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PRESS Xfb'xL'tig^^ -^ COMPANY (OpUnit or Corporate): MIC SUBJECT: TRACE LEVELS OF TCDD IN ORTHOCHLOROPHENOL REPORTER &. MEDIA: John Frank, Columbia Missourian (314) 442-3161 TIME &. DATE: February 16, 1979 -- 3:40 p.m. QUESTION & RESPONSE: Comment: The nature of the reporter's con tinuing questioning is that Monsanto knew TCDD was present in the OCP and that not testing our OCP reserve sample -until one month after the spill was an unconscionable act. X K . W. E a s l e y X News Bureau X J. T. Nolan X J .E . McKee ___ D. R. Bishop ___ W. J. McCarville ___ W. R. Mulhall _ X J. F. Hussey-Washington, D.C. _ X s . Pickard-Washington. D.C. _ X New York Public Relations ___ Brussels Public Relations __ MAP PR _X_ MCI PR `(J- Spano) _X_ MIC PR (G. Young) __ MPR PR ___ M TCPR INTL PR X J. R. Foehr X T. L. Gossage X E. H. Harbison X J. C. McPhillips X J. S. Metcalf X G. Roush Q. Harry Gilmer (EPA Region VII) says he never asked Monsanto to analyze the reserve sample of OCP, but rather to prepare two samples for EPA analysis. You said he asked you to test your product sample for TCDD Whose telling the truth? A. The sequence of events was that Harry Gilmer called Monsanto and asked if there were any TCDD in the OCP. We said no, we never found any. He asked us if we ever tested the product reserve sample from this shipment. We said no, we hadn't. Mr. Gilmer said, will you test your reserve sample for TCDD and will you prepare two samples .fc.r EPA evaluations. We said we would. We reported the trace TCDD levels in a phone call the p.m. of Feb. 9 and delivered two samples to the airport.on Feb. 10 for the EPA to evaluate. Q. Why did this one sample have TCDD levels and your other evaluations not show it? A. TCDD is a production impurity. Due to process variabilities, we' developed. tbe^TCDD. Vie are working to find where in the process the small amount got in and eliminate the contamination. (Vient into dioxin ubiquity from the position paper). C00S35 Pace 2 Q. Will you send me a press release when you find the problem in your .OCP? A.' There will be no press release. The contamination is at a miniscule level, just barely above what sophisticated analytical equipment can measure. W e 'll find the contamination and eliminate it. We're not concerned. Q. Your not concerned? A. No, this low level contaminant is no threat to the citizens of Sturgeon. `We haven't found it in the past and we'll work to eliminate it. Q. Has the EP-A asked for the health records of your workers in the Illinois plant that makes OCP? A. No. Q. It sure would be reassuring to the Sturgeon residents to know that .your workers at the plant, exposed over 40 years of production, didn't have health problems. A. I know of no health problems associated with our OCP production unit. If I can .get any facts on this, I'll get them to you. warren Easley reports from Washington that the EPA has asked the county health peopleto draw blood and urine samples from cleanup workers and a press release will be issued. Dr. Roush called Dr. Poole, EPA, and learned that in addition to blood/ urine samples from cleanup workers, the EPA has a list of 15 other things they might do. Steve uellineck will decide how many they will do. Attached is an interesting feature in the Feb. 12, 1979, CsE News on dioxins. Source of Anhver: Position Paper Handled by: R. C. Isham