Document YjoKOnYJREyNaJR3jmwkMM1oE

FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1971 DOC NMA180 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Wall Street Journal - Open Spraying of Asbestos Materials Would Be Banned by New EPA Standards Open SprayingSpraying of Asbestos Materials Would Be | Would Banned by By A WALL Street JournaJoulrnal Staff Reporter j WASHINGTON ~ Open spraying of as bestos fireproofing and insulation would be pro- hibited under new emission standards pro- New EPA Standards training of workers won't be needed Additional costs aren't anticipated for beryllium users but the mercury alkali plants will have to spend,,from0.8 to 0.9 of annual total posed by the Environmental Protection Agency _ The clean standards which cover beryl- products worth The figure for mines will be 2.5 to 3.6 the agency estimated At a briefing on the proposal Dale M. lum and mercury as well as asbestos also Slaughter chief of the EPA's hazardous pollu- would tants branch said the agency has been advised -Require Industry to use filters to clean any gases produced in the mining milling and manufacturing of containing matert by Industry that the additional costs mean the end of mercury mining in the U.S. However Mr. Slaughter argued that depressed mercury als and to eliminate visible emissions from cer- prices not environmental costs would be the . tain sources related to their operations real cause of such a development At present 1 -Set beryllium ceilings for extrac tion plants machine shops foundries ceramic plants propellant plants and incinerators that are designed to dispose of toxic substances These ceilings would limit emissions of the pal sonous metal to a maximum of 10 grams per : hour day or to the point that berylllum concentrations won't exceed an average 0.01 ml crogram per cubic meter of air for 30 days ot - Require rocket test facilities to ty keep concentrations of beryllium in the sur- rounding atmosphere within a ceiling of 75 ml crogram minutes per cubic meter of air accu- mulated during any two consecutive weeks A microgram minute is derived by dividing the weight of the material collected by the flow rate expressed in cubic meters of air per min tute The rule provides that the sampling must be done in not less than 10 minutes and not more than 60 minutes An EPA official ex- plained that the agency would require a not work of sampling devices set to collect for varying periods of time within this range ..Require mercury alkall plants | which produce chlorine and alkali caustic and j a primary mercury mines to limit emissions to the industry located in California Nevada and Utah consists of two large mines with fewer than 200 workers altogether plus 30 to 40 oneman and man mines In 1969 when mer cury prices were triple current levels 100 mer- cury mines were operating he noted The spraying ban would be tem- pered by the provision that spraying may be done indoors under conditions where the air that would be released to the atmosphere can be cleaned Beryllium users also would have the choice of complying with the hour maximum or the ceiling average over a day period Approximate3l0y0 machine shops ceramics plants propellant plants extraction plants and foundries could cause beryllium emissions But because the light metal's extreme toxicity long has been recognized the major portion of the Industry already has the emission controls needed to comply with the proposed standards the agency said For this reason and because beryllium trapped in air filtration de- vices has reprocessing value it said the stan dards are expected to have little impact on the industry The EPA said it will announce public hear- maximum of five pounds of mercury over a hour period , A The inhalation of asbestos fibers has been linked to a number of human diseases includ ing bronchini cancer Beryllium in high con- centrations can cause pneumonia diseases poisoning white mercury system disables the nervous Costs of Compliance Assessed ings on the proposals within 30 days and also is allowing 90 days for written comments Agency Looks to Further Limitations Earlier this year the EPA made final the maximum atmospheric levels of six major pol lutants Including particulates sulphur dioxido and carbon monoxide that will be permitted under federal control plans due to take el- fect in 1978 The greatest economic impact from the pro- In addition the agency is authorized by the posed standards would be felt by the nine as- Clean Air Act of 1970 to establish specific bestos mills processing domestic ores The source emission limits for toxic substances EPA estimated that their cost of complying The proposals announced Friday represent the ; will range up to 6.7 of the average 1860 sell first response to this mandate But the agency ing price of a ton of domestically produced as- now is looking into the possible need for simi- jhestos The average figure for all the mills tar emission limits on borne cadmium van- however only would amount to 0.0 the i i agency sald t Producers of asbestos products including cand floor tile reinforced friction materials paper cand textiles fave an annualized cost equal ta adium manganese and arsenic Dr. Vaun A. Newell EPA health effects director told the briefing One major source of borne asbestos mo- vehicle brake linings Isn't covered by the cand is 0.3 of the output product value according to the EPA This would result in an average product price increase of 0.3 with the most proposed standards However control of brake emissions being assessed EPA officials sald significant being 2.6 for asbestos paper prod- Sources of mercury in the air also not cov- nets the agency said ered by the proposed standards are fossil fuels The ban on sprayed asbestos would affect notably coal Dr. Newell explained that be- e only ten about 0.5 of annual domestic consump high stacks and even higher The EPA said that increased costs for smoke plumes distribute emissions from such beru> substitute materials will range up to % but sources quite widely the EPA beru>thera's { that { new spraying equipment and extensive re- little chance of them exceeding the ceilings JourJonuarnlal 05700nn 05700nn