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NEW YORK TIMES , June 26, 1974 Vinyl Chloride Exposure Limit Is Opposed by Plastics Industry By JANE E. BRODY Si*citl to The New York Time* WASHINGTON. June 25 -- This standard, according to Representatives of the plastics the industry plan, would be industry pressed today for a gradually reduced to a daily relaxation of proposed Federal average of 10 parts per million rules governing worker ex with maximum exposure of 25 posure to vinyl chloride, a parts per million by October, chemical that has been linked 1976. to 21 cases of a rare, fatal liver cancer. Industry spokesmen said that the proposed standard was medically unnecessary, tech nologically unfeasible and would lead to the loss of as many as 2.2 million jobs. At the opening of what is expected to be a long Labor Department hearing on the pro posed new standard of no ex posure to detectable levels of the widely used chemical, in dustry spokesmen clashed with representatives of labor and Government and university sci entists who testified that even stricter standards than those proposed must be implemented Somewhat stricter standards were proposed for workers en gaged in the synthesis of vinyl chloride, a sweet-smelling gas. But for those workers who fabricate polyvinyl chloride into any of thousands of consumer and industrial products, the in dustry said that no vinyl chloride standards should be applied. Scientists from the Nationall Institute for Occupational Safe ty and Health noted, however, that earlier this month two cases of angiosarcoma of the liver were uncovered in em ployes in fabrication plants in Connecticut. to protect the health of hun The plastics industry's posi dreds of thousands of American tion was outlined by Anton workers. Vittone, presiden of the B. F. The debate today illustrated Goodrich Chemical Company, the difficulties faced by the where the vinyl chloride cancer Labor Department's Occu risk was first uncovered last pational Safety and Health January. Mr. Vittone, chairman Administration in protecting of the industry's committee of workers in the face of industry vinyl chloride and polyvinyl opposition. Until the new vinyl chloride standard was proposed last month, the three-year chloride producers, said in his prepared statement, "The com mittee is unanimous in its posi-j history of Administration ac tion has leaned toward capitu lation to industry demands. tion that the proposed stand ard is not technologically feasi ble and, if adopted, would shutl down the industry." ! Emergency Limit Set Mr. Vittone said, "There is Currently, the industry is no data showing that exposure operating under an emergency levels as provided for underl temporary exposure limit of 50 the emergency standards arc parts of vinyl chloride per mil- not safe or of low degree of I lion parts of air, a level that risk." He noted further that the has been shown to cause angio rats exposed at 50 parts per sarcoma. a liver cancer, in million got cancer only after rats and mice in studies con- a life span equivalent to 80 dcctcd by industry and uni years in man. versity scientists. An industry news release Although scientists from the stated that later testimony National Cancer Institute testi- would show that enforcement ficd that there was no known of the no-exposure standard safe level of a cancer-causing could result in an over-all loss geagent, the Society of the of 2.2 million jobs. Plastics Industry proposed in Labor representatives decried prepared testimony an aver these statements as "black age daily exposure limit of 25 mail" that ignores "overwhelm-1 parts per million a maximum ing medical evidence." Peter; momentary exposure of 40 Bomniarito, president of the I parts per million, for workers United Rubber Workers Union, exposed to vinyl chloride in said that workers' lives were the process of transforming it more important than any; into polyvinyl chloride. product. BFG24382 23217095