Phasing-out of toxic chemical begins

Press, 23 September 1987, Page 14

Phasing-out of toxic chemical begins

PA New Plymouth The first load of the highly toxic chemical, Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB), has been removed from a transformer at the New Plymouth power station. In a procedure which lasted about two and half hours, the PCB was drained from one of the eight transformers at the station containing the chemical. About 12,000 litres of the chemical, used as a transformer coolant, is at the plant. PCB has been linked to brain, liver and kidney damage and is a suspected cancer-causing chemical. The station manager, Mr Gary Campbell, of New Plymouth, said the job went without incident and the removed chemical was put into seven 210-litre drums. The drums were stored at the power station and will hp pvnnrted to Wales

where the chemical will be destroyed in a specially designed incinerator. ' ■ Representatives of the Australian company, A.A.C.I. (Australia) Proprietry, Ltd, are due in New Zealand later this month to oversee the export and incineration. Contractors wearing full protective clothing, including breathing apparatus, were on hand to ensure none of the chemical was spilled. The work was carried out in accordance with Health Department guidelines for handling such wastes, Mr Campbell said. The > other seven transformers will be drained during the next 18 months as planned outages at the station arise, he said. The drained transformers will be replaced with dry-type units. Electricorp officials said about 200,000 litres

of PCB are stored round New Zealand. It wants eventually to get rid of all PCB used in its generating equipment. A.A.C.I.’s national manager, Mr Paul Formentin, of Melbourne, said that no specific date had been set for when his company’s representatives would arrive in New Plymouth. As his company was contracting to Electricorp, he could not comment further. Some details of how the drummed chemical will be transported are yet to be worked out, he said. He would not say where the drums would be consigned from for their trip overseas. Asked how safe the drums of chemical would be at the power station, Mr Formentin said they would be totally safe. “There’s no problem with the stuff,” he said.