Document 4415oOYGV1X1npgbqD5n4BeBR

St. Jlcfrruhurg JTtmrs ST. PETERSBURG. FU. 0. 171773 SUN. 216,,27 OCT 7 1976 ^:JL Monsanto announces end r to production of PCBs 1 U*e hirniuM been used since about 1930 u fire-resistant ST. LOUIS -- Monsanto Co., the nation'* leading supplier of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), said Tuesday it will atop production of the chemical by Oct 31,1977, because of possible hazardous effects on humane. Monsanto said the phasing out of pro* duction over the next year would give tima for manufacturers to find substitute materi als for PCB. fluids and electric insulating in capacitors and transformers. ' PCB-FILLED transformers are used in high-rise buildings, hospitals and schools and in electrically powered urban commut er trains. Their function is to either in crease or reduce voltage or change the cur rent in the system. Capacitors containing PCB are used to control voltage and reduce power losses in fluorescent and mercury The Environmental Protection Agency (EPAh which had callad polychlorinated biphenyl a "significant hazard to human health and the environment'' welcomed the newapf Monsanto's decision. "THE MONSANTO decision is a sig nificant step in dealing with the total prob lem of PCB contamination," aaid EPA Ad ministrator Russell B. Train. "Environmentalcontamination will con tinue to be a problem due to the millions of PCBs already in landfills, soils, river and lights, AC motors, air-conditioning compresence and television receivers. Monsanto once made as much as 86million pounds of PCB a year, but that pro duction has dropped to about 27,000 pounds In recant years at fears about envi ronmental damage mounted. Monsantosaid substitute* developed by the electrical industry currently are being tested to determine the moat acceptable re placement although it may not prove aa ef fective in resisting fire as PCBs. lake sediments, in our air and water and in wildlife and human tissue. This contamina tion will be there for years -- moving into PCB HAS bean blamed as a major source of pollution in New York's Hudson Rivsr. life systems, including humane,'' Train aaid. Monsanto said Iasi January it would The New York Environmental Conser vation Department and the General Elec tric Co. reached agreement recently for GE eventually atop production of PCB but no to contribute some 13-million toward tba date waa set Polychlorinated biphenyl has coat of cleaning PCBs from the Hudson. - HONS 050622