Document KJ3xQXopOMJb5XYQMbQEn0MDX

Governm nt Conflicting views on vinyl chloride coalesce Industry decries OSHA's no-d tectable level rule as unnecessarily harsh; both labor and ACS support proposed standard Mere mentioning of the words vinyl chloride to Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials who presided over public hearings on the agency's proposed permanent work place standard for the chemical may well lead to mutterings that enough is enough. In nine days, the officials lis tened to 35 hours of direct testimony by 44 panels of witnesses--and many additional hours in question and an swer sessions--and received 89 written submissions for the hearing record. Much of the data presented OSHA is conflicting. All this is of little comfort to the officials as OSHA has until Oct. 5 to come up with its final version of a permanent standard. It's likely that OSHA may well pick some middle ground standard--tougher than that proposed by industry, softer than that initially proposed by the Government--which, if either labor or industry is unhappy about it, may well be challenged in the courts anyway. Data presented at the hearings tend ed to coalesce, in effect, into two posi tions: that of industry and that of Government-labor-ACS. For instance, a spokesman for the Society of the Plas tics Industry maintained that OSHA's proposed work-place standard--which, among other things, calls for a no-de tectable level of vinyl chloride--"is not technologically feasible and, if adopt ed, would shut down the industry." In contrast, Peter Bommarito, president of the United Rubber Workers, said that the "OSHA proposal comes closer to the ideal standard than any yet pro posed or promulgated for any work place hazard." However, Dr. Daniel P. Boyd, direc tor of the office of standards develop ment for OSHA, although emphasizing that the proposed standard is just that--a proposal--said that "it repre sents our best judgment based on the information available on May 10 ... our present judgment is that vinyl chloride is a carcinogenic agent." Dr. Boyd pointed out that in protecting employees from a carcinogenic material, "We are operating in the area of many unknowns. For example, we do not know the mecha nism by which a chemical carcinogen operates or whether a safe level of ex posure can be set." Much of the testi mony presented at the hearing dealt with industry's, labor's, and research workers' effort to resolve the latter question. The initial impetus for the vinyl chloride industry came during World War II when it was used as a substitute for natural rubber. According to Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, professor of medicine at City University of New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, "This immediately points to a problem of current vinyl chloride-polyvinyl chlo ride' investigations; the industry is a relatively young one, and the late ef fects of toxic exposure have only begun to appear; most of our experience is still ahead of us." He told the hearings that clinical field studies are being conducted that include examinations of more than 1200 vinyl chloride-PVC polymerization workers. Although all the results are not yet in, he reported that studies of 354 current and former workers at Goodyear's plant in Niagara Falls, N.Y., "demonstrated a signifi cant prevalence of liver abnormalities, peripheral vascular changes, and lung abnormalities." Information on deaths from two plants, one which produces monomer and the other polymer, was presented by Dr. John M. Peters of the Harvard School of Public Health. He said that studies on 161 deceased white males showed "a 50% excess of deaths due to cancer." There was a "60% excess of lung cancer (13 cases with 7.9 expect ed) and a 320% excess of brain cancer (five cases with 1.2 expected) with the number of liver cancer cases being 10 times those expected in a similar unex posed population. He stressed that these studies, though preliminary, show that multiple cancer sites are in volved and cancer is increasing over time in the population. Dr. Peters agreed with Dr. Selikoff in that he said, "I do not believe we will know the full cancer-causing potential of vinyl chloride for several years. At this point the only way to assure an end to this serious hazard is to eliminate the expo sure." The vinyl chloride-PVC industry, in general, took the opposite view. Harry E. Conners, vice president of Diamond Shamrock Chemical, told the hearings, "In our judgment the cases of worker illness recently discovered in industry are the delayed result of conditions that were common many years ago but are no longer present in today's plants." Dr. Richard W. McBumey, corporate medical director of Diamond Shamrock Chemical, pointed out that "during the early years of PVC produc tion attention was given to vinyl chlo ride vapors only because of the anes thetic qualities and the explosion haz ard. Since the explosion hazard occurs at upward of 30,000 p.p.m. and the an esthetic effect at 1000 to 5000 p.p.m. the vinyl chloride levels in work areas were undoubtedly quite high." Dr. Carl U. Demehl, associate medi cal director of Union Carbide, told the hearing of a health survey conducted by SPI covering 16 plants employing 2372 persons whose current work per mits exposure to vinyl chloride, plus 471 who had worked with it in the past. He said that the study identified 1402 men who were exposed to vinyl OCC 6528 July 22, 1974 C&EN 9 chloride at least 10 years ago, of which 416 had a latent period of more than 20 years. Also identified were 787 men ex cised continuously to vinyl chloride for lore than 10 years, with 104 being ex posed for more than 20 years. Dr. Dernehl said, "Examinations of these men have failed to show the existence of ab normal liver function tests in greater proportion than would be found in a control population. There is no case of angiosarcoma of the liver among these men even though their exposure time is sufficient for the disease to have oc curred and exposures are believed to have been in excess of 50 p.p.m." He concluded that "these data fail to sup port the need for an exposure level as drastic as that proposed in the stan dard." The SPI survey's findings were sup ported by Diamond Shamrock, Dow Chemical, B. F, Goodrich, Tenneco Chemicals, and Firestone. All reported that despite extensive surveys of their current and former vinyl chloride-PVC workers, no further cases of or deaths due to liver cancer have been found, other than the 13 previously reported to OSHA. Industry also felt that the proposed standard was too far-reaching. Accord ing to Anton Vittone, president of B. F. Goodrich Chemical, "The produc tion of vinyl chloride, its polymeriza tion into PVC resin, and the processing PVC resin into semifinished or fin^fned products is treated in the pro^^osed standard as one industrial health problem." However, he contended, "Each is an entirely different operation posing its own problems, permitting and requiring different solutions," Of particular concern to many indus try witnesses was the inclusion of PVC processors and fabricators, such as phonograph record makers, under the proposed standard. Monitoring data on vinyl chloride exposure in processing plants were presented by several wit nesses, including Philip J. Weaver, di rector of industrial affairs for B. F. Goodrich. In a conclusion that agreed with those of other witnesses, he said, "Our data does not support this con cept of inclusion of processor opera tions" under the proposed standard since "we find no detectable levels of vinyl chloride in most of the processing work places." In addition to urging that fabricators and processors not be included under the permanent standard, the Society of the Plastics Industry proposed that in vinyl chloride and PVC plants there be a stepped reduction in worker expo sure. This is in sharp contrast to the American Chemical Society position ^^^ented at the hearings by Dr. Ste^^pn T. Quigley, head of the Society's aepartment of chemistry and public af fairs, and Howard H. Fawcett, chair man of the ACS Committee on Chemi cal Safety. ACS, in essence, supports the OSHA proposed standard, asking ill PVC fabricators should not be included under the exposure standard, SPI urges only that the standard be defined as a minimum practical level capable of de tection by a recommended method rather than as a no-detectable level. SPI's proposed standard drew sharp criticism from Anthony Mazzocchi, citizenship-legislative director of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers In ternational Union. He said, "It will be a tragedy if OSHA adopts the so-called `common denominator' kind of stan dard that SPI sponsored. Under this approach a standard is adopted that everybody can meet. But those plants that can go further are under no incen tive, at that time, to do anything more." Most companies at the hearing said that although it would be difficult, they could live with SPI's proposed standard. Two companies, however, re ported that they are already operating at much lower levels. Dr. V. K. Rowe, Dow director of toxicological research in health and environmental affairs, said that the company, "is generally operating within an eight-hour timeweighted average (TWA) concentration of 10 p.p.m.; however, brief malfunc tions and other temporary situations occasionally result in short-term excur sions in excess of 10 p.p.m." And Air Products and Chemicals' John T. Barr reported that his company has an eight-hour TWA in the 20- to 25-p.p.m. range for workers in its polymerization building and even lower levels for those in otheT job locations. Tenneco Chemi cals, however, estimated that it would have to spend in excess of $10 million to reach the exposure levels recom mended by SPI. Vinyl chloride-PVC industry wit nesses contended throughout the hear ings that meeting the proposed stan dard was just not technologically feasible, unless workers wore air-supplied respiratory equipment all the time. However, Calgon Corp., which was moved from 20th to last on the witness list, declared that technology was available to remove vinyl chloride from the air. William Lovett of the company's activated carbon division said that the monomer can readily be adsorbed on activated carbon in con centrations ranging from 1 p.p.m. to more than 30% by volume in air. He said laboratory results show that 100% removal of vinyl chloride from air or nitrogen streams is technically possible using dual beds. Earlier in the hearing Tenneco Chemicals testified that it has included carbon adsorption to recover the mono mer from two small process streams, neither of which contains air, in plans for its new PVC plant in Pasadena, Tex. However, it pointed out that it considers this activated carbon method to be "wholly impractical" where large volumes of air and small concentra tions of vinyl chloride are involved. Mr. Bommarito expressed the belief that the standard can be met, saying that where "engineering controls may not be applicable, personal protective equipment can be used." He added that especially in newer plants the problem is "characterized by the will, not the ability, to do the job." He con cluded that "the medical facts are in and the problem is now in the social and political arena." International U.S. reactor design loses out in U.K. U.S. reactor design has lost out in its bid for the next generation of nuclear power stations in the U.K. The British government has opted instead for the steam-generating heavy-water reactor (SGHWR) system. The immediate plan is to build three twin-reactor sta tions with an overall capacity of about 4000 Mw. of electricity. The first of these stations should be operating by 1982. The decision, taken by Eric Varley, U.K. Secretary of State for Energy, bucks the trend in other countries, where planned nuclear power programs center on U.S. designs for light-water reactor (LWR) systems, either General Electric's boiling-water reactor (BWR) or Westinghouse's pressurized-water reactor (PWR). Indeed, at public hear ings before the Energy Resources Sub committee of the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology last December, both Ar thur Hawkins, chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board, which supplies power to England and Wales, and Sir Arnold Weinstock, managing director of British General Electric, which has a 50% stake in U.K. Nation al Nuclear Corp., came out strongly in favor of LWR's, primarily because the technology is already proven and can be fairly quickly brought into operation without major design and development effort (C&EN, Feb. 18, page 11). Mr. Varley cites a number of reasons for deciding on the SGHWR route. "In the government's judgment, it will pro vide power reliablv and we can proceed in rzcv OCC 6529 CHEMENTATOR . . . of the original U.S.S.R./Occidental agreement Still to be negotiated and fipanwt for instance, are tour additional ammonia plants, a 1,200-mi ammonia pippin* and ammonia tankers. Indications are that the plants and pipelines, at least, may be postponed. J In Washington ... _ A big step toward making liquid fuel from coal is being taken by the Dept of the Interior's Office of Coal Research. That agency requests proposals for a demonstration plant that might cost up to $400 million, at least half the funding to be confederal. The facility is to convert high-sulphur coal mainly into a clean liquid fuel suitable for boilers at, e.g., electric utility plants. OCR seeks proposals based on technology already relatively well developed, such as the solvent-refined-coal con cept (see Cheat. Eng., Mar. 5,1973, pp. 42-44). The agency visualizes a capacity of at least 900 tons/d. ' - Proposals are to be in by September 25, and OCR plans to award one or more contracts by next April 15. The program calls forpijeliminary engineering (10 mo), demonstration-plant engineering (18 mo), plant construction (30 mo), and plant operation and evaluation (42 mo): One logical entrant would be Standard OH of Ohio, whose Old Ben Coal Corp. subsidiary is already planning a demonstration plant to make Squid (and solid) fuel from coal, next to Sohio's Toledo oil refinery. (Chementator, Mar. 4, p. 65, and Dec. 24, 1973, p. 18). Sohio says it has.not decided whether to submit a - proposal, but in any case will build only one demonstration plant - -;i J Some 1972-model-year automobiles appear to violate federal air-pollution standards and may be subject to recall/tbe Environmental Protection Agency says. About 1.4 million cars may be involved. EPA has officially notified the companies that manu factured them: Chrysler, Ford, General Motors,, and Volkswagen.. Betting is heavy on a "no detectable level" of vinyl chloride^ exposure becoming the per manent standard issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, although the finai dedsioa by OSHA's Office , of Standards Development is still not in {Cheat. Eng., June 24, p. 110). ... c , .. Daniel Boyd, director of the office, where the testimony from the late June - .eaiiy July OSHA hearings in Washington will be sifted before promulgation of the permanent standard, emphasizes that he regards the proposed "no detectable ... level" standard as "just that--a proposal." Continuing, he says, "We have essen- , tiaDy proposed a performance standard. We recognize that each .employer should be allowed to utilize the engineering controls and work-practices that are best suited for his plant." ?. Industry's opposition to the proposed standard is mainly based on its expected disruptive economic effects. B. F. Goodrich Chemical Co. president Anton Vittone, who also chaired a special industry committee to investigate the effects of the standard, says 'The committee is unanimous in its position that the proposed per manent standard is not technologically feasible and, if adopted, would shut down the industry." -- - - ' - - - y? ' But the spokesmen for the AFL-CIO say it is ready to accept the loss of jobs for the sake of winning its fight for a no-detectable standard, Peter Bommarito, president of the United Rubher Workers and chairman of the AFL-CKyt Committee on Health and Safety, testified that even the smallest amounts of VCM absorbed by the human body oould affect ehitayos. . .7 OCC 6530 54 JULY 22,1974/CHEMICAL ENGINEERING ;S -1b Rising costs, admits Lurgi, also forced shutdown in 1972 of a Korean plant built for Inchon Ironworks--even though it was operating at 90% of capacity. However, adds the German company, nickel-iron-pellet prices have almost tripled since 1972 to about $ 100/ton, and both the Korean and Canadian plants could conceivably be reactivated. A Brazilian plant using the Lurgi process since 1973 might be sup* plemented by a second unit, the Germans speculate. Ford Motor will try out aluminum for tho hoods of some of its 1976-model-year cars; on a limited basis, as part of the company's effort to make lighter automobiles. It already produces all-aluminum bodies for some of its heavy-duty trucks. < The firm also has an active program to study use of plastics for body panels, and had planned to introduce an all-plastic truck hood this fall, but has run afoul of materials shortages. . But use of plastics In cars alrtady gives headaches to scrap-recyders, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Solid Wastes Program. A typical 1960 car con tained, 3,043 lb of ferrous metal, 157 lb of nonferrous and-26 lb of plastics. A 1972 Montego, however, has 3,140 lb of ferrous, 182 lb of nonferrous and 107 lb of plastics. The Bureau of Mines says this materials shift'is tearing, auto-scrap processing less profitable; new ways will have to be devdopod'torecycle plastics (and light metals) in cars, along with the steeL : . .r A Two ad hoc groups for surveillance of the trans-Alaska oil-pipeline project wQl begin theiren- viroranental watchdogging this fall. \ One group, organized by Arctic Research Institute (Washington, D.C.), will keep an eye on construction and startup, making three inspection visits yearly. The other, supported by the Environmental Defense Fund (New York), the Alaska Center tor the Environment andotherabnihtfocgai&a&ns; might also maintain its surveillance after the line starts operating; and intends to monitor the ' pipeline activity--including the pcrfbtmancc of the goveroment's Own monitors--on virtually a day-by-day basis. This latter group wiil also stay abreast of any addi tional pipelines.*) be built in Alaska.: v Asof now; theequipment-hanlage road for the ttans-Alaskv line la partly com pleted. Only a minimal?amount of the actual pipehne-layingwfllbe done this year. For M-recent overview1 of the pipoBnc project, emphasizing its engineering aspects, seeChem.Eng.,Mar. 18,pp.42*44..." \ kw*. r- Ocddantal Petroleum, racahritf contract* totaling $20.1 billlbR' frttth the* U.S.S.R. around the cadet June; Said Co be the biggestrU.S>U&SJL buahrtw transaction ever, >g?the agreement partially implements earlier fertilizer discussions between Octi- ' ;^C dentid did the Soviets? (Cheni. Engsj June 25, 1973, pi 30^ and Apr. 30, 1973, ^^---P* 31). `V*' i>\ IS \ . Two of tile six contracts call for Occidental to design; equip, end supervise construction of port facilities at VentspQs (Latvia) and Odessa, for about $100 million; These facilities will handle fertilizer shipments that underlie the other four contracts: the Soviets.will'impoit about f mfffion tons/yr of U.8. superphospboric add, ht exchange for some 1 million tons/yr of ammonia, 1.5 million tons/yr at urea and 1 million tons/yr of potash, ah during a 20-yearperiod. At present, these future shipments are worth about $500 wSStkm/yt in each direction (Le., $1 billion/ yr totaI); the figures will be renegotiated every'six months to take price changes - into account Shipments are to begin in 1978, when Chemical Construction Coip. completes the four big ammonia plants it is handling for^the Soviets (Chemen- * tator, July 8, p. 27). '< r Soviets aid U.S. officials are evasive about implementing other key aspects CHEMICAL ENGINEERINQ/JU1.Y 22,1974 OCC 6531 53