Document VM8pjwvYRxk9vLxzZEda3RkN

t , t- - r-r-' " a " JTO"1 l v -c - , -a< ; % K. I ' 1 " . . : l: ' Ca** tv L-j ^ i.y - Vj ^L*j - , J i'ts ri -.*.v / *_j f ,Ji J/ Twice monthly business newsletter published from the Nation's Capital Publisher: Leonard A. Eiscrer Editor: D-wid R. Newman Vol. 1 No. 8 July 1. 1974 Page 5 7 SLANTS & TRENDS THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY is losing some of its top-level health effects people in the Washington headquarters. The main reason, one source told Toxic Materials News, is that they "feel there is not a receptive at mosphere at headquarters." Dr. Vaun Newjll, who had been health advisor to ETA administrators for the past few years, is leaving the end of this month to go to Exxon in New Jersey. Dr. C. Winfred Malone, who had been executive director of EPA's science advisory board, has switched to the National Can cer Institute, and Dr. Wesley J. Clayton, who had been acting director of the health effects division in Washington, is leaving July 16 to join the faculty of a university in Arizona. Meanwhile, EPA still does not have any one to take the job of assistant administrator tor research and development. The job has been vacant for some time now. CONGRESS HAS RECESSED FOR THE July A holiday without looking at-the Toxic Substances Control Act. Latest push for the conferees to meet on the bill will come when Sen. John Tunney (D.-Calif.) writes to the House conference members urging meeting on what he calls an important measure. WHILE DEBATE CONTINUES over worker exposure to vinyl chlorides (see story page 59), evidence is trickling out that VC coming from plants may be harm ing the health of downwind neighbors. New' statistics from Connecticut show two cases of people who died from cancer of the liver. Ihey lived in the vicinity of VC plants. Also reported were two deaths of workers who had only peripheral exposure to VC. One man was an accountant in a plant that produces PVC resins. Tne other man worked in an electrical products manu facturing plant. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TURNED THUMBS DOWN on the Environmental Protection Agen cy's request that Justice go straight to the Supreme Court to appeal the de cision allowing Reserve Mining Co. to continue dumping taconite tailings in Lake Superior. Justice told EPA that such an appeal to the high court would "almost certainly be futile," since key issues in the case need to be decided in the lower courts. FROM THE BUREAUCRACY IN ACTION DEPARTMENT: There's been some question over the safety of some electric tea kettles that might leach lead into the pot, but who has control over them? Well, the Federal government seems to have decided it this way: the Food and Drug Administration has jurisdiction over the inside of the kettle to control leaching, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has jurisdiction over the outside of the pot. BOR 014833 Afi'-'jjtc J uilh RM-'i v. r\. In:., P O. f'j\ JO'17, E vr Sl-t'-ir., S.I.cr pi:;.', *' . MO. (?.';! ) 5 E 7 * - >' O. it:'.'-, riyuen Ski rwi > t >: J-\ ii.o.u::. <j a, I'omi i; S'.p^r ye-'1 in .V.i oilier CO'.: t.'; (:.n .uu.Jt t ur r'.ni po't.'y-.'), M vil t ip! e copy us'es on n> U.n.'y E. kki: vr. Jr., d-.-.ncJs :v,-cr. Ail t i.tsv.I. r. j ~ > v.c.i.'n in a".) !ur:: v. -a; avvr I. w.'.ho'W -wyrv.-.. p.-rm.: ;k,n from t i'.-v pab-mher. July 1, 1974 V _> ^ jp* ^ g Jl ^ i * d wJ 4 W 4 m if i b v v * O * Pace OSHA HOLDS HEARINGS ON WuRKER EXPOSURE TO VINYL CHLORIDEo The Occupational Safety and Health Administration last week opened its hearings on standards for worker exposure to vinyl chlorides. The proceedings were in that sort of atmosphere peculiarly unique to public discussion in Washington of an issue that has gained emotional appeal and where many hard facts are not easy to come by. There was the almost filled hearing room: the glare of lights for the television cam eras; the claims and counterclaims; lawyers for industry trying to trap the government witnesses; industry public relations men scurrying around the hearing room and the,press room; the dramatic telegram disclosing new information; and underneath it all the droning voices of the scientific witnesses trying to report as unemotionally as possible the less than exact evidence that points the finger towards vinyl chlo rides as the cause of death to at least 21 human beings. The OSHA hearings, conducted by an administrative law judge, revolve around the proposal to limit worker exposure to less than any detectable level of vinyl chlo rides in the workplace. The plastics industry complained that the standard would be impossible to meet in the first place, ancf'if it were attempted, could cost as much as $90~billion in lost production and up to 2.2-million jobs. Even OSHA isn't so sure. Daniel P. Boyd, director of the Office of Standards Development told the hear ing that "I would like to emphasize while OSHA has proposed a specific standard con cerning vinyl chloride, we regard it as just that -- a proposal." However, it was also clear that the evidence is mounting that a low level of worker exposure to VC may be required. Boyd read a telegram from Dr. Cesare Maltoni, / director of the Institute of Oncology, Bologna, Italy, who has been conducting much of the leading research on VC. The telegram reads: "Our project on VC carcinogene sis includes 15 experiments, one now completely ended, other ones already with re sults, other ones started few months or few weeks ago. The up-to-date results indi cate that VC administered by inhalation produces in rats zymbal gland carcinomas, nephroblastomas, angiosarcomas of liver and other sites, skin carcinomas and probably hepatomas and neuroblastomas. Over 64 rats exposed to 50 ppm for 1 year we observed in the last 3 animals surviving 135 weeks from the beginning of the experiment 1 liver angiosarcoma, 1 mtrabdoroinal angiosarcoma and 1 nephroblastoma. Moreover in the same group a subcutaneous angiopericitoma was observed. None of these tumors have been observed on control rats. In mice VC produces angiosarcomas and angiomas of liver and of other sites, pulmonary tumors, mammary carcinomas and skin tumors. Over 60 mice exposed to 50 ppm for 7 months at the present moment, after 49 weeks of experiment, we have observed 9 mammary carcinomas, 2 liver fibroangiomas and 2 sub cutaneous angiomas. Only one lung adenoma was observed in one control mouse." Boyd then went on to'say that based on Maltoni's work, plus other work, "our present judgment is that VC is a carcinogenic agent." The plastics industry, which brought a parade of witnesses and had requested four hours to give its testimony, offered a substitute standard, presented by Anton Vittone, chairman of the society's VC monomer and PVC producers. Vittone is pres ident of B.F. Goodrich Chemical Co. The recommendations*, for PVC resin plants the standard by Oct. 5, 1974 would be 40 ppm of VCM, with levels above this requiring "the use of practical and effective respiratory protection." By Oct. 1975, the ceil ing would drop to 25 ppm, with levels above this requiring respiratory protection. For vinyl chloride monomer plants, the ceiling by this October would be 25 ppm, and by Oct. 1977, would drop to 10 ppm. Vittone questioned the ability to use animal data for determining the effect on humans. "We all must be aware of the inherent uncertainties of extrapolating from animals to humans," he said. However, earlier in the hearings this question received a slightly different slant. Dr. H.F. Kraybill of the National Cancer Institute, in answer to a question from the audience, said that there is a "high index of credi bility" in extrapolating data from rats to man. Kraybill, in his testimony, came down hard on the need to control VC. "If man responds to low level exposure to vinyl (Continued on following page) BOR Q14834 * July 1974 jp IbJ*. WH SLLi%} JaWLd J. Ease so CONTINUED chloride as has the rodent," he said, "a low level, continuous exposure of 50 ppm for man would have a high probability for inducing liver cancer." | Since the time it takes for the effect of VC to become apparent is quite long, the OSHA proposal calls for a system of recordkeeping of employe health. The pro posal now is for a 20-year recordkeeping period. However, during questioning, a spokesman for Ralph Nader's Health Research Group extracted from an official from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, William Lloyd, the prom ise that he would try and have the time period extended to 30 years. The plastics industry contention that $90-billion would be lost in production and up to 2.2-million persons would be thrown out of work by the standard was dis puted by a draft environmental impact statement on the proposed regulation. The plastics industry relied on the prestigious firm of Arthur D. Little for its in formation. The proposed OSHA impact statement, though, says that the standard "for the most part will likely cause a slight decrease in productivity and small increase in costs for the products made from vinyl chlorides." It goes on to say that most companies producing or using VC or PVC "will be able to absorb such costs, so that the economic impact will be minimal in these cases," however, for some firms, "sub stantial capital costs" may be incurred. Perhaps not too surprising, strong support for the standard was voiced by organ ized labor. Taking an extremely hard line, the Industrial Union Department of the AFL-CIO said it has concluded that the goal of no detectable level for VC "is both necessary and feasible," as was put by United Rubber Worker president Peter Bommartino, who presented the main labor position. He said that the nation is being "blackmailed" by management statements that the standards are not feasible and will mean an end to more than a million jobs. It is labor's position, he said, that the country has survived "for nearly two hundred years without polyvinyl chloride and we can survive in the future without it." He went on to say that if PVC cannot be produced and used safely, "then the proposed standard must be replaced by an orderly procedure to phase out vinyl chloride production and find substitutes for its prod ucts, or to phase out the products themselves," Opening up another front in the VC area were spokesmen for the nation's meatcutters. Ralph Ouattrocchi, safety director for the Amalgamated Meat Cutters/Retail Food Store Employees Union, alleged that hundreds and perhaps thousands of meatcutters are suffering from "neat wrappers syndrome." This is a malady which "afflicted workers who wrap meat and breathe the fumes emitted when the PVC film is cut with the hot wire." The disease, he said, "is characterized by breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, and dizziness." He acknowledged that to date tests run by NIOSH, New York's department of labor and others show that VCM is not in the decomposition of PVC meat wrapping film. How ever, he said, this does not mean that "the fumes generated during the process of wrapping meat contain no vinyl chloride." What it does say, he added, is that "with today's technology, none were detected." Also appearing at the hearing was Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, who reiterated many of his earlier statements on VC. Selikoff said that in view of the scientific evidence now being developed, "I suggest that the only prudent course for the prevention of hemangiosarcoma of the liver among vinyl chloride workers is to provide a work environment with no detectable level of vinyl chloride." Selikoff said he is "optimistic that we will be able to control vinyl chloride hazards" and that the use of PVC will continue to "flourish and expand." However, he added a strong constraint, saying that it is critical that "we eliminate health hazards associated with production of the monomer, its polymerization and the use of the polymer." He said he finds it unlikely that the previous "curious calm" about VC over the past years will continue. BOR 014835 J*ulv I. 1974 Tcw-v t rrjr * ; V *4# tkj^m ibl J IllWtlC. . OSHA ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR INFECTION OF VINYL CHLORIDE PLANT. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued policy guidelines ^or inspection of establishments where employes may be exposed to vinyl chlorides, guidelines apply to the temporary 50 parts per million standard issued by OSHA April. Under the policy, says OSHA, only qualified Federal or state industrial hygienists will run the workplace inspections. A citation will be issued when they find the employer has not monitored workplace atmosphere for exposure to VC. To conduct the monitoring program, the directive from OSHA suggests that employ ers select for monitoring at least 75% of the employes on each shift, and do the mon itoring on days when the maximum number of shifts are working. Employes selected for the monitoring should be representative of each operation in which vinyl chloride is manufactured, reacted, released, handled, processed, repackaged, sampled, analyzed and stored. *** MCA FORMALLY APPROVES NEW VINYL CHLORIDE RESEARCH PROJECTS The Manufacturing Chemists Association at fts annual meeting last month formally approved four new research projects looking into the relationship of carcinogenicity in animals from vinyl chlorides and the relation to humans. The projects, previous ly announced, will cost at least $400,000, says MCA, with more money probably needed to carry out test protocols. The projects include a study of animal metabolism; a study of teratogenesis; animal chronic inhalation studies at concentrations below 50 ppm, in an effort to identify a "no-effects" level; and an acute inhalation experiment where animals will be exposed to massive doses of material, as. might be experienced by a community ex posed to a transportation accident. The first two projects will be run by Dow Chemical Co., with the others con ducted by BIO-TEST Laboratories, which has been conducting studies for MCA under con- ract since Feb. 1, 1973. *** EPA GRANTS WASHINGTON STATE PESTICIDE DEMONSTRATION GRANT Washington State has been given $50,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency for a one-year pesticide enforcement demonstration grant. The grant, explained EPA assistant administrator for enforcement and general counsel Alan G. Kirk, is for "de velopment of a model strategy for protecting the health of farmworkers, applicators, and others occupationally exposed to crop fields treated with pesticides; and to en able state personnel to inspect pesticide producing plants and take samples in a way that will support Federal enforcement actions related to violations of the Federal pesticide law." *** GRANTS, CONTRACTS AND PROPOSALS --Environmental Protection Agency is negotiating vTith Standard Research Insti tute for a study to determine the effect of the interaction of oxidant and sulfate on production of lung lesions. The study, part of a continuing study, seeks to deter mine if sulfur oxide acts to enhance or detract from the effect of ozone. --EPA is negotiating with the American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C., for epidemiological studies of selected populations in defined areas for spec ific toxic substances. --National Institutes of Health has issued a request for proposals, now closed, for environmental control surveys. The surveys will be in approximately 120 labora tories where chemical carcinogens and/or hazardous biological agents are used or stored at NIH, Bethesda, Md. --EPA has issued a $74,627 contract to The Research Corp. of New England, Wethersfield, Conn., for a systems expansion and new capabilities development pro gram for compliance data system and hazardous air pollutants management system. END BOR 014836