Document Yy9QqZkBggX3Mm9Ld7r6nn4V

'Monsanto T,3",` D. P. Romaa-N2f March 21-, 1977 MICHIGAN COWS T O G. J. McEwan -- N3A G. F. Barton-BIND E. H. Harbison, Jr.-B3SA J. T. Hill-NIB R. C. Ishatn-BINB G. *L. Levinskas-A2SC M. E. Miller-B3SC R. G. Fotter-B2SB F. A- Provorny-B2SC L. G. Scharpf-N3A R. A. Stohr-B2SA P. A- Tierney-i?3A S. H. Vogel-1740 HSU has prepared research proposal Co study Che effects of pure and technical penta on cattle'. The proposal is attached. It will be modified to use Holstein cows Instead of heifers. The dose rate will probably be 0.1 mg and 1.0 mg per day. The cost estimate will no doubt go up. An addendum to the proposal was to have been made and'delivered to the Governor on March 18. MSU is looking for money from the state legislature, the EPA, FDA, and USDA. They would not feel tainted by AWFI money. At the moment, there is no money, and If anyone Is in charge, it would be the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) . The MDA is only an. enforcement agency. They realize that someone should be in.charge, but are not decided whether its Federal or State responsibility. The research proposal is attached as are more details, if anyone is interested. DPR:nk D. P. Roman M - It S t v . I'TJ 0014 tf25 ----- C18524 DETAILED REPORT' Oa March IS, 1977 there were four meetings held at Michigan State University to discuss the possible Pentachloropheno 1/Dioxin problem in some Michigan Dairy Farms The first vas a meeting in which 1 met with Dr. Robert M. Cook, Dr. Lee Shull and Dr. J. W. (Bill) Thomas from the Dairy Sciences Dept, and with Dr. Steven Aust from the Biochemistry Department. The second meeting was a closed meeting, the attendance list and the agenda for the closed meeting are attached. The last five persons named on the list did not attend the closed meeting. The third meeting included essentially all of those listed on the attendance list. This was too large a group to make any plans, so after adjournment at 5:30, an evening session was scheduled to include scientific types who could help come to grips with the problem. About 25 people attended the everilng session. A reporter from the Detroit Free Press attended the last two sessions. This report is an overview of the three meetings I attended. The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) conducted a survey of 1,050 herds in the state with residual polybrominated biphenyl levels (<0.3 ppm in tissue and/or milk). When the LeMunyon problem vas identified the state visited all 1,050 favos with a questionaire to find out how common the LeMunyon problem might be. Out of the survey, 100 herds had some type of problem. Upon further investigation the number vas reduced to 13, of the 13 apparently five have not cooperated with the state or are still in business. The other eight, including LeMunyon, were quarantined, the additional seven were quarantined on March 14, after pentachlorophenol was found in the blood of their cows. Six of the seven herds and their operators re: Dale Hice Cyril Spike Ernest Wankel William Suzeko Wm. Curtis Roger Bergeron Harley, Ml. Ovass o , Mi. Standish, Mi. Standish, Ml. Nashville, Ml Sterling, Mi. Attached is a map of part of the state showing the approximate locations of the farms. Except for two farms in Standish and one in nearby Sterling, geography is not a common denominator. All of the farms, except Spike, had FPB problems, only the LeMunyon herd vas destroyed. Currently, again with the exception of Spike, all have been having problems with dieing cattle, spontaneous abortions, and dieing calves. Penta has been found in the blood of cattle from all seven farms. All have fairly recently built penta treated b a m s . C18525 Ac least two o-f-the farms, and these have the most serious problems, had Mercury Vapor lights bn ^4- hours a day. There would be some U.V. light frog these lights, and there is some evidence that U.V. can torn octacklorodibenzoparadloxin (QCDD^ fr'nm p e n t a d Althouph'~the acute toxicity of OCDD i3 less than that of penta itself, OCDD can dechlorlnate, possibly to the more toxic lower chlorinated dioxins^ Some data that Bill Thomas said he had just gotten by phone was quoted in the evening session. He has not seen the report, would not tell who did the work or who sponsored it. In rats, 16 mg/kg/day .for sixteen weeks killed all the rats, and 100 Ug/kg/day for 21 days caused some liver changes. The Chairman of the afternoon meeting, D. R. Isleib(?), stated they were not working on the premise that penta is the cause of the problem, and that a cause and effect relationship had to be demonstrated. If penta is found in healthy cattle, a tolerance would have to be established. MSU has taped a statement* to answer questions of farmers that are concerned about potential problems of their own.. The text of the tape is attached. The state wonders whether there could have been a single bad batch of penta Involved in all the barns. There are a number of cool heads that think the state should not blame penta/dloxins and the real cause of the problem has not been identified. If the MSU study is funded, we have been asked to prepare an industry composite for testing. Dow and the FDA are-analyzing milk from the quarantined herds for dioxins, due date March 22. Dioxins havp been found in tissue and fat from cows in the LeMunyon herd. Attached is the data, and John Moores assessment of it. Moore is with NIEHS and is a member of the EPA's Science Advisory Board that is considering the implications *;f dioxins and dlbenzofurans in technical penta. D . F . Roman C18526