Document 7z2ZqvMarbXz6vd7ELb8YOrR

UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION Chemicals & Plastics 270 Park Avenue New York, New York 10017 To: (See Attached Distribution List) Date: March 6, 1975 From: Dr. A. B. Steele Subject: Vinyl Resin Operations Flash Report Vinyl Chloride Monomer EPA EPA's proposed regulation for vinyl chloride emissions requires that all process vents be reduced to a 10 ppm vinyl chloride concentration. Permissible reactor cleaning and dryer losses, in addition to the above, are .0014 lbs./lb. of resin produced. Losses via waste-water streams are to be less than .000043 lbs./lb. of resin produced. EPA expects to complete its work on the regulation in time for it to be made effective in the last quarter of 1975. OS HA The Petition for Writ of Certiorari is scheduled for presentation to the Supreme Court of the United States late this week. The final draft authored by Carbide, Firestone and the Society of the Plastics Industry has been circulated and approved. Statement of Current Business Thinking Relative to OSHA/EPA Regulation of 7.C Suspension Resin Operations At present, the PVC Suspension operation cannot reasonably determine whe ther the Texas City unit will be able to operate safely and economically after April 1, 1976 when the use of respirators will become mandatory for all employees exposed to concentrations in excess of 1 ppm (8 hr. TWA). Additionally, the EPA is positioned to impose highly restrictive standards on VCM emission in the air, water and landfill. Accordingly, the PVC Suspension operations is presently re viewing and evaluating the probabilities of being able to feasibly meet the de manding requirements of the permanent OSHA standard and the proposed EPA standard after April 1, 1976; whether the technology required, but not now in hand, will be developed to meet the demands of these standards; whether the enormous capital expenditure which will be required in attempting to comply with the standards are warranted by economic conditions; alternatively, whether operations at TeSas City are incapable of meeting the standard's requirements without extensive use of respirators and extensive processing of process effluents must be terminated. The Operations Group cannot make prudent judgments on the issues confronting it until the final status of the OSHA standards has been decided in the courts and the right of EPA to impose excessive restrictions tested similarly. UCC 095374 -2- March 6, 1975 Specialty Resins Chewing Gum Base Resin produced was 117% of plan. The Pelletized Resin System remained down to clean the dryer. Resin Solution produced was 74% of plan. Suspension Resins Production was 28.3% of Plan to match the continuing depressed sales rate. Only the North line was in operation and February production approximated 3 million pounds. After producing a hopper car amount of QSAL for Amoco, the North line was switched back to regular QSAN. Quality was excellent except for slightly low particle size caused by 120 rpm agitation. Series stripping on the North line seems to be holding down pretty well the residual monomer content of the resin. During the week, QSAN averaged 113 ppm and QSAL 198 ppm. Non-Solvent Resins The Unit remained down for lack of product demand. It will probably remain down throughout the month of March. AB3 :ml A. B. Steele c UCC 095375 DISTRIBUTION LIST -- WEEKLY FIASH REPORT VINYL OPERATIONS To: Mr. L. M. Baker Mr. E. Bell Mr. G. P. Bigelow Mr. L. D. Burnett Mr. J. L. Carvajal Mr. R. G. Davis Mr. M. E. Eisenhour Mr. D. Engle Mr. C. R. Field Mr. R. L. Frantz Mr. J. E. Giffin Mr. R. J. Hanna Mr. J. M. Herbert Dr. W. R. Manning Mr. S. A. Mortimer Mr. J. Nesmith Mr. G. J. Norberg Mr. J. R. Peterson Mr. G. T. Scott Mr. G. C. Shipston Dr. A. B. Steele Dr. T. T. Szabo Mr. G. F. Tacquard Mr. R. N. Wheeler Dr. V. Z. Williams 312 312 32 28 514 312 515 515 28 515 514 511 28 511 28 33 28 28 28 28 28 32 515 514 28 Bound Brook (Bldg. 200) . Bound Brook (Bldg. 72) New York Office New York Office South Charleston (Plant) Bound Brook (Bldg. 72) Texas City Texas City New York Office Texas City/ South Charleston (Plant) South Charleston (Tech Center) New York Office South Charleston (Tech Center) New York Office New York Office New York Office New York Office New York Office New Yor'.- Office New York Office New York Office Texas City South Charleston (Plant) New York Office UCC 095376