Section 761.217 - [Effective 1/22/2025] Exception reporting(a)(1) A generator of PCB waste, who does not receive a copy of the manifest with the handwritten signature of the owner or operator of the designated facility within 45 days of the date the waste was accepted by the initial transporter, shall immediately contact the transporter and/or the owner or operator of the designated facility to determine the status of the PCB waste.(2) A generator of PCB waste subject to the manifesting requirements shall submit an Exception Report to the EPA Regional Administrator for the Region in which the generator is located if the generator has not received a copy of the manifest with the signature of the owner or operator of the designated facility within 60 days of the date the waste was accepted by the initial transporter. The Exception Report shall be submitted to the EPA no later than 60 days from the date on which the generator should have received the manifest. The Exception Report shall include the following: (i) A legible copy of the manifest for which the generator does not have confirmation of delivery;(ii) A cover letter signed by the generator or their authorized representative explaining the efforts taken to locate the PCB waste and the results of those efforts.(b) For rejected shipments of PCB waste that are forwarded to an alternate facility by a designated facility using a new manifest (following the procedures of §761.215(e)(1) through (6) ), the generator must comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, as applicable, for the shipment forwarding the material from the designated facility to the alternate facility instead of for the shipment from the generator to the designated facility. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section for a shipment forwarding such waste to an alternate facility by a designated facility: (1) The copy of the manifest received by the generator must have the handwritten signature of the owner or operator of the alternate facility in place of the signature of the owner or operator of the designated facility, and(2) The 45- and 60-day timeframes begin the date the waste was accepted by the initial transporter forwarding the PCB waste shipment from the designated facility to the alternate facility.(c) Electronic Exception Reports that are originated in the EPA e-Manifest system in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section and used in accordance with this section in lieu of paper Exception Reports are the legal equivalent of paper Exception Reports bearing handwritten signatures and satisfy for all purposes any requirement in this section to complete, sign, provide, and retain an Exception Report. (1) Any requirement in this section to sign an Exception Report certification by hand is satisfied by signing with a valid and enforceable electronic signature within the meaning of § 262.25 of this chapter.(2) Any requirement in this section to give, provide or send an Exception Report to the EPA Regional Administrator is satisfied when an electronic Exception Report is transmitted to the EPA Regional Administrator by submission to the e-Manifest system.(3) Any requirement in § 761.214 for a generator to keep or retain a copy of an Exception Report is satisfied by retention of a signed electronic Exception Report in the generator's account on the national e-Manifest system, provided that the Exception Report is readily available for viewing and production if requested by any EPA or authorized State inspector.(4) No generator may be held liable for the inability to produce an electronic Exception Report for inspection under this section if the generator can demonstrate that the inability to produce the electronic Exception Report is due exclusively to a technical difficulty with the e-Manifest system for which the generator bears no responsibility.77 FR 54835, Sept. 6, 2012, as amended by 88 FR 59694, Aug. 29, 2023 88 FR 59694, 2/26/2024; 89 FR 60738, 1/22/2025