PCB FACT SHEET
Yankee Rowe
May 2000
PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of man-made chemicals that were
manufactured in the United States from 1929 to 1977. Because of their stability,
resistance to fire and electrical insulating properties, PCBs were primarily used in the
greatest quantities in electrical transformers, capacitors, heat transfer systems and
hydraulic systems. Lesser quantities were used in voltage regulators, adhesives, caulking
compounds, inks, lubricants, paints, sealants, carbonless copy paper, coatings, electrical
switches, plasticizers, circuit breakers, dust control agents, and older fluorescent lighting
fixtures.
Manufacturing of PCBs ceased in the United States in October 1977 after it was
determined they were accumulating in the environment and did not easily break down.
PCB-CONTAINING PAINT AT YANKEE ROWE
As part of decommissioning, a radiological and non-radiological hazardous material
assessment of the plant site was conducted and is continuing. The assessment identified
that the interior and exterior of several plant structures had, like many industrial facilities,
been painted with PCB-containing paint prior to 1977. Unlike PCBs in liquids, such as
transformer oil, these PCBs are solid and part of the dried paint.
Interior Surfaces:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (MADEP) regulate the control and remediation of PCBs in
Massachusetts. Yankee has worked closely with both agencies to ensure the appropriate
handling of PCB-containing paint that exceeded established PCB limits on interior
surfaces as interior portions of the plant were dismantled and cleaned. Some of the
interior painted surfaces are in areas of the plant that contained radioactive materials.
Exterior Surfaces:
Dismantlement of most of the buildings on the plant site will not take place until after
2001 when the used fuel has been transferred from the spent fuel pool to an aboveground
dry storage facility. In preparation for future dismantlement, Yankee has begun to
remove PCB-containing paint that exceeds established PCB limits on the exterior of
selected buildings. For example, paint that exceeded established PCB limits was removed
from exterior surfaces of the Turbine Building. Because of its height and configuration
and the fact that the interior surface surrounded an area with radioactive material, the
Containment Building (the large white sphere) will ultimately be cut into sections and
disposed of in a disposal facility licensed for both radioactive and PCB-containing
materials. The paint on exterior surfaces of buildings, including the Containment
Building, is not radioactive. As part of a routine maintenance program, the outside of the
Containment Building has been regularly painted. Non-PCB containing paint has been
used since 1977. The exterior of the containment sphere was most recently painted four
years ago. In 1996 and 1997, the exterior upper and lower hemispheres of the
Containment Building were coated with a penetrating treatment to fix peeling paint to the
metal surface.
CURRENT PCB STATUS AT YANKEE ROWE
Recently, Yankee discovered paint chips on the ground underneath the Containment
Building that appeared to have been removed by ice and snow melting off the top of the
exterior of the containment sphere. The paint chips were sent to a lab for analysis and
determined to be PCB-containing paint. As a precaution, hay bales were placed around
storm water collection basins to prevent the paint chips from migrating.
To determine if any paint chips had migrated, samples were collected of surface water,
soils and sediment from the storm water collection basins, the point where the basins
discharge at Sherman Pond, and the sediment in the pond near the discharge point. No
PCBs were detected in the surface water. However, levels of PCBs in some of the
samples from the collection basins, discharge point and pond exceeded the MADEP limit
of 2 parts per million. Yankee notified the EPA and MADEP of the discovery and began
developing an action plan.
The action plan, of which the immediate portions have been approved by the EPA and
MADEP, is underway and includes the following:

Immediate clean up of paint chips from storm water collection basins.

Repainting of the Containment Building to prevent additional paint loss.

Development of a sampling plan to determine the extent of PCB paint chip migration.
Submittal of the complete plan to the EPA and MADEP.

Development of a remediation plan for review and approval by the EPA and
MADEP.
PCB UPDATES
Yankee will provide regular updates on all decommissioning activities, including the
status of the PCB paint chip sampling and remediation efforts, to the Yankee Rowe
Community Advisory Board and on the Yankee Rowe web site at www.yankee.com.