Introduction

Polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly known as chlorobiphenyls or PCBs, were manufactured for use in electrical equipment, heat exchangers, hydraulic systems, and several other specialized applications up to the late 1970s. They were never manufactured in Canada but were widely used in this country. PCBs have been linked to cancer, reproductive failure, birth deformities and other health problems in many animals and are generally thought (but not conclusively proven) to cause chloracne (a skin rash), cancer and immune system dysfunction in humans. PCBs are very persistent both in the environment and in living tissue. The most obvious signs of environmental harm caused by PCBs are in aquatic ecosystems and in species such as eagles and herring gulls that eat primarily aquatic organisms. Because of concern for the environmental and health effects of PCBs, the Canadian government took action to eliminate PCBs from Canada. The import, manufacture, and sale (for re-use) of PCBs were made illegal in Canada in 1977 and release to the environment of PCBs was made illegal in 1985. However Canadian legislation has allowed owners of PCB equipment to continue using PCB equipment until the end of its service life. The storage of PCBs has been regulated since 1988. Handling, transport and destruction of PCBs are also regulated, mostly under provincial regulations.

Despite the large reductions in PCB inventories since the implementation of regulatory controls however, releases of PCBs to the environment through spills and fires continue to occur. If action is not taken to "speed up" the pace of PCB phase-out, Environment Canada is concerned that the goal of elimination of PCBs from Canada may not be reached for another generation. In addition Canada is signatory to, or is negotiating to enact, several international agreements on the phase-out of a number of persistent toxic substances including PCBs. Environment Canada has therefore proposed revisions to the existing Chlorobiphenyl Regulations of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) that would set specific dates for the complete destruction of all PCBs in service and in storage.