Document bBbpV3GDRQ1EYzqO8XeqRBYr1

FILE NAME: Pfizer (PFIZ) DATE: 1971 Dec 13 DOC#: PFIZ058 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo RE Banning of Asbestos Containing Materials with Newspaper Article InteT'Office Communication MINERALS, PIGMENTS AND METALS DIV'N PFIZER INC. 836 NATIONAL BANK BLDG. TOLEDO, OHIO 43604 TO: FROM: RE: Roger Linnett - New York Harry E. Rourke - Toledo Banning of A sb e sto s Containing M a te ria ls D ecem ber 13, 1971 A tta c h e d is a copy of an a r t i c l e that a p p e a r e d in the D e c e m b e r 6th is s u e of the Wall Street Jo u rn a l, with regard to asbestos containing m a terials. As you know, K iln o is e may be c o n s id e r e d a p r o d u c t of th is type, even though the p e r c e n t a g e of a s b e s t o s is low. I think i t i s in o u r b e s t i n t e r e s t to continue to work on changing the Kilnoise form ula, particularly as it se e m s n e c e s s a ry to maintain the Canadian tunnel jobs which a r e going to require an increase in aooustical value (NRC factor). It is my understand- . ing that if we a r e to substitute m in e ra l wool for a s b e s to s and fiberglas yarn, a problem in bLending will be in shredding the m in e ra l wool fro m the compact package in which it is shipped. HER:jj end. cc: W illiam Stephenson, Bob Plantz Dave Brant, Eric Ratcliffe, Hank Bailey, A1 M a c h i n , I j! PFZ0235 'Open-Air Spraying of Asbestos Materials \Would Be Banned by Neiv EPA Standards 0--------------------------------------------- I jjy a W all Street J ournal Staff /reporter training of workers won't be needed. Additional i WASHINGTON - Open-air spraying of as- costs aren't anticipated for beryllium users, i bestos fireproofing and Insulation would be pro- but the mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants will ' hibited under new air-emission standards pro have to spend'from 0.5% to 0.9% of annual total posed by the Environmental Protection products' worth. The figure for mines will be Agency. 2.5% to 3.6%, the agency estimated. ( ; The clehn-alr standards, which cover beryl- At a briefing on the proposal. Dale M, ' Hum 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 tillers to clean by Industry that the additional costs' mean the any gases produced In the mining, milling and end of mercury mining In the U.S. However, manufacturing of asbestos-containing materl- Mr. Slaughter argued that .depressed mercury ;nls and to eliminate visible emissions from cer- prices, not environmental costs, would be tile | tain sources related to their operations. real cause of such a development. At present, . --Set beryllium-emission ceilings for extrac the Industry, located In California, Nevada and tion plants, machine shops, foundries, ceramic Uthtaanh,20c0onwsoisrtkserosf atwltoogelathrgeer, mpliunses3.0wtioth40feownee-r j plants, propellant plants and. Incinerators that jare designed to dispose of toxic substances. man and two-man mines. In 1969, when mer These ceilings would limit emissions of the pol- cury prices were triple current levels, 109 -mer Isonous metal to a maximum of 10 grams per cury mines were operating, he noted. 21-hour day, or to the point that beryllium con- The asbestos-spraying ban would be tem j centratlona won't exceed an average 0.01 ml- pered by the provision that spraying may be j j crogram per cubic meter of air for 30 days. done Indoors "under conditions where the air -! -- Require rocket-motor test facilities to that would be released be cleaned." to the atmosphere can 11keep concentrations of beryllium In the sur- Beryllium users also would have the choice ' rounding , crogram atmosphere within minutes per c.ubic a celling meter of of 75 mlair accu of complying with the 24-hour-day maximum or mulated during any two consecutive weeks. (A the ceiling average over a 30-day period. Approximately^! machine shops, ceramics ' microgram minute Is derived by dividing the plants, propellant plants, extraction plants and. I weight of the material collected by the flow foundries could cause beryllium emissions. But rate expressed in cubic meters of air per min- because the light metal's extreme toxicity long Hite.' The rule provides that the sampling must ;be -done In not less than 10 minutes and not has been recognised, "the major portion of the ' more than 60 minutes. An EPA official ex industry needed already has the emission controls to comply with the proposed stan plained that the agency would . work of sampling devices set require- a netto collect for dards," the agency said. For this reason, and ' varying periods of time within this range. because beryllium trapped in air filtration de vices has reprocessing value. It said tho stan -Require mercury-cell chlor-alkall plants, dards "are expected to have little Impact on which produce chlorine and alkali caustic, and the Industry." primary mercury mines tofllmit emissions to a The EPA said It will announce public hear j maximum of five pounds of mercury over a ings on the proposals within 30 days and also Is , 24-hour period. allowing 90 days for written comments. | , linkTehde toinhaalnautimonbeor fofashbuemstoans ldiibseerassehsasincbleuedn- Agency Book to Further Limitations . mg nronvhinl cancer. Beryllium In high con- Earlier this year, the EPA made final the i-i'tilnilinus vim cause pnoumonla-Ukc diseases, mnxlmum atmospheric levels of six major pol . while mercury poisoning dlsublea the nervous lutants, Including imrlteiil'nLc sulphur dioxide system. and carbon monoxide, that wilt be permitted Costs o( Compliance Assessed under federal-state control plans due to take ef fect In mtd-1975. : The greatest economic Impact from the pro- In addition, the agency Is authorized by the i posed standards would be felt by the nine as- Clean Air Act of 1979 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 i will range up to 6.7% of the average 1889 sell- first response to this mandate. But the agency : lug price of a ton of domestically produced as- now Is looking Into the possible need for alml- . j hi-stos. 'I'lic average figure for all the mills, Inr emission limits on nlr-bome cadmium, vnn- however, only would amount to 0.0%, the adium, manganese and arsenic, Dr, Vaun A, j i agency said. Newell, EPA health effects director, told the ! Producers c( asbestos products, Including briefing. ;floor tile, reinforced friction materials, paper One major source of air-borne asbestos, mo- :and textiles, (nee an "annualized cost" equal to tor-vohlcle brake linings, Isn't covered by the j *.*.:.- of the "output product value," according proposed standards. However, control of brake In the EPA. This would result In an average emissions Is "being assessed," EPA officials proilm-t' price increase of 0.3%, with the most said. -significant being J.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 only abuut 0.5% of annual domestic consump cause high stacks arid even higher-rising tion. The EPA said that Increased costs for smoke plumes distribute emissions from such uhriitule materials will range up to 150/0, but sources quite widely, the EPA Deii,.; thiro'.e j ilinl new spraying equipment and extensive re "little' chance" of them exceeding the ceilings. PFZ0236