Document a4j49Z7mwrLE2JZ2N3OLj0dVX

COPIED 9838 - 9842 May 31, 1974 Vi TO: E. W. Callahan W. S. Ferguson J. M. Ouinn W. P. Jochem T. I). Kent H. J. Wallurn J. Kaiser H. Shanahan P. Cornell (Attn. R. J. Curtis SUBJECT: Information For Use in Responses Resulting From EPA Announcement on Vinyl Chloride__________ At 10:00 a.m. today EPA, Washington, D. C., made a Press Announcement (copy attached) which is the opening step in their campaign on vinyl chloride. In the ensuing weeks they will charge industry with being derelict in its control. The attached statement is designed for use by the plant, community relations personnel, technical and manage ment personnel at Morristown site in the event of press inquiry. AJvF/jsp Attachments: (2) C- /) / u r v, Oto,..! A. J. (yon Frank 00009838 Vinyl Chloride - EPA Allied Chemical Corporation manufactures vinyl chloride monomer at its Baton Rouge location. We have operated in close accord with Governmental criteria on emissions of vinyl chloride with respect to both employee exposure and exposure of our neigh bors. jjitfe have reacted promptly to the change in direction by the Federal Government on worker exposure. Prior to April 5, 1974, the permissible ceiling figure of 500 ppm was the Federal occupa tional health standard. On April 5, OSHA reduced this standard to 50 ppm in the face of information supplied by industryTj Our plant testing indicates that^ levels in excess of the lower figure were hi*'!. S-e-ltJo1* --7'**'' r'J"-'LXr seldom experienced. ^ Af ty *7-*- , rAir Pollution controls for this chemical are a matter on whichj we have been working with the State of Louisiana and the Federal HPA for some time [under the broader title of reactive hydrocarbonsJ Th is activity^ culminated in a schedule of engineering work designed to eliminate emissions from all significant sources. /_This schedule --, 'rio-cf was sent^to the State of Louisiana and the Federal EPA on May 24. We feel that this extensive activity has been responsive to Governmental direction. We can find no evidence of exposure of the general public to hazardous levels. Careful examination of our water borne wastes reveals no detectable quantities of vinyl chloride. ASI 00009839 O FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE EPA Contacti Mr. Arsht (202)755-0496 Mr. O'Neill (20^755-0344 EPA Requests Vinyl Chloride Data From Manufacturers MAY 31--The Environmental Protection Agency has requested "process, emission and air quality data" from the 27 U.S. manufacturers of vinyl chloride a gaseous chemical, and polyvinyl chloride, a plastic derived from the gas. The information is being spught from 14 vinyl chloride and 35 polyvinyl chloride plants operated by these 27 companies. EPA said in letters to the manufacturers dated May 30, 1974, that the Agency is "gathering information for `possible use in the developmer of air pollution control standards for vinyl chloride in accordance with the Clean Air Act of 1970." EPA is now taking atmospheric samples near polyvinyl chloride and vinyl chloride plants to determine amounts of the gas present in the ambient air. The monitoring data will be available to the public as soon as it has been processed and verified. At present, no Federal air pollution control standards exist for vinyl chloride. The EPA request for information from the manufacturers covers three areas: -more- ASI 00009840 y- -2- Vt 1) Identification of emission points in the manufacturing process and the amounts lost from those points. The identification of emission control procedures that have been or could be instituted and an evaluation of their effectiveness arc also being sought. 2) Cost and economic data including the capital and operating costs for each emission control device or procedure. 3) Ambient air quality data which has been collected by the manufacturers near their plants. EPA is requesting the information under the authority of Section 114 of the Clean Air Act, which enables the Agency to develop data needed for standard-setting pursuant to the Act. Vinyl chloride ha3 been implicated in 19 world-wide cases of a rare but fatal form of cancer, angiosarcoma of the liver, among workers engaged in the conversion of the chemical t.o polyvinyl chloride. Similar cancers also have been produced in experiments exposing rats and mice to vinyl chloride. In both cases, exposure to vinyl chloride gas occurred repeatedly over extended periods of time. Today's action follows several steos already taken by EPA in an effort to protect the public from the potential adverse effects of vinyl chloride. -- February 14, 1974, Administrator Russell E. Train formed an internal task force to assess the overall environmental impact of the chemical. -- April 5, 1974, EPA notified the producers of all pesticides with aerosols containing vinyl chloride of the need to substitute another propellant. * ASI 00009841 i o -- April 10, 1974, EPA Regional Administrators were asked to assess the extent to which vinyl chloride is escaping beyond the confines of the polyvinyl chloride production facilities in their regions. -- April 17, 1974, EPA released the brand names of 20 pesticides containing vinyl chloride. -- April 24, 1974, EPA suspended from sale and requested a recall of all pesticide aerosols for indoor use containing vinyl chloride. Based on the April 5 notice and a follow-up of April 30, all of the manufacturers of pesticide aerosols containing vinyl * chloride either have substituted or are now in the process of substituting an alternate propellant. #ft# Companies contacted by EPA: Air Products Chemicals, Inc. ^American Chemical Corp. Borden Chemical, Inc. Continental Oil Diamond Shamrock Ethyl Cory. Firestone Plastics General Tire & Rubber n.F. Goodrich Chemical Co. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Great American Chemical Co. Hooker Chemical Kcysor-Century Corp. Monsanto National Starch & Chemical Co. Olin Corp. The Pantnsoto Co. of New York, Robintech, Inc. Stauffer Chemical Tcnneco Chemicals Union Carbide UniUoyal, Inc. Inc. Allied Chemical Dow Chemical Monochcm, Inc. PPG Industries, Inc. Shell Chemical ASI 00009842 MEMORANDUM DATE: SUBJECT: TO: September 9, 1974 ACS Handling of VC Fv'TTTBi ss inger fc. 4*. 1 : !' Note that ACS handling, of VCM will be a major issue at their Fall Meeting in Atlantic City that started today. I suggest industry keep the1 on them until we have clear indication of their response\&\ criticism on VCM - i.e.t change of policy. EWC/cm Attm. ACS/VCM file C-6 16-69) 0 E. W. Callahan ASI 00009843