Document KRao3LwjNd5vy2pOXg0a7346x

Edward Howard jCo. Public Relations Counsel Founded 19`-'5 One Erieview Plaza. 7ih Floor Cleveland. Ohio 44114-1716 (216)781-2400 Fax: 781-8810 DATE: October 6, 1993 FROM: Nora Jacobs SUBJECT: Standby Statement COPIES: Bob Burnett Meredith Scheck Mike Reynolds Dave Eckstein Peter de la Cruz Lew Freeman Bob asked me to send you a copy of the attached standby statement, which has been updated to reflect the activity that has taken place on this issue since August. This version incorporates comments from Fred Krause, Ron McCreedy and UniBell. We will be using this to handle any media inquiries we receive and as before, I encourage you to refer any your company receives on this issue to either the VI, UniBell or NSF. Offices in Cleveland. Akron. Columbus and Davion CTL006535 Doniphan County (Kansas) Revised Standby Statement EH&Co. Draft 10/4/93 STATEMENT TO BE USED IN THE EVENT OF MEDIA INQUIRIES (Replaces statement issued 8/16/93) We have been notified by U.S. EPA Region VH that water in parts of the Doniphan County, Kansas, Number 5 water district does not meet EPA drinking water standards for trace levels of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). The industry is working closely with the EPA, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the local water district on this situation. The noncompliance has been traced to probable migration of residual monomer from PVC pipe installed in 1969. It is important to emphasize that the pipe in question was installed before voluntary industry standards for residual VCM were put in place in 1977. In fact, this installation predates any VCM standards, mandatory or voluntary. To date, we know of only a few households that are affected, and we are working on a statistically valid sampling program to confirm that the noncompliance is an isolated incident. We are also working with EPA to decide what type of remedial action needs to be taken in Doniphan County. We are not yet able to discuss what further steps, if any, will be recommended by EPA. The 1969 installation in Doniphan County would not meet current criteria. It includes the use of small diameter pipe and the amount of water flowing through it is very low and intermittent. These factors have contributed to the situation, which is certainly not typical of the thousands of miles of PVC pipe in service throughout the country that fully comply with current drinking water standards. CTL006536