California waste code 261 Transformer & capacitor oil, and other material holding PCBs.

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Based on California Title 22 and DTSC guidance
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Organics
PCB-containing material

PCB waste or material containing polychlorinated biphenyls.

Polychlorinated biphenyls and material containing them. Liquid at 50 mg/L or more takes restricted code 731.

Is California code 261 hazardous waste?

Not from the code alone. Waste must first be found hazardous. Code 261 isn't a restricted code, but a restricted category that fits takes priority over it. A code that isn't restricted doesn't make waste non-hazardous.

When a shipment needs the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest, enter 261 in Item 13 for the waste line. Use one California code, plus the federal RCRA codes when the waste is federally hazardous.

RCRA waste meets a federal listing or characteristic, with no federal exclusion that applies. Non-RCRA waste is hazardous under California rules only. California presumes hazardous waste is RCRA unless the generator shows it isn't, so keep that determination.

What does California code 261 cover?

This code is for hazardous PCB waste and material containing PCBs. For liquids, concentration separates it from restricted code 731, so physical form and a representative analysis matter.

Constituent: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Rule: Appendix XII(b)
Official wording: 22 CCR division 4.5, chapter 11, Appendix XII(b)

Is PCB waste California code 261 or 731?

Code	When it fits
261	The hazardous material contains PCBs and is not liquid at or above the restricted threshold.
731	Representative liquid analysis finds PCBs at 50 mg/L or more.

Appendix XII puts exactly 50 mg/L in code 731, while the 2017 DTSC list prints greater than 50 mg/L. The alphabetical table misspells the name, but the PCB scope is the same.

Which wastes take California code 261?

Waste	When it’s 261
PCBs and PCB-containing material	PCB-bearing solids, or liquid below the restricted concentration
Fluorescent light ballasts	PCBs remain in the ballast material or in separated liquid below the restricted concentration

Which codes sit beside California code 261?

Code	What it is
232	Pesticide and pesticide-production waste
241	Tank-bottom waste
251	Still bottoms with halogenated organics
252	Other still-bottom waste
271	Unreacted resin and monomers
272	Polymeric resin waste
281	Discarded adhesive
291	Discarded latex material