Document G6G10ZKKekNMYgxBqJ05r8o5r

TranQormer Products dep.'fitment Redmcxxd Circls, Roms, Ceorgm M161 Teltpkane 404-234-0211 --' marking Two progressive Decades 3mm 26, 1973 Ms. J. G. Bryant MONSANTO INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS COMPANY 2 Kimbrough Court Wilmington, Delaware 19810 Dear Jim: The quotation from the ELECTRICAL WORLD article you asked about was in _ reference to our now being prepared with knowledge as to what to expect generally in the case of a PCB spill. For example, we know what E. P. A. expects of us now that we have dealt with them. Of course, we also learned some procedural needs as well as equipment and manpower needs from our recent unhappy experience, but as of this writing we have not written a policy guide for future spills. Most of our effort, other than the clean ing up of the Tennessee spill, is being devoted toward preventing such occurrences in the future. I received the bulletins on the use of fuller's earth in purifying askarels. Thank you for sending them. They will be of considerable help in clarifying the power factor question at American Electric Power Company who we expect will be visiting us the end of this week to discuss this subject. Best regards, R. W. Fraha MANAGER - MARKETING -at* IDS 003318 WATER PCB-SD0000001731 o GE digs its way out after cosfrly PCB spill i .. I Oetsensl Hedric Cs a stiff d3gsag, and fc BBcertaia when it may retch a cutoff PCS levels there as high as 300 ppb. This wdt has been put off limits as a > EPA officials say legal action against GE isn't contemplated, although on point, fas its effort to clean up a rpiU of source of water, in addition, five wells March 13 Paal Trains, chief of the en toxte transformer oil near Kinpso, around it are still being monitored to forcement divirion, sent a telegram to Tea#* dial already has cost the com* ensure that there is do movement of the the company threatening such action if putf sboot S3SMXX), chemicals; a decitioa win bs made in dean-up procedures were not begun The spiff occurred March S, when a September on whether to continue immediately. After tome initial reluc ' lj(W-kva transformer being trucked rawmtaring them. tance, say EPA officials, the company's from GE*s plant at Rome, Gbcgaa Mesnwbde, GE has been removing cooperation has been exemplary. leaking and tu drained by the driver. eofl in the affected area, and at one Although no civil suits against GE According to a GE spokesman, the point expected to complete excavation have been filed in the indicent. some arc driver noticed (be leak about three about sud-May. The excavated mate expected, mites south of where the transformer, rial already fills about 1409 to #400 35- A recent study of PCBs and the envi containing 1400 gallons of Arodor--& gal drums, some of which have bees ronment by a federal task force con polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) made by Monsanto Co-was finally drained. shipped to Robstown, Tex. for burial; others.will go to Model City, N.Y. The cluded that the use of PCBs should be curtailed, but not banned entirely. Spe* The driver reportedly emptied (he sealed drums will be buried m landfills dfieally, their continued use ns an insu- transformer on last-minute instructions designed to contain the PCBs ia the Lant/coolant in transformers and ca from his dispatcher after a local lav of* event of drum deterioration. This dis pacitors was deemed necessary because fleer forbade Amherfmovement of the posal method was chosen because Mon of an increased risk of fire and explo transformer while it was leaking. Ear* santo, which owns the country's only sion should an alternate product, Eer, (be driver, after checking with the PCB disposal facilities, isn't equipped to namely mineral oil, be used. . dispatcher, wtio in turn called GE, had handle dirt, according to GE. Government and industry have taken been told to take the transformer to a GE repair shop in Knoxville. Although they have a low acute totrio* tty, according to a computerized profile maintained by the Environmental Pro tection Agency's emergency branch ia Atlanta, PCBs rapidly accumulate in the food chain, and are highly toxie when inhaled or ingested. In the case of the transformer oil jettisoned near King ston, the rCBs covered an area of about one acre and penetrated as deep as 6 ft into the soiL State and federal officials are requiring the company to remove any earth in the area that contains a concentration higher than 5 parts per ' million. The GE official says that heavy rains in the area have washed the PCBs 'over a large area and are complicating cleanup efforts. '' . **We wore totally unprepared for something like this," the GE spokesman admitted, "but yrm can bet your boots ' we're prepared now, , According to AJ Smith and Dennis . Dobbs, of EPA's Atlanta emergency branch, the government has spent about $13,000 sampling wells within a 10-mile radius of the spin to ensure their safety Ferranti ships record-size transformer as sources of drinking water. With 23 parts per billion used as the level at which long-term chronic effect on hu mans would occur, the monitoring found a level of I ppb or less ia ad at (be weds but one. The exception is on the fans where Ferranti-Packard Lid's Power Transformer Division recently shipped the largest transformer, in physical size, it has ever built to ll.C. Hydro.The 210-ton unit. valued at $323400, is 48 ft long and 24 A high, and contains some 20,000 gal uf oil. I'ower front the 100-Mrm, 2f7-kv unit will be lapped at 13 and 23 kv to serve industrial and residential loads in the KJlimat (B.C.) arex The transformer, equipped wiih auiomatic voltage-csetroi equipment,'* pictured in Ferranti's Toronto shop just prior to (bn spiff occurred, aad tests indicatn disassembly foe shipment. WATER_PCB-SD0000001732 0 I. significant steps to limit release of the oocc-widcly-used chemicalVto the enviroamenL "Hie federal government ban ned their use ia pesticides in the fall of 1970 and, more recently, Monsanto (the sole US producer) quit supplying ('CDs for uses other than u an insulating fluid la electrical equipment. NEMA has aiao been in on the act. Earlier this year, it published a stan dards proposal containing guidelines for safe handling of the chemicals (EW, Feb. 1,1973, p 43). IDS 003320 WATER PCB-SD0000001733