New PCB Regulations: What Contractors Should Know
Risk of Hefty Penalties for Companies that fail to comply on Northern California Projects; Southern California May Soon Follow.
Contractors working on commercial renovation projects will soon be responsible for determining whether a building has Polychlorinated Biphenyls (“PCBs”) before they begin work. PCBs are manmade chemicals that were used in building materials though the early 1980s. Considered an environmental contaminant, their disposal is increasingly regulated by federal and local laws. Indeed, several counties and cities in Northern California recently enacted rules, effective July, 2019, requiring that contractors test for PCBs prior to demolition activities. Unless contractors understand and anticipate the various types of PCB-containing building products they may encounter, and the requirements for testing, handling and disposal, they could face hefty penalties, injunctions and/or criminal sanctions.