Annex to decision SC-2/18
Part C. of the format for reporting under Article 15 of the Stockholm ConventionReport on progress in eliminating polychlorinated biphenyls
pursuant to Annex A, part II subparagraph (g) of the Convention
Name of party submitting report:
Report for the period covering years to
Section I. article 6: Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from stockpiles[1] and wastes
- Pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 1 (a) (i), has your country developed a strategy for identifying stockpiles consisting of or containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs? (Please select one box as appropriate)
EC: In 1985, legislation on the use of PCBs was introduced in the form of Directive 85/467/EEC relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (amending for the 6th time Directive 76/769/EC ).
Directive 96/59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB / PCT) requires an inventory of equipment with PCB volumes of more than 5 litres. PCBs as defined in the Directive also include polychlorinated diphenyl methane (PCDM) as well as any mixture containing any of the mentioned substances in a total of more than 0,005 by weight (equivalent to > 50 mg/kg).
National: A systematic identification of the PCB volumes to be disposed of, the disposal options and disposal capacities and the weak points of the disposal of equipment containing PCBs was initiated in the Federal Republic of Germany in the 80s. A study on the origin and fate of PCBs commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency, to be completed by 31 December 1988, was presented in 1990. This study was used primarily for identifying the PCB volumes to be disposed of in Germany from before 1989. In the framework of another study, the investigations were extended to include the new Länder and the Federal institutions of Bundespost, Bundesbahn and Reichsbahn. It also covered the use and fate of polychlorinated diphenyl methane (PCDM) in mining. On the basis of these inventories, the Federal Government worked out a plan for the disposal of PCBs and equipment containing PCBs. These studies were submitted to the Commission in 1992 and 1995 in the framework of reporting obligations.
In a following coordination process of the Federal Länder with the Federal Environment Ministry, the Länder, by 31 December 2000, specified in detail every single decommissioned equipment containing PCBs which had not yet been disposed of and the equipment containing PCBs still in operation with a limited exceptional permit. This inventory shows that the majority of the equipment containing PCBs has been disposed of already by the year 2000.
In addition German authorities and universities have conducted several studies about the use of PCB-containing equipment and the occurrence of PCB in certain residues. Examples are
-Forschungsvorhaben PCB-Kleinkondensatoren, Arbeitsgruppe Umweltstatistik - ARGUS - an der Technischen Universität Berlin, Dezember 1988
-Herkunft und Verbleib PCB-haltiger Rückstände BSM - Gesellschaft für Betriebsberatung mbH Düsseldorf, UBA - Förderkennzeichen 103 02 119 April 1990
-PCB in DDR-Haushaltgroßgeräten, Niels Jungbluth et al. Technische Universität Berlin Januar 1993
-Richtlinie für die Bewertung und Sanierung PCB-belasteter Baustoffe und Bauteile in Gebäuden, Fachkommission Baunormung der ARGEBAU, Projektgruppe „Schadstoffe“ Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik, September 1994, Untersuchungen des Sammelschrotts auf PCB-Quellen und Entwicklung geeigneter Vorbehandlungsmaßnahmen, Jochen SchiemannUBA - Forschungsbericht 103 10 201 (UBA Texte 51/96).
- Pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 1 (a) (ii), has your country developed a strategy for identifying products and articles in use and wastes consisting of, containing or contaminated with greater than 50 ppm PCBs? (please select one box as appropriate)
Based on European Community legislation, legal provisions apply to the placing on the market, production and use of PCBs at national level through the Prohibition of Chemicals Ordinance and the Ordinance on Hazardous Materials. Under Article 18, paragraph 1, in conjunction with Annex IV No. 14, paragraph 1 of the Ordinance on Hazardous Materials, and Article 1, in conjunction with section 13 of the Annex (to Article 1) of the Prohibition of Chemicals Ordinance, there is a blanket ban on the use, manufacture and placing on the market of products containing preparations with more than 50 mg/kg of PCBs. In a transitional provision, under Article 22, paragraph 2 of the Ordinance on Hazardous Materials, products in which components containing PCBs are present are exempted:
- Until the products are decommissioned, at the latest, however, by 31 December 2010, provided that the component contains > 100 ml, but not more than 1000 ml of fluid containing PCBs, or
- Until the product is decommissioned, provided that the component contains < 100 ml of fluid containing PCBs.
and provided that the product was in service on 29 July 1989.
The use of capacitors with more than 1000 ml of fluid containing PCBs was banned as long ago as 1 January 1994. All other products containing PCBs (e.g. transformers) that do not come under the above-mentioned transitional provisions were allowed to be used until 31 December 1999.
See also above (question 1)
- If your answer to questions 2 and /or 3 above was yes, please provide further details regarding the strategy/ies in the table below.
Strategy / Brief description of the Strategy / Date of entry into force
Use of capacitors with more than 1000 ml of fluid containing PCBs / banned as long ago as 1 January 1994
- Other products containing PCBs (e.g. transformers) that do not come under the above-mentioned transitional provisions:
- PCB-contaminated waste wood:
- Used oil containing PCBs:
Further systems with PCB still in use / Other products are allowed to be unsed until 31 December 1999, after that banned
- For PCB-contaminated waste wood. in the past, particularly heat and sound insulation boards were treated with products containing PCBs. Waste wood may only be used to produce chipboard or particleboard if concentrations of PCBs are less than 5 mg/kg (Annex II of the Waste Wood Ordinance). For contamination levels between 5 and 50mg/kg the Waste Wood Ordinance allows the wood to be used to produce synthesis gas or carbon/industrial charcoal. If PCB levels are higher than 50 mg/kg, waste wood has to be disposed of in accordance with the stipulations of the PCB/PCT Waste Ordinance.
Processing of used oil containing more than 20 ppm of PCBs/PCT was already prohibited under Article 3 paragraph 1 of the Waste Oil Ordinance. Regulation (EC) No. 850/2004 now permits reconditioning of oil containing PCBs only if they are present as an unintentional trace contaminant.
Due to their broad use spectrum, PCBs are still found in a number of different articles. Waste legislation for these diffuse sources is designed to ensure that in cases where relevant concentrations (50 mg/kg) are exceeded, that as soon as they become wastes these products (electrical cable insulation, building materials contaminated with PCBs, etc.) are separated out and disposed of as hazardous waste. Material from electrical cable insulation or building materials contaminated with PCBs may only be recovered for use in the production of new articles if the PCB level is less than 50 ppm and if it can be guaranteed that PCBs will only be present in the new articles as “unintentional trace contaminants.” Several agencies at Länder level have developed guidelines for remediation of buildings contaminated with PCBs. As a short to medium-term measure as part of the strategy to restrict the occurrence of PCDDs/PCDFs and PCBs in the environment, the Commission of the European Communities intends to identify other sources of dioxins and PCBs.
- Please indicate if your country has adopted legislative or/and administrative measures to ensure PCBs or articles containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs identified as wastes are: (See Article 6, paragraphs 1 d (i) and 1d (ii))
Collected in an environmentally sound manner? / / /
Transported in an environmentally sound manner? / / /
Stored in an environmentally sound manner? / / /
Disposed of in such a way as indicated in paragraph d(ii) of Article 6 of the Convention? / / /
- If your answer to any of the above is yes, are any of the measures, referred to in question 4 above, part of your National Implementation Plan?
See above, question 2 and 3
- Pursuant Article 6, paragraph 1(e), has your country developed appropriate strategies for identifying sites contaminated by greater than 50 ppm PCBs?
If your answer to the above question is yes, are the strategies referred to above, part of your National Implementation Plan?
YES: In Germany, the Federal Soil Protection Act (BBodSchG) provides for measures to protect or restore soil functions. The Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance (BBodSchV) translates the spirit of the Act into specific requirements relating to soil protection and remediation of contaminated sites, thus ensuring that the Act is implemented in a uniform way throughout Germany. It also prescribes values for pollutant levels (action, trigger and precautionary values) and requirements to initiate investigations.
In cases where remediation is necessary, both decontamination and safeguarding measures and other measures (such as protective and restricting measures) may also be used. The Soil Protection Act gives the states the power to pass supplementary procedural regulations.
The states use regional regulations to flesh out the Federal Soil Protection Act.
The states keep registers of contaminated sites in their area of jurisdiction covering > 90% of such sites. As a rule they give information about all previous uses of the sites, the type of technology used and contamination typical of the industry in question.
It is only possible to establish to what extent POPs were handled or deposited at these sites by using secondary information such as industry catalogues and waste codes. They can make it possible to identify technological hot spots, details about products used and any relevant deposits possibly also acquire quantitative dimensions.
- Has your country adopted any legislative or/and administrative measures to manage stockpiles containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs in a safe efficient and environmentally sound manner?
If your answer to the above question is yes, are the measures referred to above part of your National Implementation Plan?
No stockpiles of PCB exist.
section II. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) inventory
- Pursuant to Article 6 and Annex A, Part II, paragraph (a) (i) of the Convention, has your country taken measures to identify and label, where appropriate, all equipment in use containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs?
Inventory was firstly completed in /
/ (please provide year)
Inventory was last updated in /
/ (please provide year)
Total quantities of equipment involved: /
/ (please indicate mass in kg)
Disposal of transformers containing PCBs in underground landfills began in 1983, since at the time there were no suitable pre-treatment processes available. Today, transformers containing PCBs are drained in authorised installations, decontaminated and the metals are usually recovered. Only in exceptional cases are transformers that have been pre-treated in this way deposited in an underground landfill. To date approximately 62,000 tonnes of transformers contaminated by PCBs have been deposited in landfills . Due to the sharp rise in prices for secondary metals the possibility of retrieving the landfilled transformers is now being considered. At national level, disposal of PCBs from this type of use is almost complete. The Environment Ministry issued the following press release to that effect on 16 June 2004:
“In Germany the phase-out of the use of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) is now almost complete. Germany is thus complying with its commitments in the EU PCB Directive well in advance of the target year 2010. Five Federal Laender have already registered complete disposal. In two Laender, a total of six pieces of equipment are still in use with exemption permits. Only a few pieces of equipment containing PCBs and small amounts of liquids containing PCBs remain to be disposed of. The environmentally sound disposal of this remaining amount is guaranteed, since the capacities far exceed the remaining volumes. Around 10 years ago more than 300,000 tonnes of equipment and liquids containing PCBs required disposal. More than 99% of this has already been disposed of. Only two transformers will require disposal by the target year of 2010.
PCBs are persistent compounds which accumulate in the food chain and can lead to considerable health and environmental problems. As they possess good isolating and cooling properties and are highly flammable they were mainly used as transformer oils and hydraulic fluids in mining. PCBs have not been produced in Germany since 1983. The European PCB Directive adopted in September 1996 commits Member States to take measures for the decontamination or disposal of equipment containing PCBs as soon as possible, at the latest by 2010. Germany has fulfilled this obligation with its PCB Waste Ordinance of 26 June 2000.”
- Has your country taken measures to identify and/or label, where appropriate, all wastes liable to contain greater than 50 ppm PCBs? (transformer oils in drums or reservoirs) (Ref. Article 6 and paragraph (a)(i) of Part II of Annex A of the Convention)
Disposal of this type of waste in Germany almost completed
- Are all depositories for equipment and wastes containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs that have been identified in your country, clearly labeled and secured? (please select one option as appropriate)
Disposal of transformers containing PCBs in underground landfills began in 1983, since at the time there were no suitable pre-treatment processes available. Today, transformers containing PCBs are drained in authorised installations, decontaminated and the metals are usually recovered. Only in exceptional cases are transformers that have been pre-treated in this way deposited in an underground landfill. To date approximately 62,000 tonnes of transformers contaminated by PCBs have been deposited in landfills . Due to the sharp rise in prices for secondary metals the possibility of retrieving the landfilled transformers is now being considered. At national level, disposal of PCBs from this type of use is almost complete. The Environment Ministry issued the following press release to that effect on 16 June 2004:
“In Germany the phase-out of the use of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) is now almost complete. Germany is thus complying with its commitments in the EU PCB Directive well in advance of the target year 2010. Five Federal Laender have already registered complete disposal. In two Laender, a total of six pieces of equipment are still in use with exemption permits. Only a few pieces of equipment containing PCBs and small amounts of liquids containing PCBs remain to be disposed of. The environmentally sound disposal of this remaining amount is guaranteed, since the capacities far exceed the remaining volumes. Around 10 years ago more than 300,000 tonnes of equipment and liquids containing PCBs required disposal. More than 99% of this has already been disposed of. Only two transformers will require disposal by the target year of 2010.
PCBs are persistent compounds which accumulate in the food chain and can lead to considerable health and environmental problems. As they possess good isolating and cooling properties and are highly flammable they were mainly used as transformer oils and hydraulic fluids in mining. PCBs have not been produced in Germany since 1983. The European PCB Directive adopted in September 1996 commits Member States to take measures for the decontamination or disposal of equipment containing PCBs as soon as possible, at the latest by 2010. Germany has fulfilled this obligation with its PCB Waste Ordinance of 26 June 2000.”
- Are all wastes containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs that have been identified in your country, stored in leak-proof containers?
See answers to questions above
- Have buildings and/or soil been contaminated by leaking equipment and/or waste containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs in your country?
Contaminated sites are identified, see answer relating to question 6.
- Please select, as appropriate, one of the following boxes:
Measures in Germany already completed.
- Has your country encountered any difficulties in the implementation of the above-mentioned specific plan for the management, phase-out and disposal of PCBs?
- Has your country instituted any measures, in accordance with Annex A, Part II subparagraph (b) of the Stockholm Convention, to promote the following measures to reduce exposures and risk to control the use of PCBs? (please select as appropriate from the list below)
If you have selected any of the above options, please specify in the space provided below
Measures in Germany already completed
- Please provide the information from your most recent inventory regarding the overview of PCBs in your country
Source/Likely Grouping[2] / Total Mass (Kg) / Oil Mass (Kg) / Oil Volume (L) / Mass of other Articles (kg)[3] / PCB content (ppm) / Location/Condition
Total / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Note: For accurate calculations please do not leave cells blank; enter zero (0) instead.
If unable to provide an itemized breakdown based on the categories in Table 1, please provide the total amount below
Measures in Germany already completed
Table 1: Key for Likely Groupings for PCB-containing equipment and other articles
Group[4] / Item
1 / Equipment containing greater than 10 % (100,000 ppm) PCBs and volumes greater than 5 litres
2 / Equipment containing greater than 0.05 % (500 ppm) PCBs and volumes greater than 5 litres
3 / Equipment containing greater than 0.005 % (50 ppm) PCBs and volumes greater than 0.05 litres
4 / Out of service equipment
5 / In service equipment
6 / Storage tanks with PCB-containing oils
7 / Other (please specify):
Section III. Information on production, Import, export and disposal of PCBs
Production of PCBs as listed in Annex A of the Convention- Did your country produce any PCBs prior to the entry into force for it of the Stockholm Convention?
PCB / Total Annual Production / Year in which production of PCB was ended
Year
(Kg / yr) / Year
(Kg / yr)
No
Import of PCBs
- Has your country imported any equipment or articles containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs for disposal as listed in Annex A under Article 3 paragraph 2 (a) (i) of the Convention?
PCB Import Information from year 2004to 2005
Type of PCB / PCB-containing equipment[5]or Articles[6]
(e.g. transformers) / Total qunatity Imported
(Kg) / Country or countries
of Origin
(To the extend practicable provide a list of the countries from which the chemical has been imported)
Hydraulic oils / 37.000 / NL
Insulating or heat transmission oils / 2.714.000 / ES, FR, GR, IE, IT, LU, MX, NL, TR
Transformers and capacitors / 4.498.000 / AT, BE, CH, DK, ES, FR, GR, HR, IE, IT, LU, MX, NL, PL, RO, SI, TR, YU
Construction and demolition wastes / 1.572.000 / ES, FR, IT, NL, NO, TR
Export of PCBs
- Has your country exported any equipment or articles containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs for disposal as listed in Annex A of the Convention?
PCB Export Information from year 2004 to 2005
Type of PCB / PCB-containing equipment[7]or Articles[8] / Total quantities Exported
(Kg) / Destination Countries
(To the extend practicable provide a list of the countries to which the chemical has been exported to)
Transformers and capacitors / 654.000 / DK
Additional questions about destruction of PCBs
- Has your country destroyed wastes containing greater than 50 ppm PCBs?
PCB Export Information from year to
Type of PCB-containing waste[9] / Total quantities of PCB-containing waste destroyed
(Kg) / Indicate the type of destruction processes used
Section IV. Other Information
- Please provide any other clarifying information, if needed.
Types of destruction processes used in Germany are: Dismantling, high-temperature incineration, co-incineration in cement kiln
- Please provide comments, suggestions and recommendations regarding ways to improve the questionnaire, if any.
[1]Refer to Annex A, Part II (d).