EPA Revives Zombie Toxin Paperwork: PCBs Still Haunting Bureaucrats After 50 Years
Published Date: 12/4/2025
Notice
Summary
The EPA wants to renew its paperwork rules for companies that handle PCBs, those tricky chemicals that need careful tracking. If you’re involved in reporting or keeping records about PCBs, this affects you! The EPA is asking for your thoughts by February 2, 2026, to keep things clear and efficient without adding extra costs or hassle.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Mandatory PCB Reporting Renewal
EPA is renewing the mandatory consolidated reporting and recordkeeping requirements for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) under TSCA and 40 CFR part 761. The renewal covers about 100 specific reporting and recordkeeping requirements, names Forms 7720-12 and 7710-53, estimates about 97,471 potential respondents, a total estimated burden of 636,120 hours per year, and total estimated costs of $37,983,632 per year.
Change in Burden and Capital Costs
Compared with the currently approved ICR, EPA reports an increase of 3,191 hours in total estimated individual respondent burden and an overall decrease of 23,762 burden hours. Reporting burden increased by 3,171 hours (including a 2,000-hour activity), recordkeeping increased by 20 hours due to a new reporting requirement, and capital costs were corrected with an increase of $4,100.
Request for Input from Very Small Businesses
EPA specifically requests comments from very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of specific additional efforts EPA could make to reduce the paperwork burden associated with this collection. Comments on the ICR are due on or before February 2, 2026.
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