The Environmental Protection Agency is keeping an eye on eBay for sales of, among other things, antiquated electrical equipment. We would expect any surplus dealer specializing in electrical products to know how to handle these products properly, but one general-purpose liquidator recently learned the hard way.
A company called Railside LLC, a factory surplus liquidator, was fined under the Toxic Substances Control Act for trying to sell electrical equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on eBay without proper labeling or storage.
"PCB-containing electrical equipment must be marked so that it is easily recognizable and not disposed of improperly. EPA investigators found Railside offering to sell the unmarked General Electric Pyranol capacitor on eBay..."
Railside responded quickly, cooperated fully and was fined only $250, said the EPA.