State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has embarked on a process to eliminate the use of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) oils and PCB-contaminated materials and equipment used as insulation in electrical equipment.
A yellowish viscous liquid with distinct odour, PCBs held remarkable thermal stability and only broke down at temperatures of more than 1 000 °C. The material was also highly resistant to acids, alkalis and oxidisers owing to its high chemical composition and was insoluble in water.
In terms of regulations issued by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on July 14, 2014, persons and companies who possess equipment with PCB concentrations of greater than 50 mg/kg were required to reclassify such material and equipment as non-PCB or replace it.
Equipment with PCB concentrations of greater than 500 parts per million needed to be declared as PCB material, with such equipment to be removed on a planned phase-out basis and, subsequently, incinerated and disposed of.
The PCB regulations also required all PCB holders to register with the DEA and submit a phase-out plan.
TFR had registered as a PCB holder and submitted its phase-out plan to the DEA. The DEA’s phase-out timeframe stipulated that no organisation was permitted to use any PCB material or PCB-contaminated material after 2023, nor was any organisation permitted to have PCBs, excluding PCB waste, in its possession after 2026.
The penalty for the possession of PCB materials could result in a fine of up to R10-million or imprisonment for up to ten years, or a combination of both.
Although never manufactured in South Africa, PCBs were imported for use mainly in equipment used for electricity generation and distribution.