Document 6RRVdwx8GXJ2L1d4V9e6ze1o3

AIR & WATER NEWS May 7iw Sal "-e are z:\zz rr.e cis at SC '-C ( k ii C . i > * C ^ \aS nfcrmstion that "sever, or eight" cth S e cr: ir.g operations ir. the gulf also la;?, rs.. z eotor of the Interior Department' s g ne -a;.;: ,,, es ........ .e wus::ce jepart"er: is c r. c r ;: ~ : ^r.evrcr. ur.cc-r r;ie -cuter ^:ntir.er.t c: 1955. Tins is ti;e first imictr.ern under tr.e act, wr.ic'.i requires tr.e -je ^ ` . c.IiiNcj situatea 3 o * ow tre water am cesieu to c^t err oi* r * o * it centre, or. t . surfaoo platform fails. Drill ooerators sometimes remove tr.e chokes -r.cr. :,u`- : ro*eo wit;: sar.c ana impeac ci: rlow. .nterior Secretary .'.a.ter .'.;o^cl jt..tcs t a r e v r c r., a subsidiary or Star.oard Oil or uslirornia, r ai* ed to maintain storm i or. 15" of I "S wells in an offshore area called blocx dl. The Interior Gap.-rtmcr.; is "determined to investigate each and every case in which we have reason, to * i e. e t.iat companies arii-irg unaer tederal lease Knowingly ana iicro^o tn* rule we laid down."said Hickei. "05 SPRAYING STOPPED: Asbestos spraying operations at three New York City skyscraper building sites have been stoppea ana summons were handed out at three other loca tions m the wake of the Department of Air Resources newly promulgated regulations concerning use of the suspected carcinogenic material. The regulations do net bur. outright the use of the material but rather impose severe restrictions on cr.clos:ng the work area during spraying, mandates the use of respirators and coveralls by spraying crews and cleaning up any loose asbestos from the pob site....The Depart ment of Air Resources held a five-hour private hearing on alleged asbestos emission from one of the job sites but the exercise was largely a matter of record-building since only medical experts, engineers and an air pollution inspector testified, contractor did not testify but voluntarily stopped spraying operations. The pnvat hearing was adjourned until today (May 11). The city is expected to have a two-da;, public hearing on the asbestos problem within the next few weeks. Medical experts contend that certain types of cancer are 1,000 times greater among asbestos worker, than among the general population. ...One of the major spraying contractors in the New York area told AW that the situatior was largely political. The new regulations were issued on a Saturday and were to go into effect at 7 a.m. the following Monday. The contractor claims to have beer, unaware of the regulation until he received it in the mail late Monday afternoon. Even the Department of Air Resources concedes it may be on shakey ground promul gating and enforcing such regulations before a public hearing is held. ...Being tested as a substitute for asbestos in New York is a plastic material produced by U.S. Mineral Co. And in Canada an intumescent mastic material is being marketo: as an insulating material. The problem with both of these substitutes, however, is their high cost. ALTO HEARINGS: A Senate subcommittee Ians hearings next week on several bills aineu a: pushing tr.e federal government r.to using nor.pclluting vehicles. * The Government Operations subcommittee on executive reorganization he ar::.g , tentatively set to begin May 13 Will lOwN a- One b - ^SjOvC, , O' 1 u . - .a..a*r...a.. b r a.. a ... k,b: i u. , i_o..r..) . .. Ow. u . Cu... re a,. ^ i* c -^ o : gov ernmer.t-ow-ec passenger oa to oe retrofitted with poil_t:on control devices, * Anctner measure 1.33S57; r.troduced by Sen. Frank Churon, would require government, after Jar.. 1, IS" to purchase only automobiles tr.se use ur.l caccd f .c lie the witness list and dates for testifyir.g have not beer expected from the federal government--including the Deoar: ocr.erai Services Acmini stoat ion and tr.e Department of Heal as well as four major automobile manufacturers.