Document 8RoLLBeoywZ763da9e6mNz9ZZ

HILL and KNOWLTON, Inc. AUSTIN, TEXAS AMERICAN-STATESMAN D. 46,726 OCT 2 1974, ^ CHICAGO (AP) - The gov the Firestone Plastics Co., a di-' In April, OSHA ordered ah.' ernment announced on Tuesday vision of the Firestone Tire ^emergency lowering from the new safety standards to reduce Rubber Co., called the stand- then-prevailing limit of 50(1 worker exposure to the cancer- ; ards "economically unrealistic, parts per million, after several causing gas vinyl chloride. technically unfeasible, political-- deaths from a rare liver cance John H:' Stender, assistant ; ly motivated and medically ri were thought to be related tq; Secretary of Labor, said the diculous, comparable to a law' handling the chemical. ~ new Occupational Safety and..aimed at stopping automobile Health Administration (OSHA)' deaths by lowering the speed Preliminary tests conducted standards won't cause any in limit to one mile per hour." in Northbrook, 111., later that dustry shutdowns. But the in . Stender said many of the 36' : month showed that test mice dustry : reacted quickly, de;' polymer plants in the United developed liver cancer whefl nouncing the regulations and States employing some 5,600 exposed to concentrations of 50 filing lawsuits seeking judicial workers will have trouble meet-. parts per million of vinyl chief review. ' ' ' ing the tightened standards. ride. '; The current allowable level , However, he said there would Criminal provisions of the will remain in effect until Jan. be provisions to allow a com standards include a maximum 1, 1975, Stender said.' Present pany that can't meet the stand $10,000 fine and six months' im- regulations allow workers han ards to reduce the output to the prisonment dling polymer vinyl chloride to be exposed to up to 50 parts per million in eight hours. The new standards state that ! in 1975 the level must drop to lowest practical level, provided ' The Society of the Plastics workers are given respirators. _ Industry Inc. (SPI), which rejt "This will not cause the in-., resents more than 90 per cent, dustry added. to shut down," * Stender. `of vinyl chloride and polyvinyl, jan average of one to five parts But Walker charged that "the [per million over eight hours OSHA standard for vinyl chlo-- chloride products, filed suit i# New York asking the U.S7' iand can't exceed 25 parts per [million unless workers have ; special respiratory equipment. ! By Jan. 1,1976, Stender said, - Court of Appeals for judicial re ride'exposure puts the vinyl- view. A separate suit was filed plastics industry on a collision by the Hooker Chemical Co. of course with economic .disaster. . Stamford, Conn. ^ ~ More importantly, it throws any worker exposed to more two million jobs down the In a statement, SPI President- than five parts per million of drain, according to an econom Ralph L Harding said the gov ; the chemical must be provided ic impact study made earlier ernment "may believe it has a respirator. Until then, res this year by Arthur Little & adopted a compromise position- pirators are optional, he said, Co.," an industrial consulting between organized labor on the- for workers exposed from five firm. one hand and industry on the, to 25 parts per million, but any He said his company plans to other, but the result is the.. one wanting such an air-purify i challenge the standards. standard that does not take intcC ing device must have it pro Polyvinyl chloride substances account in a practical way the,' vided. are used in a host of plastics known medical and tecl Todd C. Walker, president of products. - nological facts." -- G CJT r o 0