Remediation Versus Prevention of PCB Contamination: A Comparison Based on Risk and Cost Analyses

The concern over the potential threats posed by improper disposal of hazardous wastes has increased considerably in the past 10 to 15 years. If improper disposal increases threats of harm to human health andor environment whether those threats are actual andor perceived, the responsible party may face costs of remedial actions, fines, and litigation. Even though those costs may not become manifest until several years into the future, those costs are likely to outweigh those for proper disposal. A hypothetical case study using polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs as the waste stream of interest is used to examine this hypothesis. The literature review preceding the case study discusses PCBs and their potential threat to human and ecological endpoints, present hazardous waste management practices with emphasis on PCBs, and the use of risk assessments in remedial activities. For both risk assessments of human health and ecological damage, emphasis is placed on their limitations and deficiencies. The results indicate that proper disposal is by far more cost effective than improper disposal. Under the latter scenario, the following alternative actions are considered, in order of increasing costs Moderate remediation cleanup to 10 ppm PCB soil, Extensive remediation cleanup to 1 ppm PCB soil, and No Cleanup, whose cost is driven by the potential for litigation costs due to increased risks of cancer incidence amongst the population exposed. Theses.