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OzWaste Solutions

providing treatment and disposal of PCB contaminated oil filled assets

Who We Are
Our Work

Capabilities

Environmental Protection Authorities in all States and Territories impose stringent storage and handling guidelines for PCB contaminated assets. And for good reason: The ethical dilemma of managing contaminated assets is always a cost versus health and safety of an invisible yet known and highly dangerous carcinogen.  PCB in any form does not occur in nature as a natural organic compound, ie 100% of all PCB in existence is man made.  It is a chlorine compound that was formulated to be very stable and long lasting.  Consequently once polychlorinated biphenyls enter the natural environment in soil and waterways it does not break down.  Being heavier than water it will sink to the bottom of waterways and remain there for milennia until it is stirred up by civil works or bottom feeding animals or flood events.  PCBs do not easily break down or degrade, which made them attractive for industries. PCB mixtures are resistant to acids, bases, oxidation, hydrolysis, and temperature change.  They can generate extremely toxic dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans through partial oxidation. Intentional degradation as a treatment of unwanted PCBs generally requires high heat or catalysis.  OzWaste Solutions can provide a cost effective solution to this problem by carrying out a process to decontaminate the assets to the point whereby they can be disposed of as non contaminated product ie with a contamination level less than 2 ppm. The process is effective for all contamination levels between the lower level of 2 ppm and up to assets contaminated with pure PCB oil.

OzWaste Solutions provides specialist services to decontaminate and dispose of oil or pitch filled assets such as transformers, rectifiers, circuit breakers, capacitors etc.

De-contamination of larger assets can be undertaken in-situ as well.

We can provide this service Australia wide, as far afield as NW Western Australia [Pilbara Iron, Cape Lambert].

Other services provided include the following:

  • Arranging or advising on the transport of scheduled and non scheduled PCB waste Australia wide;
  • Advice on the completion of regulatory documentation;
  • The collection, analysis and reporting of suspect oil samples;
  • The provision of advice regarding the handling and storage of PCB contaminated waste and assets.
  • Disposal options for PCB and non PCB contaminated assets.
  • Disposal of PCB and non PCB contaminated pitch filled equipment.
  • Disposal and recycling of ceramic bushings from electrical equipment.

Licensing / Insurances

OzWaste Solutions operates under a stringent Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) approved by the Environmental Protection Authority of Victoria (EPA) and carries all required insurances and financial guarantees. Copies of licenses and Insurance certificates are available on request.

EPA Licence: 10239

We have been operating under our EPA Licence since 2001, and have maintained an unblemished environmental record.

Facilities

OzWaste Solutions operates a treatment facility at Carrum Downs in Victoria. The facility operates strictly in accordance with the requirements of the EPA as detailed in the EIP.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) have been in use from the early 1900’s in a wide variety of oil or pitch filled assets such as electrical transformers, capacitors, rectifiers and switch gear.

In the early to mid 1960’s concern was raised after tests for pesticides revealed the presence of residual PCB in fish, birds, sediments and other environmental areas.

PCB is known to cause cancer in animals and is a probable human carcinogen. Production of PCB ceased by the late 1970’s and they have been banned from use in new products since the early 1980’s. Many contaminated assets had a long residual operating life that has meant that there are still a considerable number of contaminated assets in use throughout Australia. The draining of contaminated oils from assets does not solve the problem as residual oil retained means that the contamination level for the parent asset remains.

Cross contamination of equipment is an on-going problem, even now.  Use of contaminated pumps, hoses, filters, drums etc to perform oil changes in assets is an avoidable problem.

Ozwaste Solutions is recognized as an industry leader for providing testing, decontamination and removal services for PCB contaminated oil and pitch filled assets.

In 2001, after 11 years in the industry, Ed Salisbury set up OzWaste Solutions in order to provide options to industry for the treatment and disposal of PCB contaminated oil and pitch filled assets.

It is not widely known in industry that Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) contaminates pitch filled equipment.

Pitch is generally PCB contaminated with the same frequency as oil filled assets.

Most electrical companies within Australia have procedures in place for handling Pitch filled equipment yet it is not a widely known fact that Pitch can be PCB contaminated.  When using high heat to deal with pitch filled assets dioxins can be generated which are many times more toxic than the original PCB compound and can be inhaled and ingested or even absorb through the skin like PCB.

Treatment Process

Contaminated assets are drained to remove as much oil as possible. It is usual that assets retain approximately 5-8% of the original oil volume within the core and windings of transformers etc after the first drain. The asset is then subjected to a solvent vapor clean to remove all remaining oil right through the core.

During treatment the solvent is subject to analysis at a NATA registered laboratory to confirm the PCB levels. The decontamination process ceases when the level reaches < 2 ppm.

The decontamination process can be set up and completed on site if the size of the asset makes transport uneconomic, or in our facility in Carrum Downs in Victoria if transport costs or operational requirements make this a better option.

Work Summary

The process noted above has been used successfully to de-contaminate assets from a number of different organizations. These include the following:

  • TasNetworks (Tas)
  • Hydro (Tas)
  • Bell Bay Aluminium (Tas)
  • Jemena
  • Zinfra
  • Powercor/Citipower/United Energy
  • Ausnet Services
  • Pilbara Iron
  • Western Mining
  • Rio Tinto
  • Essential Energy (NSW)
  • Transgrid NSW
  • Qantas
  • Snowy Hydro

Work Alliances

OzWaste Solutions works only with suitably licensed and accredited companies in the provision of the total service. These include transport companies licensed and insured to transport PIW (Prescribed Industrial Waste) and NATA certified laboratories to provide analysis of oil, pitch, and oil/solvent mix and concrete or soil samples.

Contact Us

OzWaste Solutions has the expertise, and the regulatory approvals, to enable it to provide cost effective solutions to the problem of decontaminating oil and pitch filled assets.

Contact:   Ed Salisbury

Phone:   0425 776 215

Contact:   Mike Salisbury

Phone:   0411 145 485

21 Tova Drive
Carrum Downs
VIC 3201

PO Box 8570
Carrum Downs
VIC 3201