Document Rp8vxZY4JBKe6M9K3ya62kMeB

i D O< o oa THE JOURNAL Of COMMERCE, Wedntsdoy, October 6, 1976 No Lalor Than Qrt. 31, 1977 Monsanto Announces PCB Withdrawal Date Jearnal of Comment Specie! Mr. Harbison emphasised ST LOUIS -- Monsanto that fire-resistant PCB- Mr. Harbison said that It Co Tuesday announced that filled capacitors not onlv now appears that tha In it will ihul down its polych* fail Infrequently but also dustry hs ttrotd m on re tortnated tuphenvt <PCB> fall safely. placement candidates and manufacturing unit, com* "Unfortunately. the verv Is currently involved in plete diMhbulion of all In* properties lhaf have made field tenting of non-PCB vemories and withdraw PCBs Ideal and even man electrical components prior completely from the market datory for these essential to effecting a total change as the principal supplier of uses, were also found in the over in their use He said PCH dielectric insulating early 1970s, more than 40 that based on what Mon fluids to the electrical pow years alter they were first er tunplv Industry by no introduced, to be the prop later than Qcl.31.1977. erties causfnc them to per santo has been told about them. It's likely that they are not going to offer a The firm withdrawal date was announced by Earle H. Harbison. Jr., general man sist and accumulate In the environment. Because oi this tendency (o resist comparable degree ol fire resistance Historically PCB dielectrics have filled ager of Monsanto's Special ty Chemicals Division. Mr. llarbison said the company biodegradation. Monsanto announced last January its decision to voluntarily (wo functions; combining excellent dielectric per formance with inherent (ire would have lariated an cease production as soon at protection. The prospective even earlier shutdown data had transformer and ca pacitor manufacturers' con version timetables per mitted. Monsanto's PCB the electrical industry could find viable alternate fluids and convert its equipment and component# le their use." ha added. replacements appear to provide acceptable dielect ric performance, hut sys tem redesign has been re quired to circumvent Iht rossriofycnnAEh.tcdlspahopcuuasPelroacltntCaritSnyucsdtPit'stinsc,.neaehgglLrWoleaoaocfrtsuilraoepluilintisridaedoa.Maidmdset1e1urJl1egd.auc.CcrsetootH.tdrurtsihgacpKosaeruorbnuoItlelnhc-fm-ommuMo-PluosrCnreC.dtBdoirestHeiirnnPtai1snag9rtrktb7rmeoie0icvsanpttiooPnhrnbeuyCaytvsBhseinoAteashnouicedvnwstiieerocteolhnoenrnfeaamcsrmctytprtaeiipacolnsnroanitoyslf. fire hazard potential which was introduced Whether these candidates wilt, in the final analysis, be "accept able" Is one of the major objective# of the field tests mw in progress. Ic compounds, com mercially produced for the first time in 1929 in re sponse to (he eferfrical in products is well. He ex plained that in dielectric applications they are con tained In `'closed'* or scaled dustry's need far improved dielectric insulatini fluids which would also provida ivstema but In many of tha other applications, this was not tha case. Increased fire resistance 'So. when scientific in- benefits in transformer and vestigitlons first confirmed capacitor applications. their presence In Ihe l/. S. Widespread Ue enviroftmenl in tha early "Fire resistant, PCBfilled transformers are used In certain Indoor In 1970a. and leng before ihe potential impact of these findings wes determined, Monsanto began to imple stallations such at high rise buildings, hospitals and schools, and in electrically- ment Ue voluntary program o f terminating sales of PCBs lo all nonelectrical powered urban commuter trams. Their function is to either Increase or reduce voltaga or chanie the cur rant in the system. PCBcontaining capacitors are used to control vollag* and reduct power lossaa in flu applications and simulta neously warned Its custom ers of the potential environ mental problems and the need to prevent the entry of PCBs into the environment. Monsanto's voluntary pro gram was reviewed, aup- orescent and mercury lights, AC motors, air con ditioning compressors and television receivers." ho ported and endorsed by a federal task force, formed In 1979 to study the prob lem. soid. To illustrate the wide spread use of PCBs In elec trical apparatus. Mr. Harbi son alluded to the .World Tride Cenier In New York City where some 250.000 flu orescent light fixtures, each containing a PCB -filled ca pacitor, are curoofJy in service. In describing the magni tude of ine problems associ ated with reaching a firm exit date. Mr. Harbison esplained that the unique fire- "This restricted sates pol icy reduced Monsanto's an nual PCB production by over SO per cent and further eliminated tha likely sources of losses to the en vironment. Principal appli cations affected by the com pany's unilateral withdraw al In the early 1970s were in carbonless copy paper, fireresistant hvdraulk fluids, heat transfer fluids end plasticisers.'* ha s*M. resiotanl and dielectric characteristics of PCBs have for the past 4b years made them not only tho standard but. in maay casea. tha only fluids ap proved for these dielectric applications Ha pointed out (hat firt- insurance, buildtnt and alectrlcal codas and regulations in many parts ol (he country have traditio nally required their use in HONS 050742 hlgh-density population ap plications where violent hihirr of a device contain ing a flammable fluid could result in a fire or explosion of catastrophic proportions.