February 24, 2023
Sent via email Letter L-6-23
Mr. Chris Sandve
Chief Regulatory Officer
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
16th Floor - 333 Dunsmuir Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5R3
bchydroregulatorygroup@bchydro.com
Re: British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority – Polychlorinated Biphenyls End-of-Use Deadline
Whether the utility has any equipment containing PCBs [Polychlorinated Biphenyls] with a concentration of 50 mg/kg (50 ppm) or more still in-use. If yes, please describe the equipment and the utility’s plans to meet the deadline.
On May 2, 2022, BC Hydro writes in response to the BCUC request for information regarding BC Hydro’s plans to meet the end-of-use deadline for equipment containing PCBs by the December 31, 2025 deadline. BC Hydro confirms that it has an inventory of 370,000 units of equipment that could contain PCB concentrations of 50 ppm or more in-use and is on target to meet all the relevant deadlines outlined in the Federal Government’s
PCB regulations. BC Hydro identifies types of equipment that have been commonly found to contain PCB levels above 50 ppm and include power transformers, oil filled reactors, distribution transformers, voltage regulators, instrument transformers, metering kits, circuit breakers, and reclosers and sectionalizers. In response to the BCUC, BC Hydro writes that it plans to complete verification of the PCB content of 1,200 units in fiscal 2023 and is on track to phase out the remaining 2,800 units by the December 31, 2025 deadline.
The BCUC has reviewed BC Hydro’s response and in order to keep itself informed about utility activities, the BCUC requests BC Hydro to provide the following information by March 31, 2023:
1. From BC Hydro’s inventory of over 370,000 units that could potentially contain PCBs, please confirm whether approximately 366,000 units are either removed from service or verified to have PCB levels less than 43 ppm. The remaining 4,000 units include the 2,800 units with that are on track to be phased out by December 2025 and the 1,200 units that will be tested for PCB content in fiscal 2023.
2. Please provide the total number of units with PCB concentrations of 50 ppm or above for each equipment type identified, totalling 2,800 units and a more detailed timeline for the phase out of the units.
3. Please explain how BC Hydro’s methodology of determining PCB content based on extrapolation of manufacturing data and equipment type complies with the sampling and testing methods set out in provincial or federal regulations and standards.
The BCUC requests that BC Hydro provide updates on its plans to meet the end-of-use deadline for equipment containing PCBs to the BCUC by Friday, March 31, 2023, and Monday, April 1, 2024. Please ensure the updates include information on the total number of replaced units, number of pending replacements, and number of completed and pending verifications/tests for the 1,200 units.
Sincerely,
Original signed by:
Sara Hardgrave
Acting Commission Secretary
ED/kk