Federal, State and Local Regulations

Many agencies have taken legal and practical steps to reduce PCBs and mercury contamination:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • The Clean Air Act
  • The Clean Water Act
    • 303(d) impaired waters list
    • National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit program
  • Specific bans and restrictions on PCBs and mercury
• CA Department of Health
  • Mercury and fish contamination advisory and outreach for SF Bay
• San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board
  • Declared SF Bay and local waters to be impaired, after years of fish tissue monitoring
  • Set Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), creating healthy limits and pollution reduction goals – for municipal agencies to work toward protecting sport fishing, human health, and wildlife
  • NPDES Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit
• Santa Clara Valley cities and counties
  • Local ordinances to prevent non-stormwater discharges
  • Requiring Low-Impact Development and transitioning to Green Stormwater Infrastructure to reduce/treat PCBs & mercury in stormwater runoff
  • Finding management areas and source properties
  • Conducting outreach to promote proper disposal of mercury-containing consumer goods, through Santa Clara County’s Household Hazardous Waste program

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