WRITTEN QUESTION E-3410/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Rise in PCB pollution despite ban on production

1. Is the Commission aware of the discovery by scientists that the level of pollution of Lake Michigan in the US with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) is far higher than previously reckoned with(1)?

2. Does the Commission know of similar pollution of European lakes, in particular in Scandinavia and the Alpine region?

3. Can the Commission account for the increase in pollution with PCBs in spite of a ban on further production? To what extent is it a matter of chemical reactions between different types of waste?

4. What measures are envisaged by the Commission if the current rules intended to prevent pollution with PCBs are found to be inadequate?

(1) Source: New York Times, 22.5.2000.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 2000)

The Commission is aware of this particular contamination problem in Lake Michigan as well as many others (for example, the contamination of the Hudson River and the Housatonic River by General Electric's manufacturing plants) in the United States, although it may not have followed the investigation in the United States in detail as it is only partially comparable to the situation in the Community waters.

There have been some cases of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in European lakes such as Lake Järnsjön in southeast Sweden, which had contaminated sediments which were also found downstream in the river Emån. Lake Järnsjön was cleaned by dredging in 1993 and 1994.

The Commission has been actively working on aquatic pollution. In a study on the prioritization of substances which are hazardous to the aquatic environment and following the COMMPS procedure (combined monitoring-based and modelling-based priority setting scheme), monitoring data on 750 000 aquatic and 70 000 sediment samples was collected. The assessment indicates that there is still a relatively high risk of certain PCBs in sediments. Indeed, other reports have concluded that significantly high concentrations have been found in different species and sediments in specific areas such as the Baltic and the Barents(1),(2) seas and additional studies have found high concentrations in the Southern North Sea 1(3).

PCBs, massively produced for 40 years, were mainly used in closed systems (capacitors, transformers, other electrical equipment,) however they were also used in a certain number of open ways (plasticisers, sealants, paints, etc). Many of the products containing PCBs are currently reaching their waste phase and at this point major releases to the environment can occur by atmospheric depositions or by discharges. Two paths to contamination may arise. The holder of the PCB-containing waste may not know that it contains PCBs (is commonly the case of open uses) or the holder knows that it contains PCBs but does not want to face the costs of the appropriate disposal. In both cases, the PCB-containing waste is not treated properly and may find its way into the environment. There is little information at present about subsequent production of PCBs as byproducts due to reactions between different compounds.

The Commission has developed an extensive legislative framework addressing PCBs(4).

On the basis of all this legislation, the Commission is very closely monitoring the enforcement of the different directives and requirements established. In cases of failure to comply with the obligations, the Commission has launched infringement cases against the Member States concerned. Furthermore, the Commission is currently developing a Community strategy on dioxins, and PCBs, which aims at adopting an integrated, systematic and coherent approach. This strategy will include actions on three levels, namely actions related to the sources, actions related to the transmission chain and actions related to human health.

(1) Environment in the European Union at the turn of the century, EEA, ch. 3.14 (2000).

(2) Ambio, 1990b; Olsson et al 1992.

(3) Increase of Organochlorines and Mercury Levels in Common Guillemots Uria aalge during Winter in the Southern North Sea, C; Joiris, G. Tapia, L. Holsbeek, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol. 34, N22, pp. 1049-1057, 1997.

(4) Council Directive 85/467/EEC of 1 October 1985 amending for the sixth time (PCBs/PCTs) Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (OJ L 269, 11.10.1985); Council Directive 96/59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of PCBs and PCTs (OJ L 243, 24.9.1996); Council Regulation 259/93/EEC of 1 February 1993, on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the Community (OJ L 30, 6.2.1993); Council Directive 80/68/EEC of 17 December 1979 on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances (OJ L 20, 26.1.1980); Council Directive 76/464/EEC of 4 May 1976 on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community (OJ L 129, 18.5.1976); Parliament and Council Directive 2000/mldr/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. [NB. adopted on 14/9/00 but not published yet]. International Conventions: The Basel Convention entered into force in 1992 and is designed to prevent the dumping of hazardous waste (including dioxins and PCBs) in developing countries. The United Nations economic commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, and one among the eight protocols that have been developed is the Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) The future POP Convention, currently under negotiation.