ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Electrical Nostalgia Old Power Company Transformer

Going by memory, the xfrs were set in containment trays, pumped down into 55 gal double wall drums, sealed, tagged and paper trailed to an incineration plant in Ky or Ohio.

The xfr bodies were re-plugged/sealed, shrink wrapped, put on flatbed truck to be incinerated. All was documented, and it is about 25 lbs of paper.

THe old ballasts met the same demize; incineration; I believe it was about $500 per steel drum.

Now...it's fluorescent bulbs and HID lamps; MUST be recycled here in NJ

Incinerator for PCB's

At least Mercury, while toxic, can be reclaimed and reused.

You will find a lot of info on PCB disposal (legal) by googleing 'PCB Disposal'. There's an EPA/DEP site with a lot of info.

There is still a haunting of PCB contamination in the Hudson River (lower) and the Passaic River (NJ) leading into the Newark shipping terminals. It rears it head everytime dredging the channels comes up for public comments. Besides PCB's there's also remnants of Agent Orange from the Vietman era.

PCB's were outlawed in the mid to late 70's.

Regarding the dredging stirring up old contaminants, back in '86 when the carrier I was on needed an emergency dry-dock in SF bay, the local environmentalists got a little bent out of shape when it was disclosed that the dredging to open access to the dry-dock stirred up radioactive contamination (among other materials) that had settled in the bay from decontaminating the 1950's atomic blast observer ships.

No, I do not know what happened to the dredging spoils.

Larry C

Gee John, I had no idea it was that complicated and that expensive to dispose of PCB and things containing PCB. Nasty stuff, my instructor in electrical class said whenever electrical equipment containing PCB blew they had to have hazmat come out. I read on the internet PCB production was banned in the 70's.

Packrat:
Yes, it is $$$$.

Also, as a side note the fluorescent lamps and HID lamps are 'supposed' to be legally recycled. It's sort of in effect here in NJ, but the proverbial stuff is going to hit the impeller soon.

Recycle fees for lamps are a cost a lot of the sparkies and building owners are not aware of yet!

I agree with you on recycling those light bulbs, out here for recycling it's only #1 and #2 plastic, paper, cardboard, aluminum and tin cans; those are the ones I remember anyway. They'll take scrap aluminum, steel, copper and galvanized but those have to be taken directly to Pacific Steel and Recycling. They won't take glass though which is a shame, I wish they would.

Ikea and Home Depot both take fluorescent lamps for recycling around here, and Home Depot will also take ballasts--both for free. Of course, they would probably frown if you brought a whole case of lamps or a palate of ballasts in for recycling. Some local hardware stores are also jumping in on the bandwagon and offering lamp recycling.

I'm not sure if HID lamps are included...

I did not see that at the local HD. I'll have to check it out ASAP.

Twp I work in just shelled out >$500 for about 12-15 cs, mostly U-tubes and 4', all T12.

John., if you don't mind fill me in what is cs is cases ?

Merci,Marc