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FES 24 1979
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A pit uf j-:-e i n't the only thing
d'HiK'.'rsr* s ca
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the
flew o* electricity -- ccn.3in severe! gal'tuis of a cancer-ca-jfT" cmpwrd
Tito cemp'iiid N cntl-j-j i* 3 fppjvcMorK'Mvl bipV.iyl, and h.is been
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Copociton like these contain cancer causing PCB
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linked to cancer and birth defect in tab animals and skin and interna! disorders in hum;<r<c. The compound is used *! an invji:j*yr.
A!*C an*! utilities nereis Ire nation face ;l;o praidetn of getting rid of duna^i'i! or worn capac'li'rs filled with IVB. The disposal problem. attracted atlenlica :n North Carolina last sum mer when truckers illegally dumped about 30.000 gallons of I'CB-laced oil along roads in the eastern and central parts of the st<*Hc.
An AFC spokesman says leaky ca
pacitors area l much of a prcb-.'ir. and
new ones use a different insulating
compound
"These ir* always the possiblitv of a
rupture. t`.:i she design u. the capacitor
iriiihts the hiss of !*Ul. it's not like a
tank where if \uu punched a hole, the
IVB would leak out." Bruce Gilliland
said.
"I know the manufacture of PCTJ is
being halted ami 'bat constriction (of
capacitors) is moving to other type of
material. As the manufacturers move
nwav from PCD*. well go to new
equipment as it becomes available and
as our needs dictate."
Bid AIV still has to dispose of worn
c.'ipneilors filled with fCli.
w y *-> \u*
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"Worn or damaged capacitors are .
'uken to a designated interim storage
facility and then taken lu a federally
approved dump." Gilliland said.
'"
tmellc. Ala., in Sumter Ojurty. is
the site of one of sc\en dumps* ap--
proved by the L*>v:romnental Protec-
lion Agency for PCB. .
* EPA officials say recent attention to -
the PCB problem ignores the fact (Jut:
massive amounts of the chemical, are
already n the environment.
i;
A 1!?77 l!A\ report estimates Anr ri
can r::.:fi'facH`rcrs. prii?iui! v ;
Mmsiisito Industrial Chemicals Corp.. '
produced 1.4 billion pounds oC l*C1>l
belwecn 1930 and 15*75 *
; ,
Ww tiO percent >f iha cl.emicul is '
still in use. prtrmnlv in electrical ca- '
rumors and transformer*.
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But PCBs arc also in household '
items such as carbonless copy paoer,
fluorescent lights, television, sets. air
conditioners and microwave ovens.
,
And about 150 million pounds are in ^
air. wmer aid soil. Anotltcr 290 imilitm ;
pounds are m landfills and dumps. Less `
than Z percent has been destroyed. * ^
As a Duke Power Company pffjcial;
in North Carolina said: "There's ^t no
end lo it.*'
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