Ballast Disposal

Ballast Disposal

Recognize these in the picture above? In case you don't, these are a common transformer type of item used in fluorescent lighting fixtures called a ballast. Ballasts are used to start up your fluorescent lights when you "flip the switch" to turn them on. Ballasts come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are as small as a fuse like you would see in an old fashioned fuse box, while others can be half the size of car batteries.

Like car batteries, these items are to never be disposed of in with the regular trash as they contain hazardous materials. These sometimes heavy transformer type of products can contain PCB's. About .6 to 1oz. of 90% pure PCB's in each ballast manufactured prior to 1980 to be exact!

Federal regulations clearly state that not properly disposing of PCB's can cost the generator of the material not only hefty fines, but also clean up costs, legal fees, court costs, and not to mention the "bad publicity" once the press discovers the situation that has formed. PCB's pose hazards to not only the environment, but also people and animals. PCB's poison our drinking water, soil, and can work their way up the food chain, eventually to us! According to Canadian scientists, a Beluga whale was found dead in the St. Lawrence river in 1990, cause of death, PCB poisoning. This whale had PCB levels of 500 parts per million, which is 10 times the level required to designate a material as hazardous waste! This is a prime example of PCB's poisoning our ecosystem to the point of being able to kill off a large predator. PCB's pose a wide range of potential health related problems such as liver injury, skin disorders, and reproductive problems. PCB's can actually mimic natural hormones and disrupt the endocrine system.

Federal regulations clearly spell out the proper disposal methods of PCB's and the potential liabilities of not doing so. In 2000 a Massachusetts based hazardous waste company was sited fines in excess of $75,000 for the accidental disposal of PCB containing materials into the Model City landfill in New York. Though this release of PCB's into the landfill was unintentional, the company was still liable for any clean up costs and was forced into paying the fine. This fine clearly demonstrates our government recognizes the dangers related to improper PCB disposal, and according to the United States Region VII EPA office in 1991, anyone disposing of 8 or more ballasts containing PCB's into any United States landfill is subject to the requirements under the "Superfund Law". Failure to comply with that law places the individual or firm in violation of CERCLA 103 law; another violation with even heftier fines and possible prison time.

Typically ballasts manufactured post 1980 do not contain PCB's, but that does not mean that there is no hazard present in each ballast. While government worked with ballast manufacturers in the 1970's to no longer use PCB's in their ballasts, the makers of ballasts switched to Di (2-Ethylexyl) (also hazardous) and still use this to this day. Though not as dangerous as PCB's, we all should know, Di (2-Ethylexyl) is used as a plasticizer in PVC and is recognized by the D.E.H.P. to be a "reasonably anticipated" carcinogen.

If you have ever held onto a ballast you would know that these units can sometimes surprisingly weigh as much as 8-12 pounds a piece! In a large store or office building with thousands of fluorescent lighting fixtures, weights in excess of 10 tons of ballasts for disposal is not uncommon. In a scene from the motion picture Office Space, the typical office environment is depicted. In many scenes hundreds of fluorescent lighting fixtures used to illuminate the interior of the office building can be seen. In each of the fixtures as depicted in the photo to the left are 2 , No PCB's rapid fire ballasts approximately 6 inches in length and weighing about 4 pounds a piece. If you have this type of lighting, then the ballasts used to start the lights must be disposed of properly and not into a landfill once no longer useable due to the hazardous materials each ballast contains.

Ballasts when disposed of properly are surprisingly relatively simple to ship. Simply cut off any excess wiring, and place each ballast carefully into a 55-gallon steel drum face up and stack them on top of each other (see photo above) to minimize moving inside the shipping container which may cause breakage and leakage. Clearly it is a wise decision to ship your ballasts out to a properly licensed facility for the treatment of both PCB and non-PCB ballasts and eliminate your liability. ADCO Services can offer you proper packaging and competitive pricing structures to fit your budget for proper disposal of these items.

Call Today! (708) 429-1660

Home