Document RJekbOJXnbY76on0a7B0L5x57

isanto FROM (NAME ft LOCATION) Tom C. Ford - St. Louis May 8, 1969 SUBJECT REFERENCE TO Richard Wheeler Garrett Daniels Kotnour John e/yf X%kV iXi*. Since the three of you were out of the country yesterday, returning from Sweden, this memo will bring you up to date on some PCB developments yesterday. As you know, the State of Wisconsin is holding hearings on a proposal to outlaw DDT. We felt the chance of the "oppositioi bringing PCB into the picture was slim. What we didn't count on were our 'friends." Wednesday morning I began receiving calls from Madison advising) me that a Mr. Francis Coon, from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Laboratory, was testifying that a lot of the residue . found in Coho salmon was really PCB -- and it was made by Monsanto,/ $ At first I assumed he was a witness for the opposition (the f^ Environmental Defense Fund) or the state. It turned out he was ^, v> ' testifying for the DDT Task Force which is being assisted by the National Agricultural Chemicals Association. Later calls indicated the DDT Task Force had three similar witnesses scheduled for this morning, including a man from Shell in the United Kingdom. Although we had only partial information, this development was obviously disturbing. Since Minckler, Robson and Springgate were also unavailable, I went over to the Agricultural Division to discuss the problem. Stu Daniels placed an immediate call to an official of NACA and read him the riot act about dragging in one chemical to help defend another, d:c. -more- DSW 201025 STLCOPCB4059089 * 4 K\ 2 I talked later that evening to a PR gal for NACA who was in Madison. She said strategy of the testimony was to show that analytical methods being used were not accurate -- that the high residues of DDT were not factual since much of this was PCB, etc. She said testimony was on analysis only with witnesses drawing no conclusions on PCB. (Of course, a man on the witness stand cannot stop with just a statement. Coon was cross-examined all day Wednesday.) I told the PR gal for NACA that: 1. An association executive from Washington would be calling Sam Rotrosen of Montrose Chemical, the man calling the shots in Madison for the task force. 2. Witnesses should be very careful of any conclusions about PCB, its sources or commercial uses. 3. Inquiring editors should call me with government officials to contact Jack Garrett. Garrett, Dr. Kelley and I discussed whether anyone should fly up to Madison for the rest of the testimony. Garrett advised against this since any Monsanto person would be recognized and perhaps even asked to testify. This possibility was confirmed by the NACA gal who said reporters were covering the airports to see who came into town for the hearings. That's about it to date. I have had one call from the Newark (N.J.) Evening News and expect others. I have asked our press clipping bureax to send me all stories on the hearing. DSW 201026 STLCOPCB4059090