Document EbvadKYZ222y6e8ymG0x6oJj

mm m Vinyl W m Institute A Division of The Society of The Piastres Industry, Inc. August 13, 1987 Roy T. Gottesman Executive Director TO: The VI Health, Safety and Environment Committee RE: Plaquemine, Louisiana Newspaper Article on Vinyl Chloride Effects in Miscarriages I attach a copy of a newspaper article which appeared in the Plaquemine, Louisiana newspaper on Thursday, August 6th, which has been sent to me by Mitch Beaird of Georgia Gulf. Separately, I have discussed this with Beverly Gholson, an attorney at Georgia Gulf who called me regarding informa tion that we had on this subject. The latest information that we have is contained in the chapter by John Barr in the Encyclopedia of PVC, second edition, pages 252-254, and largely indicates that there is no data which points unambiguously to a relationship between vinyl chloride exposure and reproductive outcome. If your company has any later information regarding vinyl chloride and reproductive outcome, I would appreciate your sending it to my attention as soon as possible. We may want to consider developing a "white paper" on this subject for possible future use. RTG/pmb cc: MM..;N. Scheck SL 089612 Wayne Interchange Plaza II 755 Route 46 West Wayne, NJ 07470 (201) 890-9299 tMl** ' ^AYOU tX^HTRT VOLUME I, NO. 12 > PLAQL'EMINE, LA. U * '` 1 ^VTnyi chloriders effects in St Gabriel investigated Bj Kathy Yatts Associate News Editor ' An investigation which began ladies that knew cadi other, nine with questions from residents in St. Gabriel has lead me down a compli had miscarriages and one had a live birth." Fontenot explained- cated pth from the Department of fwitwinimtsl Quality, a division of He said he bad told DHHR about - this, ` and continued the environmental Protection aying,"Geargia Gulf and BJ\ Agency, to the LSU Library, in Goodrich have had numerous leaks search of the answers they re ' and releases through the yean of quested. Unfortunately, my exper vinyl chloride." tise is not in Chemical Engineering Dr. Robinson at DHHR said or wianrific analysis. Therefore, it that she didn't have the manpower is not my position to offer the fol lowing information as a conclusive to initiate an investigation as exten sive as this ooc, at this time, but that answer to those questions 'being she did however, have some of her raised m 'the community of St. staff trying to compile birth records Gabriel- The mformation compiled and statistics from the St, 'Gabriel herein actually is a continuation of ' *rca- r '' ' (heir original questions. Is'it pos sible that the emissions of Hazar Whea l first began this mvcrigation I spoke with Kay Gaudet, a dous Air Pollutants from the chemi pharmacist in Sc Gabriel. She sup cal plants in the St. Gabriel area, plied me with names of some could have,. m some way, con women who she knew had suffered tributed to the miscarriages, and miscarriages and diffidut pregnan other medical and health related cies. She also told me of the ponp problems that residents ofthe com of women b the area, (he ten ladies munity suffer from? It has been said that rising con cern in the St Gabriel area ovrr.the past few months in relation to the allegedly high rate of miscarriage and still births, has prompted inves tigations to be initiated in various state agencies and with a con glomeration of environmentalist groups. Congressman Charles "Buddy* Roemer contacted the Attorney General's office ashing for an inves tigation after he was made aware of the suspicions of some women in St. Gabriel who had suffered miscar riages and stiD births. Willie Fon tenot, of the Attorney GeneraTs Of fice confirmed that he had sent a letter to Dr. Sandra Robinson of who were all pregnant at the same time, and nine 'had miscarriages, that Fontenot' had spoke of. Uhe added though, that thw ladies all suffered then- miscarriages in the same six to eight month time period, between late 1984 and early 1985. Gaudet went on to plb that the national average for mis carried pregnancies is 8.9 for every 1000 live births. She explained thr it would take St. Gabriel 15 1/2 years to have 1000 live births, there fore Sl Gabriel exceeded the Na tional Average b just six months. The women 1 spoke with labeled Vbyl Chloride a "fetal ' toxin'. One woman said, "Vinyl Chloride causes spontaneous abor tion b pregnant women." the Departmcifl of Health and Human Resources asking them to investigate. Vinyl chloride is a human carcin ogen, is labeled as an EPA hazard ous waste and a priority to^ic "Basically, in 1984, out of 10 (See VINYL CHLORIDE, page aA) - - * r . - SL 089613 inf\> ' s---***..*--**** _i VINYL CHLORIDE4r%?: (confirmed from page *A) ( pollutant. The compound is usually I went to the LSU Library in In search of facts as to how ' encountered as a cooled liquid, yet earth of support for what these much of this toxic chemical has ac : is actually a flammable pi at room 'women had told In a book . temperature. Vinly chlpride is a called *MuUtion, Cancer, and Mal J colorless gas and is basically odort less. Yet at it*s threshold of human formation', written by Ernest H.Y. i detection has a pleasant ethereal ! Chu and Walderico M. Genexoso, odor, similar to that of gasoline ; under the subheading 'vinyl fumes. I chloride*, I found support for their tually escaped to the atmosphere in recent years, I went to the main of fice of DEQ in Baton Rouge. I was allowed to examine files which con tained information concerning the amounts of vinyl chloride which had I called upon Mr. Bill Davis of ' rf been released. Under the direction f DEQ, head of the LESHAP sur- j veillance, {Louisians Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pol- _ <ri ,i 41 _ , I of Bill Davis, I was given files for L., , y 1 t ` Georgia Gulf, Dow Chemical and . "An Increasedfetal monalitywas observed for the wives ofworkers B. F. Goodrich.' u lutants), this division of the j who had been exposed lo the com- Some ofthe files were incomplete _jf EPA/ DEQ is the office which I pound, and other studies have indi and others sitnply listed a date that assesses whether or not a particular , 1 amission of vinyl chloride was pre- j | .veritable. Once an emission is assessed as cither preventable or ' rated an increased risk of birth defects in children ofparentsrejud~ ing in the vaciniiv of vinyl chloride production and polymerization an emission occurred without list ing the amount involved. The entire year of 1984 of the Georgia Gulf surveillance file was nowhere to he aon-preuentable they begin the pro- , plants." the passage read. . cess of determining if any action found. Therefore, only limited information concerning that partic ahould be taken against the viola ular time period was made available tor. Once the Environmental Qual Georgia Gulf, Dow Chemical tome. ity Act has been violated, the DEQ and BJ\ Goodrich use vinyl Davis wss successful in obtaining . then decides what action, if any, . chloride in their production procesahould be taken against the plant. ` ses. Dow produces the chemical it- some information from another source concerning this-year. Davis could not confirm the statement by the women I spoke with concerning vinyl chloride being a fetal toxin or causing spon taneous abortion in pregnant women, be could only tell me in regard to the subject that the DEQ r self and sells vinyl to B. F. Goodrich by pipeline, and ships the chemical 1 by rail also. When shipped by rail, the chemical is a liquid under pres sure. Georgia Gulf also produces From the avadableraoards, the approximate number ' total pounds of vinyl chloride released from these three plants front 1981 until the begining of 1987 added up inspectors, those who go to -the vinyl chloride and sells the chemi to 153,097.89 lbs. plants to do annual inspections and cal. They also are a polymerization periodical inspections to determine . plant, producing Polyvinyl chloride the prcventability of a particular from the vinyl chloride monomer, emission, cannot be women of or creating PVC from VCM. childbearing age. In search of proof that what these women had told me was in fact . scientifically tested and proven somewhere, I called Dr. James ( B. F. Goodrich, ms mentioned before redeves its vinyl chloride from Dow Chemical by pipeline, ; and they produce PVC resin and Sources of these releases varied but most were safety valve releases, pumps and other mal functioning equipment. However, everytime a plant starts tip or shuts down ususwally large emissions occur, this is also true' of shutting down the boilers for inspections Freeman, Iberville Parish Coroner. I some PVC compound. ' Their and other operations.' On some oc Freeman also could not confirm polymerization plant produces the casions of boiler shut down, in this. He did, however, agree with granular type resin to be shipped j which the EPA had given their per Davis saying that vinlychloride has been proven to cause angiosar coma, cancer of the liver. Davis had told me that this was discovered at B F Goodrich plants in Kentucky, out for the creation of such products as pipe fitting, construc tion industry electrical fittings, wrapping products, such as plastic ' "trap. That part of the PVC resin mission to the plant to conduct the shut down fully aware that chemi cals would be released, a very large amount of hydrocarbons were emitted. ^- made into compound is sold for things such as plastic bottles. Breaking this ion, the mcocn- piete Georgia Guff fifes revealed 96,15639 h of vinyl chloride released, Dow Chemical repotted 15,25330 lbs, and B. F. Goodrich totaled 41,68730 fcs. emitted over the past 51/2 years. , The years of the most concern to those' residents in St. Gabriel involved in this issue are those of 1984 and 1985. According to those DEQ records available, vDow Chemical** total emissions from 1984 and 1985 were 288.00 lbs. From 1984 to 198^T^oodrich emitted 24,61235 lbs. of vinyl chlo ride according to DEQ records. - Georgia Gulf, between 1984 and 1985 according to the incomplete records at DEQ, had a total of ' 29,633.48 tbs. of VCM released to the atmosphere. Georgia Gulfs releases for, that time period included a 17,760 lbrelease of vinyl chloride on November 13,1985 from their PVC plant and 9,142 lbs. that same day from their VCM1 plant. These releases also included a 1,900 lb. ( emission on April 23, ,1985 from their VCM plant. B F Goodrich's releases during ' this time period included a 5,400 lb. release ofvinyl chloride on January 19,1984 ; and a 3400 lb. discharge B F Goodrich, which receive* it's i vinyl chloride from Dow Chemical j- by pipeline, emitted J 3,429. lbs. of < VCM to the atmosphere in i 1983. These emissions included a 7,500 lb. release on October 18 of 1 1983 and 5,000 lbs. on December 14, 1983. in the years 1980 and 1981, B F Goodrich released 11350 lbs. of vinyl chloride to the atmosphere. In 1983 the U.S. filed suit against B F Goodrich in relation to it's vinyl . chloride emissions. The company ' had to pay approximately S 100,000.00 to the state as a result ; of these complaints. - . ,, , Georgia Gulfs emissions Tn 1986 . and part of 1987 total to 5,796 lbs. . of vinyl emitted. i From 1980-1982 the company T released 52397 Jbs. according to ' DEQ records which went only as far back as 1980. On September 20, J985 a pro posed concent decree .in United . States vs. Georgia Pacific Corpora tion was lodged with the United 1 States District Court, Middle Disf trict of Louisiana. The complaint filed by the U.S. alleged that the Georgia Pacific Corporation vio` lated the Clean Air Act and the Vinyl Chloride National Emissions opJanuary 29,1984. On June 22, 1984, they released 2,000 lbs. of \ vinyl chloride to the atmosphere < and on August 15,19846.8 tbs. with ' a 7,905 lb. release on August 21 -of f that year, -fn "1985, they emitted ;'4,800 lbs. 6f VCM on May 6. According to the DEQ records, Dow's .total reported emissions from 1986 up to date total 4^50Jbs. ,of VCM emitted to the atmosphere. However, in 1983 Dow Chemical i released 4,42531 lbs. of VCM to [ the atmosphere according to the | records. These emissions included a 300 lb. release on December 4, 1983, 750 lbs, on April 15, and the same week on April 18, 3,080 lbs. were released from the plant. In 1981 and (982 Dow released | 10,495 lbs. according to the"files. These releases included an 8,925 lb. release on October 22 of+982 and a 770 lb. discharge on August II, ; Standard for Hazardous Air Pollu tants, by discharging vinyl chloride from its ethylene dichloride/vinyl r chloride and polyvinly chloride- facilities. Georgia Gulf now is the | owner of the plant .and conse quently intervened in the action to effectuate the injunctive relief ' sought by the U.S. under Concent Decree. The Concent .Decree : required the plant to adhere to a Remedial Action Plan and ensure. compliance.- The company had to ; pay S^$Z3ttUX) in civil penalties to , the U.S. and an additional penalty of S62300.00 to the State of Louisiana. * -* Vinly chloride is used as a'vinyl monomer in the manufacture of 1982. ) .'V. fohMnyi chloride and tber resins. According to Mutation.' Cancer and Malformation, by Ernest H.Y. Chu and Walderico M. Generoto, over 90 percent of vinyl chloride monomer is used in the production of vinyl chloride homopolymer and , copolymer resins used in the build ing " and construction' 'industries. Tbe compound is used in the crea tion of such things as plastics, var nishes, silk and paper coatings and .refrigerants. l * According to the 'Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals, byMarihall Sittig, the hazards of vinyl chloride was originally believed to primarily concern workers' employed in (he conver- - 'sion of VCM to PVC, (vinyl ehlo-, ride "modomer to polyvinyl chloride) who may,receive a partic ularly high exposure of VCM >q certain operations, or long term exposure to relatively low concen trations of VCM in the air at differ ent factory sites. Much larger populations are now believed to be . potentially at risk, including; pro ducers of VCM, people living in the close proximity to VCM or PVC producing industries, users of VCM as propellant in aerosol sprays, per sons in contact with resins made from VCM, consumers offood and beverage products containing teachable amounts of unreacted VCM from PVC packaged. mate-.' rials (plastics, etc.), and ingestion of water containing unreacted VCM leached from PVC pipes, _ In 1976 it was estimated that almost one million `persons wore. associated with manufacturing goods derived from PVC. , * -This same publication*bays, *incinerators may be an additional source of.vmyl ehlorJde emissions since the entrapped monomer escapes following incompleteopm- * bustion of PVC products,r- : According to the 'final rule* of the D.EQ Regulations and Proce dures `lor Unauthorized .Dis charges. which became effective ! November 19, 1985,'the reportable i quantity level for vinyl chloride is 1 one pound. This level is applicable regardless of , the environmental |. medium, (land. air. water, ground- j water) into which the pollutant is discharged.-This is the limit the < DEQ hasset forshe plants to tbport an emission. r SL 089615 Accorju* **lhe penm'sstbk xp9*re limits 4a air lisUd in the L Handbook of Toxk and Hazardt ous Chemicals' the federal stand1 ard for exposure to vinyl chloride sets a limit ofl part per million over an 8 hour period, and a ceiling of 5 } ppm averaged over a period not exceeding 15 minutes. The .chemical i* absorbed both | through Jubilation , and skin ' absorption. ! According to the Handbook of !, Toxk- -and Hazardous Chemicals , medical~dborders associated with t vinyl chloride include: acro6stco|y' *jj, Raynaud's phenomenon, and sclerodermatous skin changes. Chronic exposure may also cause I hepatic damage. ; Vinyl chloride b regarded as a human carcinogen and. a cause I ofangiosarcoma ofthe liver. Excess ' cancer of the lung and lymphatic and nervous systems has also been - reported. Experimental evidence of tumor Induction in a Variety Of organs, including liver, liing, brain * and kidneys, as well as nonmalig? nant alterations such as fibrosis ahd ' connective 'tissue deterioration indicate the multisystem oncogenic and toxicologic effects of vinly chloride. , In agreement a book called Chemical Hazards of the Work place by Nick H. Proctor, PHD, toxicologist and James p. Hughs, MD explains that there is an increased incidence of malignant tumors, acroosteolysis, Raynauds syndrome, scerodenna, thrombo cytopenia,' circulatory -disturban ces, and impaired liver function; very high concentrations cause cen tral nervous system depression, associated with the intake ofvar ied amounts of vinyl chloride.. Radiologic findings in patients with acroosteolysis included lytic lesions in the distal phalanges of the hands, in the styloid processes of the ulna and radius, and /in the j sacroiliac joints. Of 20 autoclaive , workers with exposure to vinyl f chloride, 16 had thrombocytope nia, seven had splenomegaly, six had hepatomegaly, 14 had fibrosis of the liver capsule and four had signs of acroosteolysis in one study in this same publication. ! .The passages made reference to | numerous other disorders found in workers of VCM plants, including - i one study which a* 15 aaei"J . acrooeleotysu. {degeneration of rerminal phalanges). . , : ; Abo found id ChemicS Htuirds ofthe Workplace. 'QvrrJO case* of aBgioaaroomaufkbeinwrharehcen ^reported moug "biujd wMnride poiymcrixatioB workers ja the Lni- j ted States and nine other nations. Because this tumor b extremely rare, the occurrence'of these cases under similar occupational condif. tjons strongly suggests a casual relationship to some phase of vinyl chloride production. Clinical fea{ tures of seven patients with the car cinoma varied from no signs or ' symptoms to weakness, pleuritic t, pain. abdominal pain, weight loss, f gastrointestinal bleeding, and hepatosplenomcgaly; liver function abnormalities were present in all subjects but without a consistent pattern. In addition to the malig nant tumors, four cases of nonma lignant hepatic disease character ized by portal fibrosis and porjal hypertension have been attributed t to vinyl chloride exposure.* , Continuing in this publication, the author Jists symptoms and signs > of exposure as 'weakness pleuritic pain, abdominal pain, anorexia, r weight loss, gastrointestinal (deed ing; hepatomegaly, splenomegaly; Raynaud's syndrome, lesions in the distal phalanges of the hands; cen tral nervous system depression." 'Numerous publications snpported this fact, that vinyl chloride exposure causes cancer of the liver or angiosarcoma, including a pas sage in Mutations. Cancer and Malformation which listed a key event in which workers in numer ous countries showed an increased incidence of angiosarcoma. . Angiosarcoma is a very rare dis order of the liver. I have also found evidence that vinyl chloride expo sure clearly produces gene muta tions ahd primary DNA damage. Reference was made to problems in -genetics and chromosomal defects in relation to exposure. DH H R has not yet compiled any statistics that they would release on the birth rate in the St. GabriaJ area. 1 am presently awaiting those statistics along with statistics on incidences of cancers and other j related material from an area " * SL 089616 - According to Tom BaUe^cr, ( Director of the State dealer for , Health Statistics, hi 1982 IbervOe | Parish averaged slightly over tk: ute average for still births. From 1 the yean 1983-1986 Iberville was slightly under the state average lor still births, and in ,1986 none of those cases reported came from SL | . Gabriel According to those women I . spoke with in SL Gabriel, instances of miscarriage and still births arc _ higher than Ballcnger't figures tndi. cate- One of these women said that ' from 1983 to 1985 out of 17 preg- i there were 15 miscarriages and one live birth. Several of the women went on to have children later but had to have 1 progesterone (a female hormone) supplements during their pregnan cies following their miscarriages. > None of these women had any instances of this type of complica- * tions with childbearing in their fam ily histories. - If this is indeed fact, we may find reasoning -behind these occurren ces, and- that reasoning may not . necessarily be those chemical emis sions between the. yean of 1983-85. The evidence 1 mentioned briefly . before . concerning genetic . and ! chromosonal damage after expo sure has opened up another field of investigation. The question ofthe generation before this one's expo sure nbw krises. Their parents, many of which lived in the area . years ago -when limits set on vinyl chloride and other hydrocarbon emissions were not as strict as they are now; could possibly be the ones who's intake was too great. { This theory 1 will try to support j with more research, but to begin I | quote from MUtation, Cancer and Malformations, 'Only dominant j mutations and certain chromo- j soma! defects will have clinical | effects in the first generation. The j pcfsisunce of mutations depends upon the biologic fitness of the phenotype. If carriers of a given mutation have no offspring because of lethality or infertility, the muta tion will only persist for one genera tion. Mutations of the heterozygote type will be similar to that of nor mals.' Such mutations will persist for many generations." | In addition to the information presented in this article. 1 have doc umented evidence of releases of Chlorine and other hydrocarbons and their effects on the human body and the -environment which 1 will present with further research at a 0GOlS Cl ^jp&niJ4- OjC4-ic(e into Stillbirths In St. Gabriel area V.-V . The Department of Enviroomcntil Quality kit in progress a hd tmHmg nritrinn to provide answers to a pocs2)ie link between allega tions of nriscaniagcs and stinbitths in the St Gabriel and the environ ment. . The DEQ staff has put together a comprehensive plan to provide ns with a variety of information which we can share with DHHR,* Martha Madden, Secretary of DEQ said. The Department of Health and Human Resources, working in con junction with federal Centers for Disease Control, is the lead agcncey at the investigation i into the problem in St. Gabriel The DEQ plan calls for informa tion from six different areas. These include: ' 1. An inventory of chemical products and by-products produced in the St Gabriel area, 2. A study of accidental spills and releases over the past five years, 3. A retrospective study of baseline data on air and water quality, < Groundwater testing of monitoring wells, 5. Tests ofdrinking water sources and - * _&_Condnct soil and surface water f"w' mlitw *Wc have been working on answers to the many questions raised by this modest in St Gabriel,' Madden coododedL "Be assured DEQ is .well in -the forefront hits duty to help DHHR solve this problem.* SL