All segments of San Francisco Bay were listed as impaired by PCBs in the 2002 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) list. The listing was in response to an interim advisory on the consumption of fish from the Bay issued by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The advisory was issued after PCBs and other pollutants (e.g., mercury) were found in Bay fish tissue at levels thought to potentially pose a health risk to people consuming fish caught in the Bay.

During the past few years, the Program has provided leadership to Bay Area storm water agencies in their efforts to develop data needed for the Bay PCBs TMDL. Accomplishments include coordinating a regional study that characterized the distribution of PCBs concentrations in storm water conveyance sediments in Bay Area watersheds; performing PCBs case studies in selected areas where elevated concentrations of PCBs were found during the regional study; coordinating similar case studies by other Bay Area storm water agencies; and preparing PCBs work plans for the above regional and local field studies. To facilitate regional coordination of PCB activities, the Program continues to work with other Bay area dischargers and Water Board staff through BASMAA, the Clean Estuary Partnership and the Regional Monitoring Program. Major reports and work products above include: