Document 9Jn30oGX4BBp7D0vYx0J4MBm7

HOUSTON CHRONICLE Friday February 16, 1979 Vol. 78 No- 126 Winyltchloride linF withi^sath^hiniy ` BY MIKE SNYDER These controls, he said, include mom- ^Chronicle Staff ^ * taring devices that measure the amount r 7, * yv | of the chemical to' which workers have There is "certainly the sui estion of a *9 1 b*e*e4n*e*x*po*sed and regular medical tests, relationship'' between vinyl chloride r processed at Union Carbide's Texas City (See VINYL, Page It t* l i'd! J" ' plant and the deaths of nine company employees from brain tumors, the plant " jnanager said today. '* . ^ Vinyl chloride is a substance believed to i^cause cancer. ^ "Medical research is such a complex , .undertaking that I've learned not to judge prematurely whether such an observation ' (of a link between the chemical and the ; (Vinyl chloride link > ".V3 with 9 deaths hinted 7. I deaths) would bold, up," Damon Engle , said. (From Pagcl) -> He said federal Occupational Health ` and Safety Administration officials, now Engle said about 50 of Union Carbide's , studying plant records, first suggested approximately 2.000 workers at Texas the fink about a month ago. Asked if the ' OSHA study was prompted by an employ* ' ee complaint, he said, "We believe that to be the case." Engle said he would withhold a final judgment on a potential danger posed by vinyl chloride until tye "incidents under , investigate are evaluated with respect, to all othn causesM death among work* ers" ' / ;' Engle said that over the past 38 years, ' about 450 woriters out of 8,000 to 10,000 , employed apfhe Texas City plant have ; died. / / > He said 10 of the deaths hare been at-; . tribjlpa to brain tumors, and "we N^auspect" nine are linked to a specific can- ^ City work under these controls. To "the best of my knowledge," he said, " these safeguards are adequate. The plant manufactured vinyl chloride, used in the manufacture of plastic prod. ucts. from 194ft.to 1970, and has processed t it since then, he said. 1 The National Institute for Occupational i Safety and Health, a Cincinnati. Ohiobased federal research organization, is cooperating with OSHA in the probe at the j Texas City plant, he said. - Union Carbide officials "are ensuring that some of the scientific studies by 4 OSHA, NIOSH and ourselves will be suffi' cient to satisfy them and ourselves and to ' reassure our employees and the public," cerous tumor known as glioblastoma; h Engle said. multiform, which federal health author- i ities reportedly have linked to the vinyl < In 1974, vinyl chloride was found to be the cause of a rare liver cancer in some chloride. chemical plant workers. It also has been "I must point out," he added, "that tentatively linked to other cancers, birth should the vinyl chloride relationship hold defects arid chromosome damage. up, OSHA as well as the industry should take credit" for recognizing it and for | / establishing and observing control stand- | ards for workers exposed to the chemical.