Document 9J9mNDLGK7eX6evmox87rdanq

Cap Makers Face PCB Hikes By Richard S. Deris NEW YORK Monsanto Corp. has initiated an across-the-board price hike of 34** on the PCB fluids used m high-voltage capacitors and transformers which it alone produces in the U.S.. according to reliable industry sources. The company is justifying the immediate price in creases to its customers with the additional overhead it is costing managment to defend the con troversial PCB chemical from the attack of government and en vironment groups, it was learned. It was further learned that Monsanto has warned its PCB customers that more price increases may be forthcoming, with prices possibly doubling by year's end. The inevitable passing along of this raw material cost increase to buyers has begun at capacitor manufac turers. Cliff Tuttle, president of Aerovox Capacitors, told EBN that as of May 1. afl capacitors Aerovox makes with PCBs will go up about 7% in cost to users. Other manufacturers can be expected to raise prices on PCB-impregrated products as well. Monsanto recently said it would phase out its production of the toxic PCBs. but assured its customers that the phaseout would be gradual and .........i..o..n....t.h..e..i.r...a..b..i.l.i>tyfotlod suitable substitutes for their products. (EBN, February 9. 1976) PCBs (polychlorinated biphpnyls) are used m high-voltage products as a flame retardant impregnate. No substitute providing as much foe protection has yet been developed, say PCB users. Both environmental end govern mental groups have objected to PCBs* highly toxk nature* and its apparent danger to humans. However, the Food and Drug Ad- (Continued; on Page 1100))^ Electronic Buyers' News - Monday. March 8.1976 Also In This Issue Cap Makers Face PCB Hikes -PrgeZ Monsanto Corp. has initiated an across-the-board price hike of 34 % on the PCB fluids used in high-voltage capaeitors and transformers which it alone produces in the U. 3. ' HONS 0 3 6 7 0 B Cap Makers Facing PCB Price Hikes (Cont.) * (Continued from Page 2) . | ministration (FDA) says that it is ; now considering lowering the per - missible level of PCB in edible fish. Current FCA rules allow five parts of PCB per million in the edible parts of fish shipped interstate. But besides considering lowering this level, the same FDA policy statement said the agency will also examine a proposal by environmental groups to ban PCBs in fish or other food. I n another development. New York State officials ordered a ban on virtually all commercial fishing in the Hudson River south of General Electric's Fort Edward manufac turing plants. GE has been discharging PCBs into the Hudson from these plants, where the chemical is used as a fire-retardant in capacitors. New York State officials said that fish samples taken from the Hudson contained aa average of 14.7 part# PCB per million, but at least (me sample had 186 parts of PCB per million. The FDA's evaluation of fish caughl in the Hudson showed 53 out of 68 samples contained PCBs in excess of five parts per million and the average level was 31.3 parts. In Lake Ontario. 28 of 33 samples of coho and Chinook salmon exceeded the limit, and four samples of lake trout ranged from 10 to 15 parts per million. New York State Environmental Commissioner Ogden Reid denounced the agreement between GE and New York State which allows GE to continue discharging PCBs at the level allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Reid wanted to outlaw aQ PCB discharges by this September. . Mr. Reid's Department of En vironmental Conservation has an nounced that it will hold more public hearings in its attempt to curb GE's discharges and bold the company liable for cleaning up the Hudson River. A source dose to New York's Governor Hugh Carey, however, told EBN that the State could also see the other side of the problem. While PCBs are toxic and potentially very dangerous to the environment, they serve to protect people from highvoltage fire possibilities in electrical devices, and no viable substitute has been found. The source suggested that an eventual compromise would be worked out to find a reasonable schedule to cut GE's discharges to zero, and that the time frame might run from 2 to 5 years.