Document G5ZN88JLx70NK8xNVz8nDZeor

MONS 032**1*0 THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC PHOENIX. A3IZ. 0. ISS.iOO S'JN Z37.568 OEC 91970 Scientists to ask U.S. to demand Monsanto pollution data lm Angeles limes Service ROME -- A group of 40 earth and natural scientists meeting here is considering an appeal to the government of the United States for ocean pollution information refused them by an American corpo ration. Edward D. Goldberg, pro fessor of chemistry at the Scripps Institute of Oceano graphy at La JoUa, Calif., said the action was being con sidered as part of anew pro gram to get at the scientific secrets of mine pollution. The Monsanto Core, has re fused bU appeals~lrwn work! scientists to reveal production figures tor polychlorinated bi- phenylh, better known as PSBs, be said. Production Agues, Goldberg continued, are needed to help compute the amount of PCBs leaking into the environment through accidents. The polychlorinated bipherv ylls may be the second most abundant synthetic organic chemical ri nature following DOT, be said. Goldberg spoke at a press conference called to mark the opening here today of a techDial conference on marine pollution and its effects on liv ing resour es and fishing. The meeting of SOS experts from SO nations is sponsored by the U.N. Foriii and Agriculture Organization. Action on PCBs developed in a seminar of internatfcmal scientists convened by Gold berg in conjunction with the larger conference to study means lor monitoring, detect ing resources and fishing. The In the waters of the world. Moasanto is the sole pro ducer of PCBs in the United States, which is the carter of world production, but other companies produce the chem icals in other nations, Gold berg said. The PCBs have been in production since the 1930s, but their absorption by fish and other marine life was discovered only recently and by accident in a Swedish study aimed at detecting DDT n marine Ufe. The PCBs are used widely In the production of plastics, electrical energy transformer fluids' and solvents for paints, among other Dungs. It is not known bow the chemical has leaked into the environment, Goldberg said. The scientists in the semi nar here are preparing an ap peal to governments to pro vide production figures on PCBs. In this way they hope to force the band of the American government, ac cording to Goldberg. Monsan to, inter American law, is permittedto maintain its production figures as a secret because it is the country's sole producer of PCB's. The special seminar, which has also touched on other sea pollution problems, found that: -- It is possible to tag with radioactive substances, fluor escent dyes and chemicals the petroleum cargoes of ocean going tankas so that spillage and dumping can be traced. -- Regional and world mon itoring systems are needed to set In motion controls to pro tect the oceans. Recommendations of the . conference will go to the U.N. environment conference in , Stockholm in 1972. ,J