Document 7p6dwyvp06ZqQB9p8qe3L4o

ST0460829 9 i* Taking Giant Steps *T '* *1 ' . <S_ t Two chemical procea companies took giant steps toward diversifying into the oceanography field last week, and two paper companies with com bined sales of nearly $1 billion/year reached a tentative agreement to 4 merge. (1) Bendix Corp. (Detroit) ex panded its oceanic activities by ac quiring for an undisclosed amount of stock Marine Advisers (La JoUa, Calif.), producer of oceanographic in struments for petroleum and utfifty companies, state and federal agencies, t and firms engaged in scientific pKK grams. (2) Fluor Corp. jQLos Angles) and B. L. McFarland and Associates-'' (Fort Worth and Midland, Tfcx.), a group ol five companies invotred te sbestos: Awaiting Trial' offshore and onshore drilling opera tions, have agreed to merge, subject to stockholders' approval. The Mc Farland group operates five offshore drilling rigs in the Guff of Mexfec&,yv (3) A tentative agreemeat to/sr|i^` has been reached by VS Plywood Corp. (New York) and Champion Papers, Inc. (Hamilton, O.). It Is sub ject to both directors' and stockhold ers' approval The corporate Identities of both companies wfl! be preserved. The asbedos tedvtry--whose end predaets arc valned at mars fksa $500 mBfea/yrer--may be la far e lalra a.-' It cans hi hi farm at falscal teghlstteft Bmtt* the an of mwbateiytaaL| 'baomafabsstas has beea a^ rani ftinajh'an yst coavfcte#"-- n a rigalficaaS bcaffk Maid. Preh- far jLecetrtstodies have convinced US. Pub&e Health Service specialists and PHS officials think it may take them dp to five years to establish asbesto? trufe role as an air pollutant However, Congress may act before the research is finished Says Repre sentative Robert Watkins (R., Pa.): "We've seen enough evidence al ready. Asbestos will never get a clean bill of health. With just a little more data we'll move for controls and strict ones." Some form of asbestos control is Reducing Gas Rates The Federal Power Cowlafes has <Mbm authorities that about 40% of all Americans have mild, chronic cans of asbestosis, even though moat of them never worked in the offing, public health officials are certain, if only part of a larger c!ean-arabient-air program. However, there is the danger that Congress may ordered El Paso Natural Gas Ox tad dcreedy wife asbestos. enact rigorous controls on the quanri Transwestern Pipeline Ca. to reduce * LhUfka etfgr airborne dust particles, ty of asbestos that could be used by )17 million/year die price tf;te , 'hare the abiHty--sl- In that case both Canada and U.5 tural gas in the southern Ctittorrila * tbfaf 'fa MfleS' is activated carbon-- asbestos products manufacturer market lo absorb polycyclic hydrocarbons would be bard hit Of the five form The rate cut stems from As July and iraenicals. Furthermore, says of asbestos mined today, chrysotil 26 derision In which FPC turned USPH3, to the pad 30 yean the as asbestos holds the predominant mar down the application of Guff Pacific bestos-related cancer rate has in ket position because of its insulat Pipeline Co. (a Tenneco snhticffary) creased sixfold ing and processing qualities. Canada to supply gas to the Los Angeles tree (CW, Aug. 6, p. 20). Gulf Pacific >' T|a fftfcrcncsK White the average aifafc* worker h well protected the produces more than 90% of the chrysotile asbestos used in the U.2 last week filed for a rehearing, ratt pB the street is not The 3x1- both countries, s number of E1 Paso and Transwesters- -ymi ' . aafcrotf asbestos flben in hit lungs caa dislocations would occur. told they would have to lower their j coma from ft variety of sources (tetyb, At present, there la no knot rates to reflect the lower costs result terisl first could fill til of ing from die 'bigger deliveries poo-. ,, And medical experts say therefr no strategic roles. On the stbJe in the expanded system. At the. ; _imjr jo assess" hydroeaibotj content should federal controls same time, FPC said it would conduct hae depeuito' further proceedings to dedde ff <mb- ' r' jJtaK&ad jSfencer SocUfcy research for higher standards for bir shiekffngs, that would spark^j tomers should get sddltiooa! benefits ert fed ObriaJh there')l a synergistic oew products, with plastj resulting from more liberal depreda rebtkmddjp among'airboras' asbestos the lead tion allowance*.''- V. smoking arid lung cancer. They reason Reason, say Industry FPC has given *be companies 45 that (be nondegradable, hydrocarbon- present polymer technc days to show cause why the reduction soaked flben may well be a constant easily turn up products tft should not take place. source of lung irritation. - bestos In most erid-uses. t. 32 CHEMICAL WEEK September 10. 1966 DOW 05602