Document O17B2JGJrGKdVQpKdo6nZkmDK

THF SOCIETY OF THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY, INC. ) 250 PARK AVENUE NEW YORK. NEW YORK 10017 212 687-2675 Contact: E.S. Nuspliger (2121 57.2-9100 M. Swetonic (212) 697-5600 FOK IMMEDIATE RELEASE, (Tuesday, Oct. 1, 1974) PLASTICS INDUSTRY LABELS 0SHA VINYL CHLORIDE STANDARDS UNREALISTIC A NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permanent occupational health standard on vinyl chloride monomer announce'1 today is unrealistic, probably will be impossible for most, if not all, of the industry v. i:,.. ,-t a= 1 appears to have been developed on some basis inconsistent with recorded fact.-,, according to The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI). The standard announced by OSHA calls for a limit of one part per million of vinyl chloride* mo. or.* r as measure d over an eight-hour working day, with a ceiling of 5 parts per million as me a s ared over any 15 minute time period. The c, ' . 1 , . 1 , !' ! > f 1: rV ft: i ' ' ; W . i:.,l cldo: i i- j, < -hi-f - a veil a- tOp:. A ( > rT vin_. 1 chi 1 in oi a or a!. ' j>' >ly viny 1 eld1 ro.-ins, a? ' is S L ' ' ; ' t., ; m j:.` . rfOo ' .Tu,M ' W 1, 197.', s o, i e ; : , i;. t ' 1 1 r d; , : ' ' t; A ' .: ' l `' ' l' : 23683001 TI n_ Shortly after the OSHA announcement, SPI filed a petition for judicial review of the standard in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second District o: N -York. A similar suit was filed by Hooker Chemical Company of Stamford, Connecticut. Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), an industrial chemical used in the pro duction of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a widely used plastic resin, has been linked a ir recent months with a higher than normal incidence of angiosarcoma of the liver, a rare form of cancer, among previously highly exposed workers. According to Mr. Harding, "the evidence presented at the OSHA public hearings in late June on VCM clearly showed that the employee deaths from angio sarcoma were a result of conditions existing decades ago, when exposure levels were many times greater than they are today. Furthermore, data developed by the bee Chemical Company showed no excess mortality from any cause among long term workmen exposed to levels below 200 parts per million (ppm). "OS1IA apparently relied hc-avily on animal studies in setting its standard. is quit- incomprehensible, especially when mor e relevant human mortality '-ta is available, " Mr. Harding said. A' tb o r A i ''ml, ml I'm YCY-id I'm ', : .. Co: a A - r i. led tii- e ,-d d i! i ;i m . id of a 0 il i m s : ,, ('! v.b-\; ex.- . .a r., 0. V) 11 \ : f !t-' a:, Cijd h ' a 'I v A <r lap t Yl 01 ; 'I'm p m a r t' k 3683002 t- -3 - "Our recommendations, "Mr. Harding said, "were based on an honest evaluation of what the industry believed it could accomplish with known technology v;- it!, technology that could hopefully be developed within the next few years. Not one shred of evidence was presented at the public hearings or since which could have lead OSIIA to the conclusion that a lower level was necessary or achievable throughout the industry at this time. " a As to the net effect of the standards on the industry, he stated, "It would be inappropriate for us to comment on the overall impact until we have had time to study carefully the entire set of standards. " - 30 - GD CA3 o T 1--