Document 1Qrw0Gxm7q20YGeaQdV3k1wrK

H.A. Baxter, Ruabon P.J.A. Marsh, Brussala If.B. Fanaaeorne, St. Louis, H.A. Vodden, Ruaboa Moating at Department of the Environment Marahaa Street, London, S.W. 1. on Wednesday, 13th March 1972 . with Dr. Ian Proatt - The main purpose of this visit was to deliver to Dr. Prestt a copy of the final report on the two year feeding triala carried out by Bio teat. He uas grateful for the report and once again expressed satisfaction with the co-operative attitude shown by Monsanto over the p.C. B. problem. The Central Unit on Environmental Pollution, of which Dr. Martin Holdgate is Director and laa Prestt his deputy, is responsible for advising the Secretary of State (Mr, Peter Walker) on unusual probleas of pollution. They have been concerned with the lead pollution problea at Avonaouth and with druaa of isocyanates washed ashore in Cornwall, but the probleas arising frna illicit dumping of cyanide is regarded as a fairly straight forward legislative problea to be handled aainly by local authorities. He expected that the legislation now being paaaed through Parliaaont would restrict unauthorised duaping generally, but would enable exceptions to be nade in special cases. The general effect of the legislation will be to give local authorities stronger powers to enforce control over duaping of cheaiesl wastes and will define legal responsibilities so that evasion by flras will be aore difficult. By asking illicit duaping aoro expensive, it should have the effect of channeling all waste disposal through authorised procedures. Users of chealcala such as P.C.Bs and Pentachloro phenol will be under greater pressure to dispose of wastes responsibly, but perhaps we can expect aore enquiries froa Local Authorities for advice on dealing with these and other ' cheaieala. P.C.Bs are not at present considered to be a serious problea in the U.K., by the Environaont Pollution Unit, but the international iaplications of Monsanto's actions are of continuing interest to the unit. We discussed the hypothetical situation arising froa the possibility that European ooapetitors night have marketing and product policies which could Jeopardise the benefits to the U.E. environaont arising froa Monsanto's policy of restricting sales and developing environmentally eoapatible products. Under the rules of the E.B.C. the U.K. will not be psraitted to use a pollution threat as a barrier to prevent iaporta froa other E.E.C. countries. Until agreeaent is reached between the E.S.C. countries on edaaon objectives in thla field, it seeas that there will be no effective bar to HONS 099701 -2- lsports of P.C.B. products which underaine the Moneento policy. The _OSCT sector seetinga (Unintended Occurrence of Chenicalo in the Environ**nt) "HfTitliil used by the Environsent Pollution Unit to explore the international situation on P.C. Bs. The next seating is in Paris at the end of March, and ' other OECD countries are expected to report on their national situations concerning P.C.Bs. The U.K. report was presented at the previous aeeting in October. H. A.TPPBEjl HAV/WB IT. 3. 72. MOHS 099702