Report Notes Shortcomings : EPA Scores Teledyne’s Handling of PCBs

A recent federal inspection has turned up numerous shortcomings in the handling of PCBs at Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical, the large San Diego defense contractor that is contesting state charges that it contributed to polluting San Diego Bay with the suspected carcinogen.

The inspection by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found transformers leaking polychlorinated biphenyl oils, delays in cleaning up PCB spills, incomplete and contradictory inspection records, missing documents and questionable storage practices.

EPA officials in San Francisco said Monday that the case has been referred to the agency’s enforcement section. For that reason, they declined to discuss details until the agency has decided whether to charge the company with violating the law.

However, the report of the inspection, on file at the regional water quality control board office, lists a dozen “potential violations” of the Toxic Substances Control Act, the law governing PCB handling. Under that law, violators can be fined up to $25,000 a day per violation and can be imprisoned for up to a year.

Officials at Teledyne Ryan, the county’s 16th largest employer with 2,300 employees, declined Monday to comment in detail on the EPA’s findings. They said they have given the EPA a written response and expect to meet with EPA officials in early January.

PCBs are man-made chlorinated hydrocarbons that were used for many years as fluids in transformers and capacitors. Production was banned in 1978 in light of evidence that they cause cancer in animals and have other health effects on humans.

They still exist legally in pre-1978 equipment, however. In many cases, they are being phased out.

Last July, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board blamed Teledyne Ryan at least in part for high PCB levels found in the Convair Lagoon area of the bay, next to Teledyne Ryan’s property. The levels were among the highest ever found in California coastal waters.

The state agency alleged that it had traced the PCB pollution back out of the lagoon and into storm drains running from Teledyne Ryan’s property to the bay. It was unable to determine how long the PCB pollution had been in the lagoon.

The aircraft manufacturer immediately challenged the agency’s conclusions, questioning its sampling methods and data analysis. It noted that other aircraft operations and Lindbergh Field also have storm drains that feed into the lagoon.

The new EPA inspection occurred between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2, according to the inspection reports. Two field investigators surveyed the use, storage and disposal of PCBs, having been tipped off by the water board to the possibility of violations.

They also took samples from three storm drains on the sprawling Harbor Drive property. The results of those samples, which were not available Monday, could have a direct bearing on the state’s allegations about contamination in the bay.

Among the 12 potential violations the investigators alleged:

- Fluid was leaking from nine PCB transformers in seven separate installations.

- Some cleanups were delayed as much as six weeks, rather than initiated within the required 48 hours. In the meantime, required daily inspections were not conducted.

- Incomplete records from the quarter-annual inspections required for equipment containing PCBs. The EPA alleged, “The inspection records in general failed to include all of the required information, including the estimated amount of leaked fluid, the date and description of cleanup and containment measures and the results of containment and daily inspection of uncorrected leaks.”

- Inadequate reporting of the chemicals in transformer oil to the San Diego Fire Department. (PCBs can become a severe health hazard when they burn.)

- Other missing documents included records of storage and disposal of old transformers and records of the amounts of PCB oils removed from service.

The investigators noted that cleanups of spills and leaks observed during the inspection were begun Oct. 2.

Their report contained numerous other observations about operations at the plant.

For example, it noted that the floors and ceilings of several vaults housing transformers are contaminated with PCB fluids, attributed by the company to “historic leakage.” The EPA also found discrepancies between the company’s reports on the condition of its transformers and reports filed by its consultant.

The EPA inspection was not the first at Teledyne Ryan. A 1980 inspection by an EPA contractor found inadequate handling, storage and labeling PCB oils. At that time, too, the agency found leaks and incomplete records.

In the 1986 inspection, the EPA went back to one particular transformer found leaking in 1980. Although records showed that a cleanup had been done in late 1980, “No concrete was removed, nor was any sampling performed to verify the adequacy of the cleanup.”

Asked Monday if Teledyne Ryan officials would be willing to discuss the EPA’s findings, Jack G. Broward, manager of public relations and advertising for the company, read a two-paragraph statement from Conward Williams, Teledyne Ryan’s general counsel.

“We have provided written comments to EPA regarding the report and the potential violations,” the statement said, after confirming the inspection. “We have also requested a meeting with the responsible EPA officials in order to present our views orally.

“We anticipate having a meeting with these officials in early January to address their findings. Our goal is to assure that our facilities comply with all EPA requirements.”