Document 1yjyr3zXMx1dXdmd81dKr26jK

COPIED 9835 - 9837 Maj 30, 1974 iT- ; 4' XFAActioo A Vinyl Chloride Mr. F. L. Bissinger This information from Durham tends to confirm your message to me. If press release occurs today, June 6 or 7 timing may be in error. BMC/cm Attm. cci Mr. D. H. Bradford, Jr -riSlml 9. . CAUiiRif B. W. Callahan i-'i-fi'y \ ^-. ''J'aK-,j4-*_ v 3- ASI 00009835 D CHEMICAL CORPORATI MEMORANDUM May 30, 1974 TO: A. J. von Frank E. W. Callahan W. S. Ferguson J. M. Quinn W. L. Sullivan SUBJECT: EPA Action - Vinyl Chloride (Dictated by phone 8:30 a.m.) It is expected that on June 6 or 7 Russell Train of the EPA will hold a press conference reporting on EPA activity to de fine necessary controls for vinyl chloride. Reportedly, EPA sampling adjacent to monomer and polymer plants has indicated "high" concentrations of viny chloride. Word is that Train will condemn industry as not having taken sufficient steps to control vinyl dis charges and states that concentrations are well---------- those which would be indicated by emission survey data. He will use vinyl chloride as an example to Congress as to why the Toxic Substances Act should be passed. At the present time, the vinyl chloride investigation lead rests with the Office of Toxic Substances headed by Schweitzer. The EPA believes that the primary problem is in the air area and, as such, the Durham offices will be given the lead position. Ac tion by them will be: a) Visits to key monomer and polymer plants to conduct actual testing and obtain industrial estimates of emission levels. A contractor (Houdry) will assist. b) Houdry will determine the cost for air pollution controls. c) The EPA will determine the level of control needed. At this time, their preliminary thinking will be based on achieving a concentration of 60 ppb. d) The EPA Strategy for Air Standards Division indicates that vinyl chloride would be cited as a hazardous pollutant with the establishment of Federal emission standards being proposed within three weeks. The Houdry study is being managed by L. Evans of the EPA and it is expected that Allied will be one of the firms contacted. There is some concern that high fugitive losses of VCM could lead to the establishment of an ambient air standard. However, this is doubted. AST 00009836 1 EPA Action - Vinyl(/loride Page 2 May 30, 1974 O Fence line testing by the EPA in several regions has shown "high" (?) levels of vinyl chloride. Levels may be on the order of 2-10 ppm and are far in excess of what would be calcula ted by the dispersion equations. However, this is understandable because of the high molecular weight of vinyl chloride and the normally short stack heights used as emission points. The writer's experience has shown that it is most difficult to disperse vinyl chloride. It may travel at ground levels for distances of several hundred yards before being dispersed. The regional EPA representa tives are meeting in Atlanta next week to submit preliminary control recommendations in time for Train's news conference on June 6 or 7. MCA activity in the vinyl chloride area has been limited primarily to the OSHA problem. There is feeling within MCA that the vinyl chloride problem does not cover enough of the member com panies to mandate strong MCA response. There have been a consider able number of statements made that the SPI should be the umbrella for industrial activity. WMR/jsp > ,, O) <nn w- W. M. Reiter ) ASI 00009837 1