Document O1MYO0YOLZxX74dvv3v4aoR8X
HILL AND KNOWLTON, Inc.
home furnishings daily
nek YORK, It Y.
a 39.000
JUN 2 7 1974
Plastics Industry Hits VC Code,
Offers Own `Workable' Proposal
* ' / By RICHARD WIGHTMAN '' technical resources to the date when the emergency standard . WASHINGTON (FNS) - The maximum and involve heavy costs , expires and, under OSHA's statute,
, giant plastics-chemicals complex ; and reduced capacity.
its life cannot be extended.
Wednesday staged a daylong effort "Many, companies will probably SPI produced ammunition from
`to convince the Federal require'variances of time or Arthur Little, Iqc., the
l Government its proposed vinyl ', methods, therefore provisions for international eonsulting/fi/rn, that
"chloride health standards would be such variances should be made in .. any shutdown of PVC production
an unmitigated disaster to the' the permanent standard,',' Vittone would have serious repercussions
i economy.
stressed. , i-
on many user industries.
'' Instead of taking a merely ;
In an accompanying
negative stance, the industry; HE ALSO EMPHASIZED that presentation, the company singled
proffered an alternative much of the needed technology to out apparel and household
"workable" standard which might accomplish the phasedown still has furnishings, motor vehicles,
j lead to a satisfactory compromise to tje developed. ' .;
construction, specialty and
; -- one which would protect
"The commitment cannot be miscellaneous products as the main
i workers from the chemical's.- accomplished overnight," he told PVC users.
i alleged cancer-inducing properties. OSHA.
It noted that elimination of PVC
The industry proposal, outlined
The SPI proposal, in any case, from the market would have the
at hearings held by the may provide a pragmatic base on most serious impact on autos and
Occupational Safety and Health which a permanent standard may construction but added that
. Administration, is a far cry from , be developed. OSHA is anxious this bottlenecks would show up in '
| the "no detectable level" of VC permanent standard may be supplies of flooring, upholstery and *
atmospheric incidence proposed by developed., OSHA is anxious this insulated wire and cable.
j
i OSHA for exposed workers.
permenent version should be in "AN IMMEDIATE SHUTDOWN |
(THE PLAN, presented by the;'*1 SnciPtv of the Plastics Industry, and
by
Oct.
5,
since
that is the ...____ t
of all PVC resin plants in the U.S. {
would generate an economic
j explained by Anton Vittone, ^
hardship of large magnitude that i
, president, B.F. Goodrich Chemical it
would create severe economic
Co., would phase down the air 1
dislocations in many local areas/' .
content of vinyl chloride to
Arthur Little predicted.
minimum levels starting Oct. 5/ j
li also noted that some PVC-
1977.
using products would need a long 1
; By that date, a ceiling of 10 parts
lead time in order to switch to '
per million would be set for plants
substitute materials and described ;
making vinyl chloride monomer ,
auto upholstery and "related .soft
and 25 parts per million for those ^
trim" items as particularly prone to
producing polyvinyl chloride resins.
this problem.
(The present emergency standard ;
The firm claimed that, an
sets the level at 50 parts per
immediate shutdown of all PVC
million.)
^
resin plants could result in a loss of;
Vittone insisted that this effort,
up to 2.2 million jobs and up to $90
in itself, would tax the industry's 1
billion in lost production annually.
I n*
23217129
BFG24416