed under TSCA.
CERCLA (Superfund)
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as Superfund, gives the Federal government authority to respond to chemical emergencies and clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites.
Every two years, substances determined to pose a threat to human health are placed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in order of potential threat. In the most recent list, PCBs moved up to the fifth spot on the list of 275 hazardous substances. The EPA lists more than 500 sites with PCB contamination that are currently being considered for, or already on, the Superfund National Priority List.
- National Priorities List (NPL)
- NPL EPA query form: user friendly database site and contaminate information
RCRA & PCBs
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Because TSCA deals with toxic chemicals, there are several overlaps with the RCRA regulations. However, while TSCA provides the authority to regulate the disposal stage of a chemical's life cycle on a chemical-by-chemical basis, RCRA provides the authority to establish regulations and programs to ensure safe waste treatment and disposal of any number of chemicals.
- RCRA, Superfund, EPCRA Hotline Training Module (PDF) (29 pp, 186K)
- Recycled Used Oil Management Standards
Clean Water Act (CWA) & PCBs
The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the structure for restoring and maintaining the integrity of the nation's waters and provides framework for all regulations related to the discharge of PCBs and other pollutants into the nation’s waterways. Section 307 defines a list of priority pollutants (including PCBs) for which the EPA must establish ambient water quality criteria and effluent limitations.Under the statutory authority of CERCLA and the CWA, the National Contingency Plan (NCP) outlines the responsibilities and authorities for responding to releases into the environment of hazardous substances and other pollutants and contaminants, including PCBs.
Safe Drinking Water Act & PCBs
PCBs are regulated as a contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA has established a maximum contaminant level goal of zero for PCBs, and a maximum contaminant level of 0.0005 mg/l in public drinking water supplies. A consumer fact sheet has been developed to help explain this.
Clean Air Act (CAA) & PCBs
PCBs are also a designated hazardous air pollutant under the Clean Air Act. Section 112(c)(6) of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 requires that the EPA identify and regulate sources of PCBs. PCB incinerators and other authorized PCB activities must be in compliance with the requirements of the CAA.
The EPA also established National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) under the CAA to protect the public and lists PCBs as one of 33 Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) presenting the greatest threat to public health in urban areas.
Emergency Planning & Community Right-To-Know Act
PCB releases are included in the Toxic Release Inventory [TRI] database maintained by EPA under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). PCB data was collected from Toxic Release Inventory reporters for the first time in 2000.
- Toxic Release Inventory [TRI] in the Pacific Southwest