Document DG47nN94xVYXpKmX8dOn7pqB5

MkiEy Xews Digest SorTk?*} JOURNAL TJX TZMILi DATE DECSKJEa 9, 1970 PAGE Facts on., pollution said to be withheld From Poter .Nichols Rome. Dec. 8 The ev of an international eon* ference on pollution of the oceans brought an allegation today thet Monsanto, one of the worlds lead* ms prdduoers of synthetic chemi cals, were withholding information about their output of subclasses causing pollution. The complaint was made by Profaaaor Edward Goldberg, profeaeor or chemistry ai the Scrippt Institution of Oceanography t La Jolla in California. He was introducing a conference to be held under the auspices of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization tF.A.O.) British, French and American scientists. he said, had sought information from Monsanto in order to know how chem*cals dangerous to man were finding their way (nto the marine environment. But Monsanto took the view that (hare was " possibly no problem " and refused to pro vide information, the professor mid. The international conferance which will bring together some >00 environmentalists is expected to recommend, frofmor Goldberg added, the formation of an inter national body responsible for mon itoring pollution throughout rite world. Countries would be asked (o send in reports on the produc tion and usage of noxious pro ducts. Professor Goldberg said thal one of the problems of increasing! pol lution was that birds and fish were found deud with a variety of noxious substances in their system. It was not clear which had actually killed cock robin. The conference could be expected to call for more research into the natural processes of the oceans and the impact of man's waste. "Professor- Mario fcuivo, eacre- tary of the conference, gave another example of the need for specialized training. He said that large tankers were now sarting round Africa, vet there was not one centre in the Mtole of that conti nent and very fow technicians capable of dealing with an accident which might happen to a tanker. The conference oould be expected to iaauc a call for specialized traintogin dealing wish pollution. The meeting which ooens here tomorrow is called the Technical ' Conference on Marine Pollution and its Effects on bring Resources and Fishing. It wiU Iasi 10 days. The Baltic ts already bring likened to poisoned Labe Eyrie, while the Mediterranean is des cribed as rapidly heading in certain parts towards a hazardous level of pollution. The North Sea fMicries are also affected, while ori apillages are even threatening bottom ctgsn- iema such at the coral reels of reitem Australia now menaced by pnratite starfish. A prospectus prepared for the conference contain* the warning that pollution in general continues to grow at an alatvnitm rate as human population* multiply and industrialization increases. The threat to the marine environment is especially eeriout since the seas and oceans, comprising 70 per cent of the earth's surface M offer one of man's greatest hopes'* for feed , ing himself now and in (he future. r MONS 031804