Document dDnM9qBMJNxQLeOzVrYbkQ326

PRESS .QUERY COMPANY (OpUnit orCorporate): MIC SUBJECT: OCP at Sturgeon REPORTER &. MEDIA: Liz Forrestal, Chemical Week (314) 773-1867 TIME &.DATE: 5:00 p.m., July 18, 1979 QUESTION & RESPONSE: Reporter asked for background on the six Sturgeon OCP suits. A. As you know, we don't comment directly on litigation that has been filed against us. However, we have publicly said that we intend to defend ourselves vigorously against any and all suits arising from the accident at Sturgeon. For your background and not for_direct attribution to Monsanto Company, the approximately $250M generally reported is, of course, huge and represents aggregate claims against four defendents . . . not just Monsanto. The specific damages sought against Monsanto represent only a small fraction of this reported sum. Of that fraction, most of the claims are for punitive, rather than alleged actual damages (explained difference) . Q. The Boone County Court says five or six suits have been filed. Are you surprised? How many suits are there? Who is suing? A. We've seen the paper work on three suits. I'm not sure whether there are five or six. All that I know of have been filed in Boone County Court. All suits we are involved in are by Sturgeon area people. Another suit is coming from a man who was hired by Western Environmental Services, the clean-up contractor to the railroad. He is not a Sturgeon resident. Q. Who owned the OCP, I get conflicting stories on whether Monsanto or Reichhold owned the OCP. A. Monsanto owned the OCP. It was on route to a customer. SOURCE OF ANSWER F - Provorny C00S12 HANDLED BY: R. C. Isham r & Press. Query - OCP Page 2 April 1 2 , :1979 ^ * / Q.*J How dangerous is 31 ppt dioxin in blood? A. I don't.know, I'm not a physician. Why don't you ask the EPA? Source of Answer: Position book r x C M P A K Y (OpUnit or Corporate): MIC SUBJECT: Crude Orthochlorophenol REPORTER &.MEDIA: Mike Hollender, Radio KBIA in .Columbia (312) 882-7591 TLME &. DATE: April 12, 1979 , 11:20 a.m. QUESTION & RESPONSE: Reporter said since OCP contamination 'of ponds Sturgeon the EPA has started to draw blood and ' ne samples ox citizens . O. Did you know that? X C. F. Callis x J. R. Foehr X T. L. Gossage v> _ x . E. H . Harbison nr J. C. McPhillip J . S . Metcalf X R. G. Pier News Bureau J .T . Nolan J. E. McK.ee D. R. Bishop W. J. McCarv'ille W. R. Mulhall J. F. Hussey-Washington. D.C. S. Pickard^Vashinelon. D.C. X New York Public Relations Brussels Public Relations in MAP PR 2L MCI PR d--r d m s p n o "7 X MIC PR. G . Youna MPR PR MTC PR INT'L P R A.. `No. I knew the clean-up workers had been examined by the EPA., but not the citizens. Q. Tell me where OCP is used, how many people work in the unit, what health problems'do they have, do they wear protective equipment, how long aid we know there were dioxins in OCP? A. Answered from position book. Q. What inhalation studies has Monsanto done on OCP? A.. (Called back at 3:50 p.m.) Monsanto has manufactured OCP since 1937, and we have experienced no problems with the product from the beginninc. We know that workers in the OCP production unit can be exposed to OCP up to a level of one part per million (ppm) and there are no health problems. Almost immediately after the spill at Sturgeon, readings were taken by our own people at the area of the heaviest concentration at the tracks. The level was .085 ppm (or less than one-tenth of levels at the pl a n t ) . Therefore, v;e feel that there should be no concern bv the citi zens of Sturgeon as to possible inhalation problems. Since the clean-ur vapor levels have cone down dramatically. The problem is that OCP has an odor threshold" at a very, very low level. Q. Dr. Seifter from the EPA in Washington says clean-up workers were exposed to 31 ppt. What do you say about that? A. I'm surprised. Our analytical equipment only goes down to 10 ppb and we've got some sophisticated equipment. That's much smaller than I knev anyone could measure. Q. Kow could these workers be contaminated? A. They were in the heavy concentration during the clean-up and perhaps got burned with the OCP. Wallowing in the product without the richt protective clothing could have allowed them to absorb OCP through*" their skin. consdi :