Document bB6JZQy7oO0m9J5kdw1XVb406

-a s# r <j * 4? / `* Firm Unable to Meet Vinyl Chloride Guides BY JOHN DURHAM Chronicle Science Writer Shinteeh, Inc., a petrochemical firm, has told the Texas Air Control Board that the company cannot, using current tech nology, reduce emissions of vinyl chlo ride at its Freeport plant as required by a board permit. ; However, the firm tbld the board it has developed a new process that promises to Significantly reduce discharges of vinyl chloride, a gas linked to liver cancer 'deaths in other parts of the country and ;in Europe. * Shintech's Freeport plant makes Jxriyvinyl chloride, a powdery substance Jused! to manufacture thousands of plastic products. Gaseous vinyl chloride is dis charged in the production of polyvinyl chloride. Roger Tower, permits supervisor in the air board's Houston office, said Thursday that the company has asked for permis sion to install a pilot plant to test the new process, called oxyphotolysis. "We're going to have to try to evaluate something we don't know much about," Tower said. Shinteeh last November received an operating permit from the board for the Freeport plant. The permit allowed dis charges of, 225' tons of vinyl chloride a year, but required the company to com plete by June 30 research on methods of reducing vinyl chloride emissions. The permit also required the control methods to be installed at the plant by Nov. 30, 1976. The permit was issued . 4 after the company told the air. board it needed a quick decision on its permit application to avoid refinancing a ban. Tower said the company last week sub mitted a report on its research conclud ing that vinyl chloride emissions at the plant cannot be lowered using available technology. The company said that the new oxy photolysis process could cut the emissions to 25 per cent of their current level, Tower said. The company, ne said, also promised to meet whatever standards the federal Environmental Protection Agency sets for vinyl chloride. The EPA is expected to publish proposed standards for the chemical later this month, Shinteeh wants to start a pilot oxypho tolysis program this summer and have the system completely installed by the 1976 deadline. Tower said. He said, "We have to determine wheth er this is an acceptable program. We're still looking at it. 'Hie emission level (proposed by Shinteeh) is probably satis factory. The question is whether they can make oxyphotolysis work." The air board staff will probably de cide in a week or two what action to take on the Shinteeh proposal, Tower said. (aj CtiVs v iA/) LL bo ucc 093811