The US Environmental Protection Agency has signed the rule to allow polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated materials from the territories outside the federal customs zone to be shipped to the mainland US for disposal.<\/p>\n
The newly-signed rule, according to Guam Rep. Robert A. Underwood, specifically mentioned Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, and the US Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n
“After several months of discussion and rule making, we’re very happy to report that this has now been resolved. This is great news for Guam — even greater news for the Northern Marianas, which continues to suffer with PCB problems from formerly-used defense sites in Saipan,” Mr. Underwood said.<\/p>\n
It means that from now on, American territories outside the US Customs Zone will be able to move PCBs to disposal facilities in the mainland US.<\/p>\n
The new rule ends a long-fought effort which began with only an exemption from the federal law governing the transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes and a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club\/Earth Justice League against the EPA for allowing the exemption.<\/p>\n
Last November, when the proposed rule was published in the Federal Register, the Sierra Club\/Earth Justice League again threatened to oppose it.<\/p>\n
“The main concern of the Sierra Club, at the end of the day, was that Guam not be used as a transshipment point for PCBs originating from foreign areas. And, of course, we feel the same way,” said Mr. Underwood.<\/p>\n
He added that the Department of Defense supported the proposed rule but made a recommendation to expand it to allow the transshipment of PCBs from US bases in foreign areas through Guam and into the US<\/p>\n
“I was against that recommendation, and I’m glad that U.S. EPA did not agree to it,” Mr. Underwood said.<\/p>\n
One of the provisions of the new rule specifically protects Guam from being used as a dumping ground, storage site or transshipment point for foreign PCBs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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