Document 6pMnXpRbzjw9ppGR7kV5rm8d

SENT BY;OXYCHEM ; 4-29-93 : 2:43PV : HUMAN RESOLRCES- 202 887 1237;# 2/ 2 Billons ol pounds o( VCM are shipped annuaSy without incident. Only tour significant VCMrdated accidents in the last 10 year*. industry helps police the transport of VCM. PVC is not a transportation hazard. A Division al The Society at The Plastics Industry. Inc. Environmental Profile: Facts About the PVC Industry's Record of Transportation Safety About 12 billion pounds of VCM (vinyl chloride monomer) are produced annually in the United States, with most of that total converted into PVC resin.1 In most cases, VCM is produced at one location, then shipped via rail, barge, or pipeline to another site where it is convened. However, more and more PVC production facilities are being located near VCM manufacturing sites so that minimal VCM transportation is required. In these cases, the VCM is transferred by pipeline, thereby virtually eliminating any possible transportation hazard. About half of all VCM is now transported by pipeline. Transport Closely Regulated In its natural state, VCM is a gas. To transport it, it is convened to a liquid -- more precisely, a liquefied gas under pressure. Like other gaseous liquids, it is considered volatile and should be handled with caution. This is the same precaution that is applied to handling propane, gasoline or any other volatile material. Industry currently meets or exceeds U.S. Department of Transportation requirements for VCM railcar specifications. About five billion pounds of VCM are shipped via railcar throughout the U.S. annually. Yet since 1982, there have been only four significant accidents involving VCM. And, while 18 railcars were damaged in these incidents, only one of the can leaked VCM into the environment2 This safety record compares with a total of 3,045 freight rail accidents reported nationwide in 1990 alone.2 Many manufacturers have replaced their VCM tank cars with "full headstueld" designs, which has played a significant role in reducing the likelihood of a spill or leak in the event of impact or accident InQUnj nOgnRII BOM nKOnl While the fact that so many pounds of VCM are transported each year without incident is largely due to improved railcar design, the PVC industry and die chemical industry have also established a number of voluntary programs to help improve transportation practices, provide mutual aid for incidents, enhance safety awareness among local safety fixees, and share information about shipping VCM. These programs include the VCNet and ChemTrcc programs operated by the Chemical Manufacturers Association, and the Compressed Gas Mutual Aid program. Safety officials throughout the country routinely rely on these programs for guidance in handling emergency response situations and for other information related to the safe transport of VCM. -mon- Wayne Interchange Plaza n f55 Route 46 Mfeet Wayne, NJ 07470 (201) 890-0290Fax*(201) 990-7029 CMA111988 SENT BY: OXYCHEM ; 4-29-93 : 2:43PM ; Transportation Page 2 HLMAN RESOURCES- 202 887 1237:# 1/ 2 PVC Hot Hazard Millions of pounds of PVC rosin are shipped throughout the U.S, each year by rail and truck without incident. PVC resin is classified by DOT regulations as a nonhazaidous material therefore, only normal precautions are required to ship it On occasion, PVC resin is spilled in transit, but it presents no threat to human health or the environment when this happens. Cleanup typically is limited to sweeping up the spilled material and disposing of it following standard disposal practices for nonhazaidous waste, or returning it Id the manufacturer for reprocessing into second generation material 1Qiemka>l Matta Associates, Inc. 1992 ttttiitics. ^Chomtcal Mata Associates. 'Accktat/bcifett Bulletin, Federal Ran AAninistnaion, July 1992 Prepared March 1999 CMA 111989