Document dYoDOxXzw37yqGbqq6GNZbqd0

^ l nL * Virgil Christian Rite Friday For Liver Cancer Victim Service will be at 2 p m Friday for a third vinyl chloride worker at the South Charleston Carbide plant who died of a rare liver cancer attributed to vinyl chlor ide exposure. The rite for Virgil Marvin Christian, 61, of 714 Chestnut St.. Spring Hill, will be held in Snodgrass Funeral Home in South Charleston by the Hev Norbert Fisher Burial will be in Glendale Cemetery in South Charleston. Mr. Christian died Tuesday in the Na tional Institutes of Health at Bethesda. Md. He was being treated for angiosar coma. which is believed caused by inhala tion of vmyl chloride gas that is used to produce polyvinyl chloride plastics. He worked from 1943 to 1968 in the vinyl chloride unit oi the Carbide plant, during a " time when emission levels of the gas were much higher than they are today Two other workers from the unit pre viously died of the same liver cancer- Charles T Smart in IMS and Richard E Clendenin in 1974. Mr. Christian learned last summer he had angiosarcoma, and retired from Car bide Jan. 1 Last summer he said in a Dai ly Mail interview that he felt "no grudge against the company " He said that. 30 . years ago. workers ignored the smell of vi nyl chloride, "although you didn't breathe it too long or you would get high He was a member of the machinists un ion at the plant / / Surviving are his wife, Marguerite; son, Marvin; daughters. Wanda-at home. Mrs. Louise Racer and Mrs Selma Walker, both of Dunbar brothers Orin of St Al bans ami Donald of .South Charleston, sis ters, Mrs. Elsie Vance. Mrs. Mildred lait- shaw, Mrs Erma Fross and Mrs Vera Daoust. all of South Charleston,Mrs Opal Marsh of Miami. Fla., Mrs. Aubrey Sut- -- wUU | 04931 nhin of Winfield and Mrs. Thelma Forth of r v* Hurtldane - - i a V Rare Cancer Claims Ex-Carbide Worker 87 RICHARD HAM Dally Mail Bestoess Editor Virgil Marvin Christian, $1, the third former employe of Union Carbide's South Charleston plant to be afflicted with a rare form of liver cancer, died Tuesday in Beihesda, Md. At the time of his death, he wasa patient at the National Institutes Of Health, where he was being treated for angiosarcoma. Scientists believe there is a link between the liver disease and exposure to high con centrations of vinyl chloride gas. A 40-year veteran of Union Carbide. Christian worked in a section of the plant producing vinyl chloride between 1943 and 1968. At the time of Christian's employ ment in the unit, vinyl chloride emission levels were far higher than they have been since concern over the angiosarcoma link developed in 1974, Carbide officials said Early in that year B F. Goodrich Co. re ported to federal health officials that sev eral employes at its Louisville, Ky ., plant were afflicted with angiosarcoma. Follow ing this incident. Union Carbide reviewed its employe health records and found that one former worker -- Charles T Smart -- died of the disease in 1968, and a second victim -- Richard E. Clendenin -- was se riously ill. Clendenin died in July, 1974. Carbide has not produced vinyl chloride at the $outh Charleston plant for several years, but continues to use the gas to prod uce polyvinyl chloride plastic. Part of the latter operation, however, is scheduled to be phased out by the end of the year. A plant spokesman said Carbide is in compliance with new federal emission standards which went into effect April 1. VIRGIL CHRISTIAN Worked With Vinyl Chloride Christian, who resided at 714 Chestnut St., South Charieston. discovered he had angiosarcoma last June, following a rou tine blood test. He officially retired from Carbide on Jan. 1. Interviewed by the Daily Mail last sum mer, Christian expressed confidence that the disease had been detected in time for effective treatment. "Sometimes I've had my ups and downs," he said at the time. "A person al ways thinks, `It can't happen to me.' " "I started at Carbide in 1936.1 have no grudge against the company. Thirty yean ago, this (the gas) was no more than steam would be. That's all we thought about vinyl chloride, although you didn't breathe it too long or you would get high." During his stay at the National Insti tutes of Health, Carbide encouraged Chris tian's co-workers to call Mm on company telephones. "I shook everybody up when I got it (angiosarcoma),'' Christian said aid lari summer, but be added that he ap preciated the phone calls. Surviving: wife. Mrs. Virgil (Peggy) Christian; son, Marvin of St. Albans; daughters. Miss Wanda Christian of Sooth Charleston, Mrs. Louise Racer of Dunbar, Mrs. Selma Walker of Dunbar; brothers, Orin of St. Albans. Donald (Sam) of South Charieston, sisters. Mrs. Elsie Vance of South Charleston. Mrs. Mildred Lotahaw and Mrs. Erma Frou of South Charleston, Mrs. Thelma Forth of Hurricane. Mrs. Vera Daouri of South Charleston, Mrs Au brey Sutphia of Winfield, Mrs. Opal Marsh of Miami, Fla. Fnrmh may call Thursday from I to 4 pm. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Snodgram Funeral Home, South Charleston. I"people are mare important than comput ers." He also said an NBC analysis showing V strong labor support for Carter, although 2. Udall had endorsements from union lead ers, showed that "what really counts is the vote of workers, not the endorsement of the leadership." Both; Carter and Jackson said their vic tories "gave them a psychological advan tage. Carter said the Wisconsin contest also was "a psychological disadvantage to Mr. Udall" since he has not yet won a primary Jackson said. "The real significance of New York is that New York is the epitome of the political effort and ... winning in New York carries with it a tremendous psychological impact ... This is what we planned. We can argue one or two dele gates, it doesn't matter. We were on tar get in this state." Pollster Louis Harris, in an interview on the ABC show, "Good Morning America," said the results showed that "Mo Udall. is still a bridesmaid." He also said the outcome might help Humphrey. "By not getting into the fray, he seems to be doing magnificently." Har ris said "there were a lot of survivors and no winners" in Tuesday's elections. "There is no front-runner in the Demo cratic party." 'You t Man-On-Tht By ROBERT KELLY Of The Dally Mall Staff JpT Party lines define sentiment about yes terday'! State Supreme Court ruling which denies a third consecutive term to Gov. Moore. Hours after the announcement of the court decision, an informal survey con ducted by the Daily Miil in downtown Charieston showed 76 per cent of those queried in agreement with the ruling. This grot? included 10 Democrats, one Repub lican and one Independent. General disagreement was expressed by four persons (two Republican, two Demo crats) Sixteen persona--the first 16 willing to voice their opinions--responded to: "What do you tMnk of the decision?" "It's proper You've got to live by the roles," said Lee Porter, 31, of 4115 Wash ington Ave., 1 construction worker and Democrat. "Mqore's got a Napoleonic complex. He thinks he's bigger than life itself, it's about time someone brought him down," Porter added With few exceptions, respondents brushed aside legal arguments and direct ed their comments to Moore, rather than the court decision, and the result was a popularity context. "It didn't matter to me 1 don't thtok be could have been re-elected anyway Jay UCC 104932 jtv ci inti inc Uv|uuei.icms lor 7a per rent rt.i*?. funding from Ei'A ^" r Mayor Hutchinson commented that the bad part was that about *2 5 million in lo- , DEMONSTRATING his style, Eddie Keeling flings a tightly rolled Gazette while sitting as tride Star, his pony. (Gazette Photo by Lawrence Pierce) cal funds would still be necessary. Jerry Thompson, treasurer for the board, said the board will have to decide whether to spend the expected *422,000 Da linai that reimbursement from PA on additional pent sewer lines or plant improvements On 2-Mile Route Gazette Delivery Belle Bank's Assets Hiked Tl ary agei tur. com enti cept Depends on PonyJi The First National Bank of Belle increased its assets by M i 44 per cent in 1973 and operat ing earnings by 76 per cent ued mat after taxes, said President they William H. Moore. The Gazette is being delivered in Dun bar by a pony express of sorts. The pony is a 16-year-old Shetland named Star. The rider is 12-year-oid Eddie Keeling, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Keeling of 222 Midway Dr. Eddie's route covers two miles. It would take him about three hours to travel that distance, he said, if be were walking. But he doesn't walk. At.6 a m. every morning, he delivers his papers astride ol' Star. "It only takes me an hour or an hour and a half that way.'' he explained. Eddie Has a small route, only IS cus tomers. But before he became interested in being a Gazette carrier, there wasn't a route in his neighborhood at all. Last summer, he called the Gazette cir culation office and received the authoriza tion to start a route. He's been at it since then. A seventh grader at Dunbar Junior High, Eddie makes good grades even though he's up and working bright and ear ly each day. On the latest report card, he got three A's and three B's. On weekdays, he rides bareback. But on Deposits during the year grew by 43 per cent while the bank's investment portfolio rose to *41 million, Moore ex plained. Earnings per share rose to *9.04 in 1973, up from $5.08 in 1972. Gi SOU civil ed u Th than State's Aid; Pay Raises Sundays, the heavier papers which be car ries in a hag around his neck, tend lo throw him off balance. So be uses a saddle on Sundays. "I'd like to build up the route," be said, "and have even more customers." Topic of Me By Edward Pt , ButUttuiLabor E> For County Workers Eyed Rare Cancer Gov. Moore and other public officials state will hold an all-day meeting today with 10 meet federal regional directors here on revenue Ah sharing in the new federal budget. main Moore will be joined by 60 otter elected ing, officials, including mayors from the tary Affects OneKanawha County employes appear to be state's largest cities and county court er no members, to discuss federal money ex- "Th in line for a 5 per cent pay raise in fiscal 1974-75. Court President Dewey E.S. Kuhns said Thursday that he and other county com-' missioners are obligated to give serious At Carbide Carbide has reviewed the records of 725 peeled in July for job training, housing and succe.- otter state programs. dropoi Federal regional directors represent tbe develo major U. S. departments and will talk dropou about programs and money overseered by The consideration to across the board pay rais employes and former employes who have these departments under what tbe Nixon will cc es "I don't see bow we can avoid it," he said. * worked with vinyl chloride monomer and found only one employe who had angiosar coma, a rare type of cancer that affects the blood vessels of the liver, the company administration calls "new federalism." It seeks to decentralize federal aid and put it at the disposal of stale and local communities for them to decide how best to for tl This | opme West KUHNS POINTED out that the county said Thursday. use it. person court legally can't dictate raises to county This employe died in 1968 and had fare r employes. Instead, he said, the court only worked in poly vinyl chloride production in WEST VIRGINIA and the rest of the can increase allocations to other county South Charleston from 1944 to 1962, the states will share *167 billion earmarked MO officials who in turn decide on which em company told the National Institute of Oc in the 1975 national budget for job training CET/ ployes receiv^taises and how much they cupational Safety and Health in Washing receive. ton. DC. and economic development under the new more Comprehensive Employment and Training and ir t Commissioners will begin next month Carbide made the study after B.F. weeding through budget requests from Goodrich said a number of employes who Act (CETA), J. B. Archer, regional direc- der ai tor of the U. S. Labor Department, ex- Arche county officials. Kubns said that as of worked in the polymerization of vinyl plained Thursday. Ing to Thursday, only a few requests have been chloride had died of the disease. This employment program replaces var- "Sts filed. Generally, they are requesting 5 per Carbide will continue to review U& re tons job and manpower programs funded crank I cent increases, be said. cords of employes to see if there are any by the federal government during the war raech. i t "We can't penalize county employes be other indications of a connection between against poverty in the 1960s. "What we are tamed cause they work in government," he said. exposure to vinyl chloride polymers at trying to do is to be more effective and el- He t. "They have to meet inflation just like ev South Charleston and Texas City, Tex., ficient," Archer laid. "We have no more the oil eryone else." ^ plant** the company said. categorical programs, but we suggest that ol ybe UCC 104933 JQrf (Please Tara to Page 1A, CM. I> kV.vM ist Office i Resumed dered the Postal Service to follow its own rules in future actions. The Postal Service announced that its program of closings resumed Friday eve ning, but a spokesman said he knew of no immediate closing announcements. * POSTAL OFFICIALS had argued that not being allowed to close the offices will cost them 15.500 a day. The ruling means that in order to dose a post office the Postal Service will have to conduct a survey of mail users affected and provide a 90-day notice of the closing. Two associations of postmasters and a group of congressmen had argued that the law prohibited the closing of small post offices. When a rural post office is closed, rural delivery routes are extended or a local cit izen is given a contract to operate a com munity post office. Since last July 1 the Postal Service has closed 196 post offices for an annual saving of nearly 12 million. Some 600 other offices are being studied Opponents of the closings had argued that the law prohibits the closing of un profitable offices merely for economic reasons. "Congress wanted service in this area rather than efficiency," said Isaac N. Groner, a lawyer for the opponents. But John K. Villa, attorney for the Post al Service, said the agency uses other cri teria besides economccs in deciding whether to close small post offices. For example, the Postal Service is more likely to close a small post office if there is another office in the area, he said. < r*1 NOT TOO THRILLED with the appearance of a presidential candidate is 10-montb-old Renee Rosen of Miami Beach, Fla -- and Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Shapp finds he's not having too much tuck with the voters either. Shapp, campaigning for Tuesday's Florida primary, ran last in his previous primary fling. (AP Wirephoto) Vinyl Chloride-Birth Defects Area Subject of Health Probe By Jaae E. Brady (*) Num IM Thm Smkt NEW YORK--The National Center for Disease Control is studying a second re gion of the county where exposure to vi nyl chloride from a chemical plant may be related to a higher than expected rate of birth defects among children born in the area. The region is Charleston, W. Vs.. where during the four years from 1910 through 1973, S3 children were bom with defects affecting the central nervous system. Thirty-one such cases were expected for toe regigp during that time period, accord ing to the normal national incidence of these defects Just south of Charleston is the home, since 1931, of a Union Carbide plant where toe gas vinyl chloride is converted into the plastics polymer, polyvinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride was found two yesra ago to cause a fatal liver cancer among exposed work ers in the chemical plants Since then, it has also been linked to m increased risk of cancers of the brain and lungs. A YE^l AGO, Dr. Peter F. Infante. then with the Ohio Deportment of Health, uncovered an unusually high rate of birth defects generally, tnd central nervous system defects in particular, among chil dren born in three Ohio communities where polyvinyl chloride polymenation plants are located. The finding suggested, but did not prove, a causal link between vi nyl chloride and the defects, since large amounts of toe chemical can enter the air around plants. The Center for Disease Control in Atlan ta. a part of the United States Public Health Service did its own study in one of (Pico|r Turn la Page tA, ^ai I) l\. l-u. UCC 104934 lUOf P'es , lofol *<*u, *iegr 'u*u ttex rOj o. jj 104935 j*the relief Conly slight. and* "niere pittance,., ,, Rollins said a famil/6f two with anneal ;vincome o{ $5,040--the minimum wage ? Gov, Moore recommended for state em ployes--would save only 41 cents a week. i-A family of two with an .000 income, he said, would save 31 cents a week, or 33 .cents a week if the income was $10,000. If O'the income was $15,000. he said the sav'* ings would be SO cents a week, or $46.38 a year. Del. Charles Polan, D-Cabell, alio op; posed the bill, because he said, revenue % collections this year would be about "dead even" with expenditures, and nest year. ;* the expenditures would be higher than the I income. The problem, he said, in West Vir- ginia. in addition to inflation, is "we re -' trying to make up for 50years of neglect." I; Polan cited bad roads that needed money, for repairs. He said it would be a fraud on the taxpayers to give relief this year, and have to raise taxes next year. ^ Voting against the bill were: Allen. D*. Wyoming; Arnold D-Lewis: Ballous. DC; Wetzel; Brenda. D-Hancock: Brown. D% Preston: Bryan. D-Barbour: Burke. Chafin. D-Mingo: Christian. D-Mercer: Crab> tree. D-Wayne, Dalton, D-Lincoln: Diasmore. D-Monongalia; Fitzgerald. D^ Jackson: Hagedom. D-Monongalia: Johnson. D-Kanawha: Long. D-Braxtoo: Mathis. D-Logan: Miller, D-Roane. Milieson. From Page One Area the three suspected OUo communities and found no evidence to support the link. However. Infante, a specialist in epide miology. said there were several metho dological errors In the center's study that could account for its negative findings. Larry D. Edmonds, the center epidemiolo gist who did the study, said in an interview that his findings did not role out the possi bility that exposure to vinyl chloride in the general environment might cause birth defects. "The question has not been resolved-- that's why we're doing this second study in Charleston," Edmonds said. T IN THE CHARLESTON study. Edmoods and his colleagues will try to inter- ' view the parents of all the children born with central nervous system defects to ;? learn where they worked and how far they lived from the vinyl chloride plant, partic7 ularly during early pregnancy. ; Infante, who now works for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and ' Health, said, "We are extremely con; ceroed about the public health consequ- ences of vinyl chloride." .- In addition to birth defects among the C general population living near vinyl chlor* tde plants. Infante has studied the results - of pregnancies among the wives of vinyl * chloride workers. In a report to be pub; lished in the British journal. The lancet. - Infante states that he found a two-tothree!-foid increase in the rate of stillbirths and ' miwwfiages among the wives of vinyl **re when compared to a "--OtOC- cause of sex. or rcui,.. lending of money. Senate Rejects $15 Million Malpractice Promised M.U. Amendments Med School The State Senate voted down a mass of amendments to a medical malpractice bill Friday night and prepared to pass it today. Senators rejected major amendments that would have cut premiums in half and held lawyers' fees to one third of the net claims awarded.. The main thrust of the bill, as it will come up for a vote today, puts West Vir ginia in the business of providing the in surance. The legislation would establish a ninemember medical malpractice insurance corporation. All doctors and hospitals in the state would be required to participate in an insurance plan prepared by the cor poration^ Doctors would be divided into three classes for premium purposes. Those who perform no surgery would pay an annual premium of $1,100 a year. Doctors en HUNTINGTON - Marshall Umversit wilt be getting $15 million from the Veto ans Administration to develop a medic school, The funds will be paid over a seven-ye period, beginning July I. That init amount Is expected to be $3.8 million will be used to begin employing the fact., and installing equipment. ft. Hie funding came about because I shall received a reasonable assuranr accreditation by a joint committee 4 American Medical Assn, and the Ass tion of American Medical Colleges, the initial money the school hopes b provisional accreditation that will t the school to accept students for 8 term of 1877 Hie Marshall Medical School wif filiated with the Huntington V.A. IV gaged in minor surgery would pay $2,400. Surgery specialists would pay $0,000. The Charleston Gazeti Hospitals would participate at the rate of $100 a bed. Other health care profes sionals could participate on a voluntary Marta *1 ucaaa (Mat awear si IM Wi CXartMMA. W v* unaar tM act M aura (CtfaUMMS IOT) neIMw*MfcIaMuWiitr OyanrsactrsOttMc vaCtaauatufttirOMx* vrehla *1. X, CnsiisstofV w. Vs. JHl. SUSSCtlWTIOM RATES (Mr *Mk IvnSsr Ottawa * ma* Senate Roy Rogenon, said the main reason for any failure of the EEE has been the fail ure of the legislature to appropriate ade quate funds. Activity in the Senate Friday ranged CM* Vaar < Waakal___ ,,_______ Sla Manila 111 Waakt)-------------- --- 1 Tvaa MaatH (I) vaaaul......... ........1 ri*a Waaa*.--....................--........ aaw wrski ................ ..... Ona Waaa ...........-..................... Daily OWy Oaa Vaar (WWaaatl.............-- Sana Mantftt (MWaaatl.............. Tliraa aaaaWit (t! Waakt)......... WA* Waakt................................ saw waakt................................ from the big electric power bill to bow and titn Sy Mat arrow legislation. WaaM laaaa 1 S dSSwwSiSa?A bill passed 31-1 and sent to the House would require delivery of any deer killed rial by a bow and arrow to a conservation offi cer (or checking purposes. fSs=. MODERN HUNTERS have been known to kill a deer with a gun, then insert an ar- ,, row hi its carcass `j -"4- OsSy 0*1- , Other bills passed and sent to the House i would create a state fire commission and (, the office of emergency medical services j Both new units of government would be coordiutlng agencies in keeping with their titles. <1 Action was delayed on a bill that, tents- !< Wwdat iMh 1 Awy Op (Ww w [ OsSy* lively, would provide for distribution of shout $2.3 million in coal severance tax coliections to the state's 324 municipal!ties. It's understood that a move will be '" 'j >< '* made today todivide this money among ci- >1 ties and countief s SrMA MMI mV in* I Albertaai* Speak* aw hm 11Mown- West Virginia Department of Com merce Commissioner Ralph D. Albertazxie will speak at an informal luncheon pro WmllllWIU SiAycaawwMrni*eWMt rwuOmowk*mrn gram beginning 13:30 p.m. March u at a mMiww) m rwiw meeting of the Pairs and Spares Retired MO nun tmm> Wr yw ctrrWr People's Club in the Baptist Temple. Mor- CWUAW0 Aovtrdrowuon Dn and Quarrier streets. \* AS 0w Oswsr UCC 104936 rope 2 tfATWwHA VAHWCJSftWBJir January 9, lfrtb AT SOUTH CHARLESTON Dispersion Resins Shutting Down People You Know Carbide announced this week that we are shutting down our vinyl dispersion resins unit at the South Charleston plant by the end of the year. The facility is located In Building 190 on the Island. About 60 employees are involved and they will be reassigned to other opera tions when the shut-down is completed. The decision to discontinue vinyl dispersion resin production Is based solely on an analysis of our commercial position which indicates that to remain in this business is not justifiable. The unit has a capacity of 40 million pajjnds a year which Is less than 10 per cent of the domestic industry capacity. Instead, Carbide has decided to con centrate its support efforts on solution and suspension vinyl resins in which we have a strong market position. Additional capital will be expended for these opera tions. Carbide Is an Industry loader in solution vinyl resins which are produced by a unique solvent polymerization pro cess at both South Charleston and Texas City. These are widely used for solution coatings in cans, house siding, paper, cloth, and high performance maintenance paints. We also produce a broad line of sus pension vinyl resins in o modem produc tion unit at Texas City. These are used in such applications as piping, floor tile, and extruded cellular moldings. Carbide pioneered and built the first commercial unit for the production of vinyl resins at South Charleston in 1930. Ladies' Fitness Class Has Room For You Ladies........ it won't be long before thrt U. r. 1 '* MORE PRODUCTIVE TIMES.........This night shot, with lights reflecting irf the Kanawha River, shows our Vinyl Disper sion Resin Unit (Bldg. 190) on Blaine Island at the South Charleston Plant. Carbide announced we will be phasing out our Dispersion Resins business by the end of the year. New Shift Supervisors Our Distribution Fleet Operations Group has announced the promotion of three employees to Shift Supervisors at their new Privote Trucking Operations located West of the Institute Plant. The AmorIcan Cancar Society offering another of their "STOP SMOKING* Cltntci at Spring Hilt Junior High beginning at 7 pm on January 15th. If ystu are interested contoct the Society at 343-3409.... .R and D's HUGH DAVIS will be teaching a course on "Energy Resource Planning and Management Problems" at the Gnaduote School here this Semester.........It will meet on Tuesdays from 7-10 pm.......... Employ ment's WILMA RUDOLPH leaving Carbide to tales a fob with the United States Olympic Committee. She will be helping promote the 1976 Olympics......... Distri bution's RON TEUFEL transferring to our Dallas Field Office as Customer Service Manager.... .Oldest retiree posses away...TOM GOODRICH, oged 90, died in St. Peteisburg, Florida, on November 26th. An Architectural Engineer, he joined the Peoples Light Gas and Coke Company fn 1911. Officials of this Company were the prime organ!zeis of Union Carbide. At the lime of his retirement In 1952, he was Manager of Real Estate for Chemicals. His son, DONALD GOODRICH, Is a Product Distribution Coordinator with our Distribution Department here.................. Engineering's BOB PROFFITT off to Sarnia as Assistant Construction Manager for' the Polyethylene Project there.....WEST VIRGINIA dropping out of the Top Ten. Recent figures released by the Treasury Department showed that The Mountain State wasn't even ranked in the "Moonshine Stills folded" Category during the past yeor. What it going to happen to our image in New York?........ Our Home ant and Auto Products Division announcing that Carbide it phasing out Synthetic Motorcycle Oil products.........Talk about inflotionl In Canada, estimated cost of the PETKOSAR Petrochemical complex has risen 1128 million since last May. The total is now S570 million. Work is on schedule and the olefins units ore due onstream by March, 1977. Partners in the project include UNION CARBIDE CANADA, DUPONT of CANADA and POLYSAR.........Excitement in the New York Office. Our big City correspondents report that a streaker hit the 42nd Floor this week.........R and D's PAULA GUERRANT taking a Leave of Absence to work on a Secretarial Science degree at West Virginia Tech.........Want to find out whot's going on In the Legislature when It convenes next week? Call ; 346-6905. For those out of the Charleston area o toll free number.. ,1-600642-6650.. .has been set up.........SALLY GOEDECKE of our C and P Communico; tlons Deportment one of several women honored by the New York YWCA In their "Salute to Women Business Luncheon" recently.........L. F. COOPER and E. E. GRINSTED of Tech Center Services off to Seadrift for 12-24 month as signments as inspectors on the expansion projects there......... Bill Starr Promoted Bill Starr has been promoted to En gineering Assistant with the NERP Group (Northeast Regional Project Group). He reports to Paul Bama in this assignment. Bill ioined -----Computer Mov s ( Continued from Page i ) After these moves ore completed, the Computer Center's Aids Support Group will move down to Institute from Building (9- THE CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE PAGE ^ A 60 Carbide? / ^ | Workers Affected | By Unit Shutdown'* Aboutjrorters will be affected when 'the Carbilk 8wrth Charleston plant phase* ,eut its vtjtyl dlspenslon resin unit by the , end of the year, * Earlierreports thls'week indicated that as many aa 300 workers might be affected. The estimate was based.on the number of workers who were examined last year at the plant for angiosarcoma, a rare canco- of the liver. Doctors attribute this disease to vinyl chloride, a raw material used in the vinyl dispension resin unit t The company said, however, studies showed that Continued operation of the unit could no longer be justified from a business standpoint. I Employes affected by the shutdtwn will be given other job assignments, a spokes man said. UCC 104937 THE CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON QAEETTE DATE Ml.?-U4 PAGE______ -J O MV 12A Cftartciton Daily qgat! Tutyevt. jan.6. 1976: 1Z5SF? '--------------------- l c xn Doom For Carbide's Polyvinyl Unit By ROBERT KELLY Of Tbe Daily Mail Staff Federal environmental regulations ap parently sealed the fate of a 33-year-old polyvnyl chloride (PVC) pro duction unit at Union Carbide's South Charleston plant. Company officials announced this week that the vinyl dispersions resfai unit will be closed by Dec. 31. 1VK. because it could no longer be justified economically. coma. a rare form of livertctocw. . There have been three Otto* onq^bi- arcoma among vttyl chloride workSKat Sooth'Charleston. Tbe link shown tfgere and at othw P.VC plants prompted fedgfnl agaides to impose emisstfei regulations oo PVC production. y la rarly as last May, plant officials at South Charleston said the ttfleral regula tions might spell doom foMKe dispersions resin unit, which began operation in 1*0. with great difficulty in thepipping oper ation." Wheeler said last year oo Miner- on occasions. Use residual monomer^riWVmfTCBior- ide, is the subttance which is believed to cause angiosarcoma. In the dispersion res in process, in all PVC production -- only trace amounts of vinyl chloride remafc in the final product ^* "The Environmental Protection Agen cy. fortunately, has relax*! ito pouibon on In a speech delivered repeatedly to con emiasteions slightly in providing a separ- About GO employes will be affected. cerned Union Carbide customers following ate standard for dispa-sicn resins." Whee- They will be transferred to other parts of establishment of the angiosarcoma-vinyl ler told customers, the plant, a spokesman sahL chloride link. Nick Wheeler, a company of "Prior to this ebange, I would forecast Two other PVp prediction processes ficial. said "The (dispersion resin) pro complete disappearance of the Industry. will not be affected'. FVC. used for a varie cess has major regulatory problems." Now. there is a good possibility that this ty of products from phonograph records to "The batch reactors must be cleaned resin will survive EPA," Wheeler said. fiaor tile, is made from vriyl chloride, frequently. Because of the foamy tature His original prophecy for South Charleston which doctors say may cause angnear of the latex, residual monomer is removed has come true. , d h m ^ bi M ^ ^ Ucc 10493a Tuendov, Jon f>. m7(i The Charleston Gazette 7A MvA-u, cmm Tpf.u _, Vinyl Facility * !* shut Srti It* vinyl dispptiottryftn unit by the enul theyear, a Company spokesman conflrmad Monday. . vr ReporU have been circulating that the unit will be phased qpt. It uses vinyl chlor ide. an afent that iMpn say causes an- giosarcomp, a -rtre eAcerof the liver. But the1dprnpanyjsaid the'decision to close the Mraam;fi based on I study that indicated fnbopeiration could nhlonger be justified trocO-a business stanAdlnt. Workari'a/Tected will be rnaasimiil to ed that the number was mere then 300 on the basis at vinyl chloride wMten exam ined last year at the plant (or angiosar coma -The Sooth-Qwrlestoo vinyl-dispersion resin facilities have an annual production capacity at 40 million pounds, less than 10 per cent at the total industry capacity in thifpowsto. thefpokesman explained. t^pdnejfar* primarily used for plasti- soM antygontes in coatings, adhesives, ple<* Wfas and sealing compounds for food containers. Carbide will continue the solvent vinyl, saspension and nonsolvenLcesin business et, the spoteumaw said. ,flfr company Is UCC 104939 THE CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE -< ^J^Wayueitoler : Tkt AmcmuA Prm (Tin M Pafc U, Cal. 1) i my. DATE PAGE \ ' ufflr& Vinyl Chloride Victim Virgil Christian is waiting for something - PanUaote operation. said final amission from the amo*t of vfisyl chloride in the this holiday season that he hoped would standards have not yet been sent out. But sir during the lMfe and ItoQg whoi theI come during Thanksgiving--a miracle. Christian, who worked for 32 years in the vinyl chloride unit at the Union Car> bide Corp. plant here, has angiosarcoma,' a deadly cancer that attacks the liver and' blood vessels. Two (eilow workers already have died of the disease, but Christian is still alive and travels every three weeks to the National i Institutes of Stealth at Bethesda. Md\ for . chemotherapy "The first news we want it that he's' , healed." said his wife. Marguerite- i' he said a rough draft indicates that the. faint sweet odor of the chemical covered permissible level of vinyl chloride in the the valley. It toas opt uncommon that 2.000 air or water would be 10 parts per million ppm were speweftoto the air in those (ppm). days, ; Rzetnlouch said Ids operation was close to that level now but admitted that once the new EPA standards become effective in the spring, "It's going te cost us mon ey." Arthur Ryrttolm, plant manager at the Union Carbide South Charleston plant, aid he was still in the dark as to what the firm would have to do to meet the new standards. VIRGIL CHRISTIAN was there in 1M2 when Union Carbide crankod up its vinyl chloride dispersion mit and stayed there until last year. It wasn't antil June of this year that he found out for sure fiat he had angiosar coma. But be harbon no ill feeling toward the company and remaiaa philoaophical about the whole ordeal. The proposed 10-ppm level is a far cry ITn so Page IA, Cai. I) SHE SAID there Is reason to believe In ( their mtrades. The plant doctor detected $ earner early and tests have been enconr* Closing Warnings j But with the optimism there is fear. ,, comingling in an ambivalent nightmare, e especially during the holidays, j Last week, the Environmental Prated 1 tion Agency proposed new regulations aimed at reducing 90 per cent of the vinyl i-chloride in the air near dams of industri al plants In the nation. 1 EPA Administrator Russell Train said | dear medical evidence shows the cfaemf. cal as a cause of angiosarcoma and relate r ed diseases. The new regulations will at?, feet $1 plants including Union Carbide's South Charleston plant and the PanUaote . Company's Point Pleasant operation. rThe EPA said an estimated 1191 million * in new polluOon-coctrol equipment will be j needed when the rules take effect in thp t *P THE IMMEDIATE effect on Union Co*: bide and PanUaote in West Virginia re-' mains unclear, according to both plaM managers " Henry Itamploach, manager of the Have Not Come True , (t) AM Tar* TUm* Smln ' " *Vj NEW YORK--Late In lfH, a trade aeao- the strict Occupational Safety and Health ciatioa represeating nearly all of the Administration (OfflA) Standard. The chemical manufacturers using vinyl chlor price of polyvinyl chloride has been run ide gas, a proven cause of cancer, ning about 10 per cent below in highs and marched Mo Moil court in an attempt somites are plentiful. ,a:1 to overturn strict Labor Department ' And, although one small plant it closing health standards about to go into effect. its doors, four new ones are being built. ."The standard," the companies said In ' The success of the companies in meeting their court papers, "is simply beyond the government sundarda doaowtead only a compliance capabilities of the industry." .' short time earlier as mwortabie has lad They offered dire warnings of plant dos to renewed questioning, particularly to ; ings, Job looses, price increases and mas government circles, of Industry's credibil-: sive economic dislocation. ity. After all. polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chlor "It's hard to say whether they' are1 ide's principal derivative, is a II billion in crying wolf," says R.M. Kosaoff, a }toa-1 dustry turning out goods ranging from tics consultant. "The acid test is that to a plastic water pipes to bologna packages. short period of time, they have proves that The legal appeals proved futile; indus they can lick the problem." try was forced to comply. But, one yea Industry executives now say they op-' later, aot one of the doomsday predictions posed the health standards because they, has comn,tnie. weren't certain they could meet than. All the.producers are operating within (Taro Paps IA, CsL 1) .;' Uc 104940 sr Have Not Come True , i, From Page One i January, .1874, when the B.F, Goodrich Chemical Co., a subsidiary of the big tire maker and the largest of the polyvinyl { 'We were (rankly surprised by some of chloride producers, announced it had dis :4it results*' of the cleanup effort said covered that the I960 death ff in employee Jiff. Wheeler, Jr, a vinyl technical super intendent of Union Carbide Corp. Vinyl chloride first became an issue in owed to angiosarcoma, a very rate cancer of the liver. Similar discoveries followed, with. 17 deaths in all in the industry, and health en- , forcement offWals moved in OSHA Initially settled on a vinyl chlor ide concentration limit of 50 parts per mil lion in plant atmospheres, which the indus try considered fair. In April, after laboratory tests, OSHA moved to a standard of `no detectable' concentration as measured in the air. The chemical companies argued that the "no detectable" standard would close the industry and bring on national economic disaster. They even offered a study warn ing that a shutdown would put 2.2 million people out of work and cost the economy 165 billian to *90 billion. By October, they had convinced OSHAto change to a 1 part per million average, with brief exposures to higher levels per mitted. Emissions could go to 25 parts per mil lion if workers-wore respirators, but the ' respirator requirement was delayed by one year, to April 1,1976. OSHA officials now say the effects of those changes were minimal and claims by the industry that they made ail the dif ference were "a little face-saving seman tics." But by spring. 1974, most companies had realised the final standard would be tough . and that the time had cotoe to try to comply.. Goodrich developed a new propels to re duce the necessity of cleaning reactors-- thought to have been a major exposure point. It then moved ahead and developed a , new "stripping" process that reduces the . residual vinyl chloride left in the resin to > the "no detectable" level, j . This makes it unnecessary for the fabri' upton to regulate emission levels in their 1 torn plants:' * turbing the emissions. Goodrich says, was the largest research and development -program in Its history. It involved 119 scientists and engineers. 425.000 man-hours of work and *34 million in capita! costs. The Sppigty of 4he Plastics industry costs could run up to *200 rtuUioo.- Industry spokesmen say the teguntiods lower productivity, and will add 10 to 15 per cent to PVC manufacturing costs Goodrich, however, notes it can lease its new cleanup technology to others, and that the new equipment cuts labor cists. And the'rat Increase complaints ared't so impftfchtferitth Amptred to the natu ral price twinge. * t Right tww.pyc. tqikers believe their biggest problem may be public relations. The Federal Drug Administration i* pre paring tiTban some types of PVC food pacfcaflag:dn the ground that residual vi nyl chloride miters the fetid. "' C THE CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE_______________ PAGE From Png# One V 'a '0 u tit I Ct pit l He is reluctant to talk about buttle for life, perhape because be Mum and - preparing to retire. "But I JkftRt got my; . first retirement check,"-he sfpS. Also, the medical bills are paid through Workmen's Compensation, company in surance and vsrioas programs. Mrs. Christian uid the flrni cmr reimburses her whenever she has out-of-pocket expen ses related to treatment of her hutoaod. Jim Copenhaver, business representa let pilot Nets* twoci Bobtb ST tive for Local 596 of the International As sociation of Machinists and Aerospace '-Workers, uid Christian's attitude is not unusual. " Nobody ever worried about vinyl chlor ide before, " he uid. "They thought you raid take e bath in it and it wouldn't hurt. And they assumed that the company shouldn't be any smarter in this regard, that the company couldn't have known." to be ft Scare eral ho moving snow ar hour. Se helicepO during^ COFENHAVER IA1D periodic meet ings sre held and lifeguards have been es tablished, and all employes were involved in a screening program to determine whether they had cancer. With a few exception*, the plant record In recents months has been good, Cdpen- huver said. FMIewing the screening process and ex tensive testing during July by Dr. Irving Seiihoff o! the Mount Sinai Sebnui e( Medi cine. Cepenhaver encouraged tmplayse to inform both the coatpouy and Ihe onion of any detection of cancer. `! "tod following the tests Sinai people, we heard vl It," be uid. suggesting that ported cases might be the - Tun arc dead, he acted, --, _ Ml and the other sacomnbingvhat July. Tbit leaves only Vlrf" *------ - *- still Hinting for his T _________ Bethesda and banking da a tpirjifli.'' said thd s*pi '/ * O4 i UCC 104941 ihunaaw uecemoer 10. iHi-i i ne Charleston Cazetie On Vinyl Chloride Carbide Uncertain Of Ruling Impact Carbide South Charleston plant manager Arthur Ryrholm said Wednesday he couhbi't comment specifically on bow a new vinyl chloride regulation might affect the plant, but added that the cost of meeting safety regulations "are not generally a major factor to staying in business." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new regulations Tuesday designed to nearly eliminate vinyl chlor ide from the air at dozens of chemical plants around the country. Vinyl chloride is a raw material used at the South Charleston plant in the produc tion of plastics. A WORLDWIDE ALARM developed over vinyl,chloride in 1974 as the result of research that indicated workers exposed to the gas for long periods may develop a rare liver cancer called angiosarcoma. Two vinyl chloride workers at the South Charleston plant have died of the disease. - An EPA report issued in 1974 listed a vi nyl chloride emissions rate of between 17 and US pounds per hour at the South Char leston plant, except during disc failure Arthur Ryrholm `Not Endangered' when emissions were 24,000 pounds per hour for five minutes. The EPA calculated The 1974 EPA report said some workers that 4.8 million pounds were released at who were found to have angiosarcoma bad the South Charleston plant in 1974. worked in areas where vinyl chloride con Ryrholm pointed out the plant has made centrations were generally less than 12 considerable progress in reducing worker parts per million. exposure to vinyl chloride, and that pro EPA reported that two people living cess improvements have reduced emis near a Connecticut polyvinyl chloride fa sions over-all. He described this as a mul- brication plant contracted the disease. timilban dollar effort. * During the past year. Ryrholm pointed EPA CONCLUDED THAT "it would be out. Carbide made 200 tests for vinyl wrong to consider vinyl chloride as an ischloride at the plant fence, and that in 90 looted situation, but rather it should be per cent of the tests, none could be found. viewed as an example of just one of many In the other 10 per cent of the tests, con potential chemical carcinogens which centrations were less than one-half part may be present but as yet unidentified as per million. carcinogens." "In my opinion." added Ryrholm. The regulations announced Tuesday by "these results aay Kanawha Valley citi- EPA would require the plastics industry to sens are not endangered by vinyl chloride install 8198 million in new equipment to re emirate**." duce the chemical by 90 per cent of cur rently estimated emissions. EPA administrator Russell Train said Baptist Temple Choirs four plants, one owned by Occidental Pe troleum Co. and three owned by the Janet To Present Program Corp.. have indicated they will close u a result of EPA's plans. However, Ryrholm said Union Carbide The Baptist Temple choirs, directed by headquarters in New York stated Wednes M. Wayne Eich, will present a "Feast of day that closing the Janet plants is "in no Carats and Lessons" at 5:30 p.m. Sunday- way being considered." Janet is a wholly in the church sanctuary. owned subsidiary of Carbide. A brass quartet, two pianists and a per Ed Light of West Virginia-Citixen Action cussion ensemble will accompany choirs Group said Wednesday be believe* vinyl ranging in age from the 5-year-old begin chloride "is only the tip of the iceberg as ners to adult chancel singers. The evening far as dangerous chemicals going into the will conclude with congregational candle air are concerned.'' Light said he is work lighting in a "Festival of Lights." ing on a report on this matter to be re leased in January. UCC 104942 'O vv C^\ V-v_W-\\^ -\<T . -*c uie exception prosecutor Danny tune. No Reaction From Carbide Officials On New Vinyl Chloride Regulations Local Union Carbide officials had no im mediate reaction'today to new Environ mental Protection AAninistration <EPA) agency said 5198 million in new pollution control equipment would be needed. In his statement, Harding listed plants standards requiring chemical plants to re owned by Occidental Petroleum and a duce vinyl chloride emissions by 90 per Carbide subsidiary, Janet Oorp., as facili cent. ties which would be closed by the new reg The regulations issued Tuesday take ef fect this month. At one time Carbide's South Charleston ulations. The Janet plants, be said, are lo cated in Torrance, Calif.,Tucker, Ga., aid Somerset, N.J. plant, which used vinyl chloride gas prod uced in Texas to make polyvinyl chloride According to the Associated Press, no (PVC i plastic, was one of the largest vinyl Carbide plants are scheduled to close. diloride plants in the country. Last year, however, the company discontinued its Dynel fiber line, a major PVC user, and use of vinyl chloride at the plant has been reduced. The only other plant in West Virginia to be affected by the new standards is the Panasote Co. facility in Point Pleasant. houtn Charleston manager Arthur Ryr- Ed Light, president of the Citizens Ac tion Group, said today bis organization is preparing a study to lie released in Janu ary that will show vinyl chloride emissions pose a local health problem. CAG also be lieve that vinyl chloride is only the first of many chemical substances that eventually will be linked to cancer. holm said local Carbide officials had not yrt seen the new regulations and could not comment upon their impact until the EPA statement was reviewed. He did say, however, that during the past year Carbide has made 200 tests for vinyl chloride at the plant fence. In90 per cent of the tests, no vinyl chloride could be detected and in the other 10 per cent the concentrations were less than the one-half part per million considered safe by the Oc cupational Safety and Health Administra tion. Ryrholm also said safety considerations are rarely a factor in Carbide's closing of a particular production unit. In a statement issued after the EPA's announcement, the president of the Socie ty of the Plastics Industry agreed that ''rigorous emissions controls are in the public interest." Ralph L. Harding Jr. dis puted. however, the EPA's assertion that vinyl chloride emissions pose a health problem to those living near chemical plants. Vinyl chloride's link to cancer has been a subject of controversy during the past few years. Researchers have found that workers exposed to the chemical over a long pffiod of time have an unusually high incident of liver cancer. At least three for mer South Charleston plant employes are known to have contracted the disease. EPA Administrator said some of the 51 plants affected by the regulations may ebse rather than attempt compliance. His UCC 104943 Interview on WCHS-TV (Channel 8) between Bill Wolfson ond Arthur Ryrholm on 12/17/75 SUBJECT: New EPA Ruling on Vinyl Chloride Emissions INTRODUCTION: Roy Brassfield " A chemical called Vinyl Chloride is making the news all over the country. It should be of special interest to Kanawha Valley residents because it is used by Union Carbide at its South Charleston Plant. Bill Wolfson has the story." WOLFSON: .What do you intend to do about this problem?" RYRHOLM: "We don't know what the regulations say. We don't know specifically how they will affect the South Charleston Plant. As soon as I have seen the regulations I will make a judgement as to what we will do." WOLFSON: "You've told me that Union Carbide has done some listing emissions that come out of the vinyl chloride operations. Tell me about this testing in detail." RYRHOLM: "We have made something like 200 or more tests - air sample tests out in the community. The result of the tests indicate to me that the community has no concern about vinyl chloride exposure. For example, 90% of these tests came through with no detectable vinyl chloride. The other 10%, the maximum reading we had was 0.2 ppm and all the other tests were less than that. This C.2 ppm is well below the present safe level for worker exposure." WOLFSON: 'That brings up an interesting question. What about workers in plants? We've heard from EPA that the mast serious hazard in vinyl chloride preparation is to workers inside the plant itself. Do you give physicals to your workers, or how do you handle that problem?" RYRHOLM: "Six months to a year ago, new regulations came out on exposure to workers in vinyl chloride. They set it up for a period of two years. Effective April 1, 1975, a regulation went into effect that the worker exposure should not be over 1 ppm and at the worker's choice he could expose himself to up to 25 ppm without respiratory equipment. On April 1, 1976, he will then be required to wear respiratory equipment on any exposure above 1 ppm. " CLOSE OF INTERVIEW: WOLFSON " EPA administrators emphasize that there is no solid proof at this time that people living near plants like this actually developed cancer. But, they say there is such a long period before cancer causing agents can result in the disease - up to 20 years in some cases - that steps must be taken to reduce exposure." UCC 104944 14C CftatlMtoti Pailg qgall wed., dec, 17.1973 'Hell-Holes' Probe Sc No Reaction From Carbide Official^ On New Vinyl Chloride Regulations Local Union Carbide officials bad no im mediate reaction today to new Environ mental Protection Administration (EPA) standards requiring chemical plants to re duce vinyl chloride emissions by 90 per cent The regulations issued Tuesday take ef fect this month. . At one time Carbide's South Charleston agency said $199 million in new pollution control equipmoit would be needed. In his statemmt, Harding listed plants owned by Occidental Petroleum and a Carbide subsidiary, Janet Chip., as facili ties which would be closed by the new reg ulations. The Janet plants, he said, are lo cated in Torrance, Calif., Tucker, Ga., ml Somerset, NJ. I pipit, which used vinyl chloride gas prod uced in Texas to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, was one of the largest vsiyl According to the Associated Press, ne Carbide plants are scheduled to close. chloride plants in the country. Last year, however, the company discontinued its Dynel fiber line, a major PVC user, and use of vinyl chloride at the plant has been reduced. The only other plant in West Virginia to be affected by the new standards is the Panasote Co. facility in Point Pleasant. aoutn Charleston manager Arthur Ryr- Ed Light, president of the Citizens Ac tion Group, said today his organization is preparing a study to be released in Janu ary that will show vinyl chloride emissions pose a local health problem. CAG also be lieve that vinyl chloride is only the first of many chemical substances that eventually will be linked .to cancer. holm said local Carbide officials had not \yet seen the new regulations and could not comment upon their impact until the EPA statement was reviewed. He did say, however, that during the past year Carbide hm made WO testa for vinyl chloride at the plant fence. Into per cent of the tests, no vinyl chloride could be detected and in the other 10per cent the concentrations were less than the one-half pa-t per million considered safe by the Oc kcupational Safety and Health Administra tion. Ryrbobn also said safety considerations are rarely a factor in Carbide's closing of a particular production unit. In a ststonent issued after the EPA's ^ anoouncemail, the president of the Socie- J ty of the Plastics Industry agreed that y- "rigorous missions controls are in the \ public interest." Ralph L. Harding Jr. die- k puted, howevv, the EPA's assertion that " vinyl chloride emissions pose a health problem to those living near chemical plants. Vinyl chloride's Itak to cancer has been a subject of controvoey Airing lie past A j gf 4j A few years. Researchers have found that Y workers exposed to the chemical over a * long period of tbne have an unusually high incident of liver cancer. At least three formcr South Charleston plant employes are known to have cmtreeted lie disease. T k ^ EPA Administrator said some of the 91 plants affected by die regulations may f close rather than attempt compliance. His j UCC 104945 M,THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY DATE 3- J?' 7*T PAGE t 27 Pet. Of Vinyl Chloride Workers At SC Carbide Plant Show Liver Damage fc TMt AMOTMTED FaBK A researcher who studied 423 vinyl chloride workers at Union Carbide's South Charleston plant says 27 per cent have apparent liver damage, double the control group. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the workers will develop cancer, he added. Dr. Henry Anderson, a research associate at the Envi ronmental Sciences Laboratory of Mount Sinai Medical School in New York, Thursday released the results of tests performed last summer. The workers were tested after announcements that sev eral workers in chemical plants using the gas have died of a rare type of liver cancer. Anderson said the 27 per cent figure compares to about 13 per cent abnormalities in a control group. About 10.6 per cent of the vinyl chloride workers had abnormal re sults in the liver enzyme test and 7 per cent had enlarged livers, both above the national averages, he said. The liver damage could have resulted from heavy drink ing or other things besides the vinzl chloride, he said UCC 104946 t- 5 C. Vinyl Crews' Liver Ills Double , 1. Control THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE 7S* PAGE l By Junta A. Haeght ' httmuifmlivt Rtporfr About 27. per cent of the vinyl chloride workers at the South Charleston Carbide plant have apparent liver damage and 7 per cent have enlarged liven, a national researcher reported Thursday. But the findings don't necessarily signi fy ill health, he said, and the cause of the , liver conditions can't be attributed dntire- ly to vinyl chloride. Dr. Henry Anderson, a research asso ciate in the Environmental Sciences La boratory of Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City, announced the results of tests which were performed last summer on 423 vinyl chloride workers at the South Charleston plant. THE SCREENING was done as part of the worldwide precautions that followed discovery of a link between vinyl chloride gas and a rare type of Uver cancer. Two South Charleston workers have died of the disease since the late lMOs, and more deaths have been reported In other chemi cal plants that use the gas to make polyvi nyl pUstia. Dr. Anderson said data from the South Charleston tests finally was processed by computer this week and released to the plant and the union. Formal papers will be issued to medical Journals and societies later this year, he said. The researcher listed then findings for the 422 vinyl chloride workers: A total of 2SJ per cent had abnormal results on the baric liver function test, compared to about 13 per cent abnormal readings for a "control group" of unex posed persons who were tested. A total of per cent bad abnormal ' results in a Uver enzyme test which is about double the ratio of abnormal read ings for that test usually found in ones-. posed persons. A total of 7 per cent had enlarged liv Sooth Charieston.wbrter* had s lower ra tio of enlarged Uvtrs than employee of the other plants, bat bad a silghUy higher ra tio of abnormal readings on the bask Uver function lest 4 r. A * hATM -V He researcher said a "controrgroapT ers, age. which is far above the national aver- <- originally picked to foe (foariestan area Dr. Anderson told the Gazette by teWphone from New York that the abnormal findings indicate liver damage or malfunc tion of some sort, but they don't necessari also Mewed high rcefoqp on the tests -- but the Mount Sinai team decided the group was poorly chosen and picked tooth- ST* '`.'FT? r"* ly mean the workers will develop liver dr. Anderson said Union Carbide,Oorp. cancer or other ailments. Also, the abnor malities can be the result of heavy drink ing. or other factors betides vinyl chlor ide, he said. * and other chemical Arms are working vig orously to reduce the levels of vinyl cnioride' gas In the breathfug ares of pilot workers, and the health menace is be THE MOUNT SINAI research team pre viously tested vinyl chloride workers att two other plants at Nlagra Falls, N.Y.. and Midland. Mich Dr. Anderson said the lieved to be tarn severe now. Many ol (he Uver cancer deaths probably^ stemmed from exposure suffered years ago when contamination levels were much higher, he said. J UCC 104947 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE /~/$-7~ PAGE / Of Liver Cancer Screening Workers Getting Test Results By James A. Haught Inmtifatirr Reporter More than 300 vinyl chloride workers at the South Charles ton Carbide plant are receiv ing results of medical tests thev underwent last summer in a screening for liver can cer. National researchers who conducted the tests told the Gazette Friday the findings haven't been consolidated in accurate form, but the Car bide situation appears "about the same, perhaps a little bet ter." than at other vinyl chlor ide units around the (J.S. * THE TESTS were made as part of the worldwide alarm over vinyl chloride, a gas used to make polyvinyl chloride plastic that is utilized in thou sands of products New re search last year indicated that workers exposed to the gas for long periods may develop a rare liver cancer called an giosarcoma. Two vinyl chlor ide workers at the South Char leston plant have died of the disease, and a greater number of deaths have been reported in other plastics plants A research team from Mount Sinai Medical School in New Yrok City, led by Dr. Irv ing Selikoff, came to South Charleston last Jane and gave a battery of tests to more than 300 workers who had been ex posed to vinyl chloride. About 100 others never exposed to the gas also were tested as a "control group." In August. Dr. Selikoff told the Gazette that preliminary reports on a key liver function test showed irregular findings for about 25 per cent of the ex posed workers. But the medi cal significance of the abnor mal readings isn't yet known, he said, and it doesn't mean that all such workers are in -danger of developing angios arcoma. Friday. Dr. Henry Ander son. an associate of Dr. Seli koff at Mount Sinai, toid the Gazette by telephone that per sonal. individual reports have been completed and mailed to all the tested workers at their homes. Next, the data from each test will be fed into a computer so a consolidated report on the entire Carbide unit can be obtained. That step will be finished in Fe bruary. he said. Dr. Anderson said that, off hand. an "eyeball estimate" of the South Charleston re sults he noticed during the processing showed the plant to be "about the same, per haps a little better." than oth er vinyl chloride units exam ined by the Mount Sinai team. GENERALLY, IN other plants, he said, the research ers found about 25 per cent of vinyl chloride workers to have abnormal readings in liver tests, while only about 5 per cent of the V.S. population tends to register such abnor malities. Dr. Anderson emphasised that the meaning of the abnor mal results Is unknown, and many factors including liquor consumption can cause liver irregalarities. The researcher added that no nctual tumors were found among the South Charleston workers, whereas some had been discovered during screening at other plants. Meanwhile, another study at the South Charleston plant has been shelved. Last sum mer. the Cincinnati office of the National Institute for Oc cupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sent a team here to microfilm personnel records so the medical histories of all vinyl chloride workers, past and present, could be traced. Thursday. Richard Lemen. chief of medical data at the Ciricinnati NIOSH office, said by telephone that the micro filming was halted, pending the outcome of Dr Selikoff's tests. Lemen said his staff instead screened personnel at smaller plants in Louisville. Ky.. and Pottstown. Pa. Among find ings in those two groups of workers was an incidence of brain and lung tumors slightly above the national average. UCC 104948 Bendix Develops Chloride Tester RONCEVERTE - The Ben dix Corp. Proceaa lnstruments Division here has de veloped a system that can measure individual worker exposure to vinyl chloride at levels as low as SO parts per billion, well below federal standards of 1 part per mil lion. The system consists of a small smaple collector col umn, a connecting sample pump, a flasher assembly and a gas chromatograph, ex plained Dr. D.N. Campbell, division general manager. A worker wears oaly the first two Items--the collector column on his collar and the sample pump on Us belt. The flasher assembly, which is connected to the gas chroma tograph, Is used by an analyst to test samples. "A major drawback of ex isting personnel monitoring methods is that samples are collected in charcoal packed glass tubes that have to be broken for the desorption pro cess," Campbell said. "Often volatile and highly toxic car bon disulfide is applied to the charcoal to isolate the amaple for injection into the chroma tograph." 1 The Bendix system avoids these drawbacks with the use of a corrosion resistant steel tube packed with modified charcoal that doesn't require any diluting reagent for de sorption. he said. The Personnel Monitoring System is the latest in a fami ly of health and safety sys tems developed by Bendix to measure vinyl chloride and other organic vapors in the workplace. The company's address is P.O, Drawer 477, Ronceverte 24970. UCC 104949 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE /i -/o - 7S PAGE Chloride v. Law. Called Impossible Union Carbide said Wednes day that it is technologcially impossible to keep vinyl chlor ide emissions in the one to five parts per million (ppm) range required by new federal standards. Carbide has joined other major plastics producers in asking the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ip New York to review standards promul gated last week by the Occu pational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) The Sooth Charleston pistil has three production onits af fected by the new regaintioos, officials explained. The onits convert vinyl chloride gas late polyvinyl chloride plastic and It employs shoot 1M workers. Another 200 jobs in support maintenance -gfe at stake, they,said- The regulations af fect other Carbide units in Tesks City, fox.,' Bound Brook. N.Y., and Ottawa, III. Officials said the corpora- tion doesn't think It's neces sary for employes to wear res pirators as required by the new standards. Respirators tend to affect the vision of workers and create hazards in the Workplace- Temporary standards limit ing emissions to 50 ppm haw. been found safe. Carbide saidr The rare cancer of the liver attributed to vinyl chloride oc curred years ago under less protective standards. UCC 104950 THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE PAGE /C iYiriyl Chloride Rule Suit Filed X- Union Carbide bai joined -jorces with other major plas'tics producers to seek a court Review of the Occupational 'Safety and Health Admlnis-Iration's new-standard on vt> nyi chloride ofalsaions. 1 The company has filed suit disking the U. S. Second Cir"Tcuit Court of Appeals in New -tYork to review the new stand* 'atd scheduled for impiemen*. -3aUon Jan, 1. ; Ins statement released to\ttay, the company termed the r-vinyl chloride standard pro'Tnuigated last week "highly "restrictive," It is "teefanof- ^.ogieally impossible" to keep .nrinyi chloride emissions in the I-ne to five parts per million -Jange required by the new ^regulation, Carbide said. C The South Cherieston plant !-is one of two Carbide facilities -affected by the new standard. "^Locally ISO workers are em ployed In the three production 'nmiti which convert vinyl Phloride gat into polyvinyl -jehloride (PVC) plastic. If '-theae three vits are forced to Orioie, however, more than 200 edditional jobs would be lost -3n support and maintenance 'mits and in departments 'which otiHae the PVC output. Z Carbide officials said. Ci If the court review of the '-'OSHA standard estends be^yond Jaa. 1, Carbide and the -pother plastics companies which have brought suit are expected to ask the court for an injunction that would pre vent enforcement of the regu lation. Since April the industry has rary Mender? limiting emJs- siona to SO pert per million. Carbide will continue to re gard that level as normative, officials said, since there is no evidence that vinyl chloride's cancer caning properties are operative at such low concen trations. If companies continue pro duction In plants which do not meet the new standard they are required to equip all em ployes with respirators. Car bide officials said the wide spread use of respirators would prove unworkable. UCC 104951 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE jt-3-7^ PAGE IX Carbide Withholds Reaction i Union Carbide wants to see the whole set of standards on vinyl chloride made permanent by the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) before commenting on the matter, a spokesman for the South Charleston plant said Wednesday. But in other reaction to the standarts, the Society of Plastics Industry (SPI) has taken the question to court and has been joined in the suit by at least two other chemical companies, ** * OSHA MADE PERI MANENT Tuesday standards that go into effect Jan. 1 requir- lag exposure levels of vinyl chloride to avr-* srage no more than one part per million0 (ppm) over an eight-hour period. But short-term variances will be allowed smo long as the exposure levels average no more than five ppm during any U minute period. vinyl chloride is blamed for the rare liver cancerof angiosarcoma, Which has held responsibie for the death of two Carbide eemmpploloyyeesswwhhoowwoorrkkeeddininththeevvininyyllccthloride unit at the Sooth Charleston plant. TThhee ppllaanntt ssppookkeessmmaann ssaaiidd the new tsUtannddaarrts cover 80 too80 pages anr d Carbide officials waant to examine them thoroughly to deteerrmmiini e what effect they will have on operations. Previous reports Indicated that about too jobs are at stake in the South Charleston operation. In addition, other jobs are affected by operations at B. F. Goodrich Co. and several smaller plants in the state. * THE NEW STANDARDS reduce vinyl chloride exposure levels from SO ppm to 1 ppm. The osha ruling is Inconsistent with re corded facts about the matter, SPI con tends in the suit Bled in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. Firestone and Hooker Chemical are parties to the suit against OSHA. "Evidence presented at OSHA hearings in late June clearly showed the employe deaths from angiosarcoma were a result of conditions existing decades ago and not at today's levels," said Ralph L Harding, SPI president. "OSHA APPARENTLY relied heavily ' on animal studies in setting Its standarts," he added. "This is quite incompre hensible, especially when more relevant human mortality data is available," two centuries without vinyl cbldHB* ana. we can survive without it in thdlbture." UCC 104952 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE PAGE //?? L, VINYL CHLORIDE POLICY STRICT ; Job Losses Seen By RICHARD HAAS Dally Mail Business Editor The director of the U.S. Oc cupational Safety and Health Administration's West Virgin ia operations said he will have no alternative eioept strict enforcement of a new vinyl chloride standard even though that policey could produce substantial job loss at several plants in the Mountain State. Assistant U.S. Labor Secre tary John H. Stender an nounced Tuesday that when OSHA's permanent vinyl chloride standard goes into ef fect Jan. 1, exposure levels must average no more than one part per million (ppm) over an eight-hour period. Short-term variances will be allowed under the new stand ard as long as the exposure levels do not average more than five ppm during any 15-minute period. Byron Chadwick, director of OSHA operations in West Vir ginia. said several plants in the state -- Including Union Carbide's South Charleston plant -- would be affected by the new standard. Despite a sincere effort on the part of most local Indus tries, he said, they are having difficulty meeting the tempo rary standard of SO ppm. The temporary standard was promulgated In April aft er medical evidence suggest ed a strong link between expo sure to vinyl chloride and atwlonrcoma, a rare form of liver cancer. Two Carbide em ployes who worked in the South Charleston plant's vinyl chloride unit are known to have died of the disease. OSHA officials originally proposed a permanent stand ard of "no detectable" expo sures, and held extensive hearings on this proposal be fore promulgating the new permanent standard yester day. `Tve been very Impressed with Union Carbide's opera tion," Chadwick said. "They have real professionals work ing on this problem. But the " fact that we had to cite them for a serious violation of the present standard is evidence of the difficulty they are hav ing controlling this gas." Chadwick said the contin uous gas chromatograph mon itoring operation at the South Charleston plant was the most sophisticated he bad observed anywhere in the nation. UCC 104953 In addition to the South Charleston plant, where ap proximately 400 workers are employed in vinyl chloride polymerization, the other major vinyl chloride plant in the state Is operated by B* P. Goodrich Co Several smaller companies alsq are involved in converting polyvinyl chlor ide to a varMOtof plastic ab ject* -v The new OSnfi standard calls for flans of op to flOAQo six-month prison sentatflts for those corporate oMAls who wllliofly violatAhe standard. * .Officials ^Carbide's S<kth Charleston giant said .they could not comment on the im pact of the new standard until they bad an opportunity to re view the fuB text of Stender's remarks. Other chemicals and plas tics industry.officials were not so reticent. Toad C. Walk er, president of the plastics division of Firestone Tire A Rubber Co., said the new standard "puts the vinyl plas tics industry on a collision course wkh economic disas- V--" 0 OSHA Issues New Standards- fontv For Vinyl Chloride Emissions \, ic Workers :h the loss my begins;, 'lant. located at t. cd due to ompetition ; ** , The ,government has issued a new' federal job health standard.sharply limiting worker exposure to deadly'vinyl chloride, whichcauses liver cancer, that is close, to the lim itation sought by unions in the basic plastics industry. International Association of Machinists Local Lodge 698-. at the Uni6n Carbide plant in South Charleston'has some 400 members who come into ; --;----1---- vx--v direct' contact w ith the i 1 _LI chemical. s j ; AppOlGChlOn, ( t cjer luck Council GetsEffective next Jhn. l, em ployers .will be .required , to \- reduce the exposure level to DHEW Grunt-iio more than One .part vinyl 47embers of ` Harley Richards >yees Local. Gets Pacemaker . chloride to'l million parts of air over an eight-hour peri od. . The level may not aver age more,than 6 parts per A grant totaling $239,740 has been awarded to the A,,FL-C..IO, A.p. pa_lachian, 52 Kroger ' West Vir- ' 12:01 a.m.' ispute over ,V U n ite d Steelworkers of America District 23, Sub* 'district 2 Director Harley ' Richards was taken lib last .t period.' Local Lodge 698 Business Agent James C. Copenhaver of Health, .Education and Welfare to develop a nation-. -ally applicable model -for' manpower education and-, month while attending the said that two members of his training in the . rural areas $ President.; USWA international conyen-.,-, local had died of angiosar-. .of'Marion, Monongalia and .. . 1 rt said . tion at Atlantic City, N, J. ' coma (a rare. type of liverk W,etzel counties. ; i irshave - According to -District 23 . cancer) since .1968. ' Homer .Kincaid, director ; t id about: Assistant Director Summers- The Department of Labor xif the Human Resources De- . less than ' ; Dean,' Richards was hospi- has certified 19 workers in . veiopment Foundation, Inc.,1 ~ ling areas, -talized for "heart difficult the Industry -iiave died of in 7 Morgantown, . said the . seem right ties" after becoming, ill Sep this disease. . . project, officially titled the 7 _* paid less tember 26. - , , , w The Labor Department Rural Manpower Education e work for ir" * Physicians recommended skid that although, the pre-. ;and Training Delivery Sys any than .. Surgery and the installation else level of "safe" exposure tem,-will involve the trsin-;<v~ in sUr- ' of, a permanent pacemaker. to man is unknown, ^we.can ing. of some 26. men and wo- '' sometimes _ to regulate; his heart not wait. until indisputable men from all segments of,, 20 miles-- . rhythm. : . ' * answers . are available,' the population. ;. ,r '*' ,, - are West . The subsequent operation' because lives, of employees ' Kincaid said the grant V hart said, was believed to have been are at stake." will be .administered in 'its'- that the_.completely successful, and Union Carbide has joined Manpower Skill Training * - - "- * - UCC 104954 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE PAGE Vinyl Chloride Rule washtwjton -- Ufi -- The The EPA said the emission In a spot check of waste wa- EPA administrator Russell E. Train said the standard ap plying to S2 vinyl chloride and nolwinvl chloride nlants mav In its report, the task force also recommended that drink- plants generally averaged less than one ppm, but, in one case, went as high as 33 ppm. dose to the plants who are at the highest risk of exposure. "There is no scientific evioence to indicate that vinyl chloride emissions into the at mosphere pose an imminent, hazard to people living near the plants." Train told a news conference. man of the task force, said: 'We have no reason to believe there is a hazard in the drink- water." i "It is dear, however," he added, "that some hazard t does exist and that our popula- j tion deserves the protection afforded by regulatory ac tion." Train said that current tech-' nology should be able to elimi nate the bulk of the vinyl chloride leaked into the sur rounding air and water daring . the manufacturing process. He said initial estimates indicate that leakage could he reduced about 7$ per cent from the 37 polyvinyl chloride resin plants which discharge more than SO million pounds, and about 90 per cent from the -nation's IS vinyl chloride plants which now leak In ex cess of 200 million pounds an nually. UCC 104955 Industry Hit for Failure to Report UCC iU4y:>o Chloride Hazards Known m 671 % (C) The WmtkimftoM Poll .WASHINGTON - Evidence j|tal u early as 1871 that low doses of vinyl chloride caused cancer in laboratory animals, according to an in ternal technical report by the World Health Organization's laUrnatioual Agency for Re search on Cancer. The rcsenfcber Isn't identi fied, but several prominent U.S. cancer scientists believe ' he la Dr. L.P. Viola, the Itali ans researcher whose earlier work first alerted the chemi cal Industry to the possible carcinogenic (cancer-caus ing) enacts of high doses of vi nyl ddoride. Ss far, 14 deaths (rots a rare esssa have been reported easing US. chemical workers exposed to vinyl chloride gas, which Is the base Ingredient haiaatles, polyvinyl chloride. gObe disclosure last Jan. 22 Sy ^W. Goodrich that three workers in its Louisville, Ky., plant died of Angiosarcoma led to a crash research pro gram by several federal agen cies, including National Insti tute of Occupational Safety and Health and the Labor De partment's Occupational Safety and Health Adminis tration (OSHA). Consequently, OSHA adopt ed an emergency standard lowering exposure limits to vi nyl chloride, workers from 500 parts per million to 50 parts per million, and NIOSH has recommended a permanent permissible level of zero. In the wake of these find ings, the chemical Industry has been sharply criticized by cancer scientists for failing to fully inform either the govern ment or its own plant physi cians about the results of Eu ropean studies showing links to cancer as early aa 1871. "If the latest report means what it seems to mean," said Dr. Irving Selikoff, director of the Environmental Sciences Laboratory at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, "then we're nearly four years behind where we should be." "You don't automatically assume that animal studies are conclusive, but the indus try should have at least noti fied their own doctors,'' he added. it's inexcusable that they didn't tell the government/* said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, direc tor of the Nader-sponsored Health Research Group. it would have been appro priate for them to tell us about the European studies as soon as they knew," added a NIOSH scientist. ACCORDING TO the Manu facturing Chemists Assn., the principal industry trade asso ciation, the MCA invited Dr. Viola to discuss Us study with U S. industry representatives in May 1871. The preliminary studies showed vinyl chloride was carcinogenic at levels of 10,000 parts per million. By November 1871, the MCA was aware that concentra tions of 5,000 parts per million "and perhaps less" also could cause tumors in laboratory animals. According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report, which summa rizes a meeting held last June, a laboratory in Italy during that period -- presumably Dr. Viola's -- was also finding that concentrations as tow as 500 parts per million could cause tumors, including an giosarcomas of the liver. Those results have not yet been published. Subsequently, the European chemical industry sponsored another series of experiments fay a second Italian scientist. Dr Caesare Mallord. The U.S. Manufacturing Chemists Assn, learned of Dr. Maltooi's studies in late 1072. Those studies showed that animal tu mors could be produced at concentrations as Tow as SO parts per million, or half the permissible exposure levels for workers in the United States. Only after B.F. Goodrich re ported that its Louisville plant ahyridam, Dr. John Creech, Unepeadestly discovered three dates of angiosarcoma Thun., Sept. 5,1974 The did the trade aasectattoe fnUy* reveal the Maltonl ftodtog* to NIOSH effldale. Even atJtat, polat, according to NlOfiH soareea, the MCA s*kad NIOSH to keep the findings **DrMaurice Johnson, Good rich's medical director, con firms that be knew about the Maltoni study, but said that be saw no need to notify the com pany's plant physician* "It was fay no means s finished study/' be said. When Goodrich'* Dr Creech found the third case of angiosarcoma among plant workers. Dr. Johnson said, "that was the clincher." o --m>1 --I --i 11 m t/> 5n t( TO 2 t-- \ in Z o I Sj Z "n d N 5> o m=-H1 THE CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAI DATE PAGE Union Considers Goodrich Lawsuit On Vinyl Chloride. LOUISVILLE. ky*JAP) - Members of the Synthetic Rubber Workers union at the B F. Goodrich Chemical Co. here are considering legal ac tion against thefinuto pro tect some workers from expo sure to vinyl chloride. Members of Synthetic Rub ber Workers Local 72. repre senting about 809 of Good rich's 1,100 workers, voted this week to direct their union leadership to pursue the ac' tion. The union is seeking fur loughs with full pay for about 20 workers until it is deter mined that continued expo sure is not harmful to the men's livers. Six former Goodrich work ers in Louisville have died of angiosarcoma, a rare cancer liver, believed to be linked to expire to vinyl chloride. UCC 104957 THE CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE PAGE____ & Louisville Goodrich Plant Union Eyes Suit On Vinyl Chloride LOUISVILLE, Ky <AP> The largest union at the B. P. Goodrich Chemical Co. is con sidering seeking legal action against the firm to protect some workers from exposure to vinyl chloride. Members of Synthetic Rub ber Workers Local 72, repre senting about 100 of Good rich's 1,100 workers, voted this week to direct their union leadership to pursue the ac tion. The union is seeking fur loughs for about 20 workers until it is determined that con tinued exposure is not harmful to the men's livers. The 20 have been trans ferred from their regular jobs because of exposure to the chemical and have been placed at other work sites at the plant. Tests showed the men had some sort of liver disorder, although the disor ders may be unrelated to ex posure to the chemical. Union President Rudolph Kaelln Sr. said he has talked with an attorney about the matter of furloughs for the men. The company declined im mediate comment. Goodrich already has fur loughed eight workers who it said showed signs of "liver changes." Those furloughs will be effective until it is de termined whether exposure to vinyl chloride is harmful to their conditions. Six former Goodrich work ers in Louisville have died of angiosarcoma, a rare cancer liver, believed to be linked to exposure to vinyl chloride. UCC 104958 THIS CUPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE_ PAGE Plant Found Air Safe Carbide Confirms Citation A federal citation has been Issued against the South Charleston Carbide plant in the vinyl chloride alarm, the plantjnanager confirmed Tuesday -- but he said Carbide is prepared to contradict the gov ernment findings. Manager Arthur Hyrholm said the Char leston office of the U.S. Occupational Safe ty and Health Administration (OSHA) in formed him Tuesday that a violation notice has been mailed to the plant. Other sources say the notice alleges that OSHA measured vinyl chloride gas in the breathing area of some Carbide workers and found readings above SO parts per mil lion. The government has set an emergen cy limit of SO ppm for vinyl chloride con tamination of air in plastics plants, because new research indicates the gas may cause a rare liver cancer. * HYRHOLM SAID Carbide's own medi cal technicians took air samples alongside the OSHA examiners during the test peri od and found the air safe. Of seven sam ples, the manager said, Carbide found six readings below the SO ppm. The seventh refine which exceeded 50 nom. was in the work area of employes who wear spe cial breathing masks and are safe from surrounding air, he added. Ryrholm said federal agencies have ap proved Carbide's testing equipment and methods as among the finest available. Plant executives intend to meet with OSHA officials, "discuss testing methods" and hopefully resolve the disputed figures, he said. The manager was asked whether, if OSHA doesn't withdraw the violation citatioa, the plant will appeal it. Ryrholm said Carbide will "take steps" to prove the va lidity of the company's tests. A Gazette report Tuesday quoted Dr. Irving Selikoff, a national research leader, aa saying "significant abnormalities" were found in liver test results for about one-fourth of a group of South Charleston Carbide workers examined in June. Plant manager Ryrholm said his staff called Dr. Selikoff in New York Tuesday to discuss the preliminary findings. Ryr* holm quoted the researcher as saying he "doesn't know the significance, if any,'' of the test results. 9* .. THE MANAGER said Carbide's own liv er tests found no more irregularities among South Charleston vinyl chloride workers than among a sample group of unexposed persons. Ryrholm said Carbide is awaiting Dr. Selikoff's formal report, and will do every thing possible to meet any medical safe guards indicated by the report. UCC104959 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE f'/V-V/ PAGE JjC U.S. Citation Appeal Eyed By Carbide Corporate policy may con* met with the desire for vindi cation, Union Carbide offi cials said today in explaining the possible reactions to a safety citation. t , " Hie U.S. Occupational Safe ty and Health Administration' has accused the company of violating the vinyl chloride standards of 50 parts per mil lion at its South Charleston pl*nt. Carbide's normal.corporate policy is not to contest OSHA citations, a plant spokesman said, but in this case the com pany's own measurements indicate it has not violated the standard. The company took Its sam ples at the same time as the osha inspector, the official said. The new concern over vinyl chloride which has been sparked by the medical find ings of a possible link between exposure to the gas and a rare form of liver cancer has prod uced refinements in Metection methods, the Carbide official said. Recently the company was informed that the Nation al Institute of Occupational Safety and Health was at tempting to make Carbide s detection methods normative for the industry, he said. If the company feels that an appeal may lead to standard ised vinyl chloride detection techniques it may decide to contest the citation, he said. UCC104960 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE /-/j 74 PAGE SK ON VINYL CHLORIDE Carbide Unable To Verify Study Union Carbide has been una ble to verify the preliminary findings of a medical inspec tion of employes at the South Charleston plant, a company spokesman said today. Dr. Irving Selikoff of the Moult Sinai Medical School in New York headed the team making that investigation to determine whether employes exposed to vinyl chloride gas showed signs of developing a rare form of liver cancer. The Charleston Gazette quoted Dr. Selikoff today as saying one-quarter of the workers exposed to the gas showed signs of liver abnor malities. The plant officials said the company had understood that Dr. Selikoff would not make public any of his findings until Carbide and the International Assn, of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents the plant em ployes, had been advised of the conclusions. Company officials were' unable to verify the Gazette's reports today with Dr. Seli koff. he said. Carbide's own medical tests conducted at the same time as the Mount Sinai study in June also revealed some abnormal ities, he said. But the level of abnormalities for the Control group which had not been ex posed to the gas was the same as that for the vinyl chloride workers, the official said. The same Charleston Ga zette story said the South Charleston plant would be cit ed by a government agency for failure to observe the vinyl chloride standard of SO parts per million. Byron Chadwick, West Virginia Director of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, who would be responsible for issu ing such a citation, said dis cussion of his agency's find ings during a recent plant inspection was "premature." UCC104961 *c *///// i rmmm / M / UCC 104962 VinyfWor abnormalities, la bvur tests, an a national research tenter who Irving J. Setikoff of Mount 4iual Medical School In New York City told the Gazette Monday the Carbide sitaatioa la "no better, no worn" than M other plas tics plants hto njjyKh team has visited. MeanwkOs, a Wendagency reportedly has measured vinyl chloride in the South Charleston plant and found It stronger than the level of *parts par million al lowed by gowrnmenThe^ reffdatlw. yiit of angiosarcoma. A m&^hsk; The researcher said the significance of die "variations" in the liver results still isn't fully understood, so clearcot answers can't be known yet. Dr. Selikoft said U^p<Hi on South OiarVesMirt lor several weeks. Oscies witthe aentto Carbide, to the pUnfunioaJg,/eterai agencies, and to sciewttfic witnalsbe said. Also, each tested wmkcnrffl receive The U.fLLabor Department has Im a personal reporhec Mil ^pyjjlsult*. Dr. SeUkoff added that his team also posed an emergency limit of SO parts per found "deviations from normal in brea After Dr. Selikoff's eatjg#aralrodon taMoa on fanes breathed bv plant work' afh. and has earned aa uproar in the indua- try try by proposing a aero limit. thing testa'' on the Sooth Charleston work ers. None of Me men complained of brea thing problems, be said, but "changes in of the Goodyear plant a(Niagara Falls, newspaper articles said MS'leam.Imnd "vinyl chlorite related MBeasc^i high lung function" showed up in the test re amoiw workers who had been espoeed lor Tam federal agencies haw beenanalyi- mits. long periods.'Tbe articles indicatedI inten the South Charleston plant. Dr. SeH- aI browht a research team here in June and tested more than SCO Carbide workers. The hue findings have no apparent conTelephoned In New York Monday. Dr. nftiMi to the liver findings, be added. sive study is being made to learn if some vinyl chloridedeaths in the past were mis takenly attributed to other ia Miii!3f i# Ms staff has received prell- mlnary results from some of the lab tests, tneiudhn a key liver function test. . jjisfiiiK'asayS Tka Cirbld, lpillitl'tSSlk# mVT *`*, <j5rhw rf--f^*>**be"tt*er,-n'*o w*o'rs*e*.* "*** vinyl chloride, a inasnnt chemical used to make polyvinyl chloride, plastic utilized la thonaands of prodneta. mw rroearch this year Indicates that prokmfed exposure to the gas may canse a rare type of Uwr cancer cailedangioaarcoma. Several vinyl chloride workers around '.ignifleant Uver abnormaliti2?2 pbout ISper cent of workers test- J* Liiknlf tS& Unespoeed persons , " ^ tave ^ abnormalities, no EEdbut only rarely. ' ! * > o THIS C LIP P IN G FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE UCC 104963 '-T' fm*-* ' "* v * MedicalEvIdeneefMclitrigi Carbide Sayt f ETTE Vinyl Chloride Plans Disputed *GE /Z/t By Daniel F. West Gatetu Conttpondtnt WASHINGTON - The Un ion Carbide Corp. has issued a formal statement disputing proposed government stand ards for handling vinyl chlor ide, an industrial gas which has been linked to two deaths at the South Charleston Car bide plant. Labor Department occupa tional safety authorities this spring proposed a ruling which would bar chemical firms from exposing workers to any "detectable" amount of the substance. Industry representatives were invited to testify on the ruling in late June. Carbide of ficials did not appear at the hearings, but submitted their written testimony one day be fore the July 31 deadline. Carbide followed the lead of numerous other firms, con tending there is no medical evidence to justify the pro posed standards. Vinyl chloride, a raw mater ial used in the manufacture of a wide variety of plastic prod ucts. is thought to be responsi ble for 21 worldwide cases of a rare, invariably fatal liver cancer, angiosarcoma. FEDERAL health officials have scaled down permissable levels of vinyl chloride twice this year, both times in re sponse to new medical evid ence supporting the cancer link. An emergency standard of 50 parts per million (ppm) is currently in effect. But U.S. and European researchers consistently have detected liv er cancer in test animals ex posed to less than 50 ppm. The Carbide statement sug gests that medical studies on rats and mice "must be far from inclusive.'' Hie testi mony Concluded that the dis ease has resulted "only from long exposure at concemrT tions significanti^hjgher than existing injd^nt opera tions.": ... In Met. twhsoSODth Char leston worttflfwbb recently died were exRsed to "me dium-high" concentrations far an average of 21 years. However, doctors at the N*-' tional Cancer- Institute have said that angiosarcoma often has a latency period of 15 years and that by the time It delected (he natient is in terminal stages of the dis ease. These findings have led some members of the cancer research community to con clude that hundreds, possibly thousands of plastics industry workers are infected and don't know it. While accepting the emer gency regulation, Carbide of ficials contend that the "no detectable level" standard cannot possibly be met tbrongb the application of any technology known today, re gardless of cost. A Labor Department envi ronmental impact study re leased days before the bear ings opened stated flatly that "promulgation of the pro posed standard will not stop vinyl chloride production and use.',' The study conceded that production would be curtailed in some plants, but that feder al loans would be made avail able to companies needing new equipment to meet the standards. Dow Chemical Corp. bols tered the government position during the month-long hear-. Lngs. A spokesman for the Chemical giant said that Dow had dealt with vinyl chloride effectively for 20 years and that they would offer conver sion assistance to any firm that asked. Another industry leader, Tenneco. took the opposite position. Tenneco vice presi dent Joseph Fath predicted that -- if at all possible -- the conversions to reach safety levels five times that pro posed would take two to three years and $10 million per plant. * OFFICIALS for Union Car bide said they subscribe to the majority position in the indus try: by 1976 levels can be low ered to25 ppm. and further re ductions to 10 ppm can be reached by 1977. Their 100-page statement apparently caused some divi siveness among corporate executives. One source told the Gazette: it's not a time when stonewalling' is looked upon favorably... .and some thought we could have taken a more conciliatory line." By law, the Labor Depart ment must decide on a perma nent standard by this Septem ber. Officials there have told newsmen that the Dow testi mony would have great bear ing on their decision. UCC 104964 General Hospital, Rj- llller -- Service will 10 a.ro. in Parsons with the Rev. Ron?g Burial will be in ends may call today funeral borne. Mrs. 'di.esday in Jackson ong illness. - Service will be n Packsville Freei the Rev. Komi >1 will be in WilFnends may call *y Funeral Home, iggests memorials tr. Richmond, 00, day in Charleston ibort illness. rvice will be held St. Ann Catholic urial will be in try. Friends may Harrow Funeral Jiar, 65, of Shady at bis home of IX Kins was set at 65,000. Engineer Says -v Carbide Can Meet Standards By EPA A Union Carbide engineer said the company should have no problems meeting stiffened Environmental Pro tection Agency atandards for vinyl chloride emissions. The federal agency changed the al lowable emissions from 10 parts per million to five as a settlement of a lawsuit against EPA filed by the dtiaen group Environmental Defense Fund. The chemical is suspected of causing cancer and birth defects. "Based on our current plans for abatement of emissions, assuming EPA approves our compliance plan, we should have no trouble meeting 6 parts per million well before It becomes re* qulred," said Nick Wheeler of Carbide. The settlement awaits the approval of the U.S. Court of Appeals. When that comes through polluters will have three yean to eat emissions to five million, and the EPA indicated it has agreed to aim toward eventual sero emissions. ane 30-day sentence imposed. Fined 6200 were: Robert E. Mc- Theny, P.O. Box 112 in Charleston, stealing merchndise from Rite Aid on Summers Street; Dixie L. Crowder from Cinco, W.Va., stealing lipstick val ued at 63.34 from Rite Aid on Rebecca and Washington streets; and Francis Johnson, 700 Rebecca Street in Char leston, stealing a 66 pair of sunglasses from Stone and Thomas Department Store. Fined 6100 was: Marvin R. Davis, 70$ Monts Sheet in Charleston, stealing two packs of cigarettes from Kroger on Smith Street Bond was forfeited for: Roberta Anne Endicott from Canneltoo W. Va., stealing merchandise valued at 6126 from K Mart in Kanawha City; and Katherine Cremeana, 316 Gap View Drive in Charleston, stealing candy val ued at 67 cents from K Mart on MacCorkle Avenue. A 30-day sentence was set for Debo rah Knapp, address unknown, stealing 68.61 worth of merchandise from Kro ger on Smith Shf-t, second offense. SUNSET Services Todajf memorial gssa PARK 4JQ1 MmCoGG A. . Ph 34?-51 S 5 % ILNUJLPEJMMGTON has joined the staff at BariiettBurdette Funeral Home. A grad uate of Potomac State Jr. Col lege aid Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, Mr. Penning ton is a licensed Wed Virginia embobner and funeral director with 14 yean experience. Bartlett-Burdette* '(me JohnP. Coa Director 0V1 si) itamain. *nw hi-iih Japan Fire Kills 4 yew*ja/nUhf namte ing." He cono that of the `tich O'Leary he price and control of oil roach would ' supplies by speared that paying more cular. my attempt ts taxes will tress. Chair' /ash., of the already has ach "won't the gas tax red, since ediate reon. t equity," e familiar a blanket te poorer r. K1TAKYUSHU. Japan (AP) - A Bit to bum dead weeds on a scenic hill to prepare for the spring tourist season got out of control Friday, kflttng four firemen and seriously injuring two oth ers, police reported. Police said the tragedy occurred during the seasonal weed-burning on Higaodai Hill in the Kitakyushu national park in southern Japan. mraif FLOWERS Express Your Sentiments When words ore hard to find call: 342-7103 for prompt Courteous Service WITH THE VEKT FINEST . 7m? MAKE YOUR MEMORIAL DAY SELECTION NOW FROM WEST VIRGINIA'S LARGEST , AND FINEST MEMORIAL DEALER [ears Monument Company ' "Over 66 YaertotSfevanQueSiy 4 Santas" MOWS DON'T DELAY SEE YOlTR (ears FROM *596 REPRESENTATIVE TODAY 17 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS ' (ears Monument Company 104965 Botnert's Flowers 1031 QiiarrlerSt. J 124 VIRGINIA STREET EAST PH.304042-4138 CHARLESTON, W EST VIRGINIA 25323 AmMU . -.............4343133 ....................943-333) N.SWownt............. 473-3334 MUay................ 233-6430 tayrtwnfc............574-1131 Swtanburg...........443-3721 SufWo................ 937-2731 Huntingdon............322-0371 SafewU*................43S-6373 Oondmin................ 343-3664 Humeono.................343-9487 Rifhword CrobOnhord. . . . 253-1893 Hill e '' S. C. Worker's Cancer Death Fuels Vinyl Chloride Probe By James A. Haogfct Inmtigattv* Reporter Charleston research will resume in Sep tember. be said. Another worker of the South Charleston the Cincinnati office of the National Insti Union Carbide plant has died of a rare tute for Occupational Safety and Health type of liver cancer, and a massive federal (NIOSH). told the Gazette the research is study of possible vinyl chloride danger at "a monumental task" and "the projected the plant is proceeding. " date for completion is December -- al Records of 42.000 persons who have though`we may have to extend it." worked at the plant since the 1930s are The South Charleston study is only part being traced in a search for cases of an of an intensive investigation being made giosarcoma. the unusual cancer believed at several vinyl plastics plants around the caused by vinyl chloride fumes, a federal nation in the, wake of a worldwide angios official said Tuesday. arcoma alarm. Lemen indicated. Richard Lemen. chief of medical data at * * HE SAID HIS entire staff of 15 was as signed to microfilm personnel records of the South Charleston plant, back to the time in the 1930s when the plant began working with vinyl plastics. Of 42.000 em ployes involved, Lemen said, bis staff will sort out those who worked in areas ex posed to vinyl chloride, then trace the medical histories of all, living and dead. Lemen said his staff temporarily shelved the South Charleston research and began working on records of smaller vinyl plants at Louisville, Ky.. Ashtabula. Ohio, and Pottstown. Pa. Only about 1,500 work ers are involved in the three smaller plants, he said, so the researchers hope to find "quick answers." Work on the South The angiosarcoma alarm centers upon plants which convert vinyl chloride mon omer into polyvinyl chloride, a common plastic used in phonograph records, gar den hoses, electrical wire coatings, Dynel fabric, floor tile and the like. Fumes created in the conversion pro cess and breathed by plant workers are suspected of causing the rare liver cancer as late as 15 to 2D years after exposure. (Please Turn to Page 3A, Col. 6) S. G. Worker's Death Fuels Chloride Probe Also, other workers such as floor tile installers, who apply heat or pressure to finished ^polyvinyl chloride products, Saiua tn nenanter From Page One was proposed. Congressional hearings were held in Wash ington this month on the sug gested zero level. Executives of the South prftLi ji-m/c 7/?y/?y pn(> !~c Liver Cancer Death Spurs Vinyl Chloride Checkups t An autopsy has confirmed that a second worker at Union Carbide's South Charleston plant suspected of having an giosarcoma died of the dis ease, company officials said today. Earlier this year federal health officials launched an extensive investigation into the link between vinyl chlor ide and angiosarcoma, a rare form of liver cancer, after Carbide and other plastics producers reported that some of their workers who had been exposed to the chemical had contracted the disease. Previously officials at the South Charleston plant said that one vinyl chloride worker died of angiosarcoma in the late 60's and that another worker was suspected of hav ing the disease. Today a plant spokesman said an. autopsy performed on Richard Clendenin, 52, of Dunbar who died July 4, revealed that he had the disease. Clendenin was employed in vinyl chloride production from 1944 to 1969, but had worked for the past five years in specialty resins, the official said. At the request of the compa ny and the Intemation Asso ciation of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the union representing South Charleston plant workers, Dr. Irving Seli- koff of Mount Sinai Medical School in New York examined 400 plant employes in June. Analysis of the tests made is expected to be completed next month. WALL street journal Friday, July 12, 1974 Tougher Vinyl Chloride Rules Are Goal Who's News Arctic 1 By Fall as Labor Agency Ends Hearings New York Magazine Sees Lc Changes Top Posts------------------------------------------------------------- Return ' By a Wall StreitJoctrhal Staff Reporter essarily show how the technique could be At The Village VoiceWASHINGTON--Labor Department offi used in an industrial plant, or how expen By a Wall 8 cials said they hope to Issue new, tougher sive it would be to install. THIEF RIV standards for handling vinyl chloride by The Labor Department in April Issued a Oct, 5, when the current temporary stan temporary standard cutting vinyl chloride By a Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter Enterprises In dard expires. exposure to SO parts per million in the air, NEW YORK -- New York Magazine'Co. cal 1975, endln, The department yesterday completed responding to evidence that exposure can has changed the top editorial and business to return to pi nine dnys of hearings on the proposed stan cause cancer. posts at its newly acquired publication, The C. Penn, presl dard barring exposing workers to any "de tectable" amount of the chemical. The hear- Daniel p. Boyd, director of the Office of Standards Development for the depart Village Voice. The company, which also publishes New Penn didn't est .nga consisted mainly of plastics Industry ment's Occupational Safety and Health Ad York Magazine, said Ross Wetzsteon, the In fiscal 197 ( stimony asserting the proposed standard ministration, aaid the evidence at the hear Voice's executive editor, would assume had losses fro: vould be impossible to meet and would ings indicates a standard oP 35 parts per day-to-day responsibility for the editorial 13.3 million on lose down much of the industry. * million can bo met "across the industry." direction of the paper. He will take over operations of It But the hearings ended on a surprising ote when an official of Merck & Co.'s Calon Corp. described laboratory work showig that vinyl chloride gas can be totally re- ioved from air by filtering It through aettited carbon, which Calgon makes. It can ter be -recovered and reused. However, other industry officials at the He said the actual standard would be "somewhere between aero and 28." A "no detectable" level would be about one part per million. "There isn't any likelihood in my mind," he added, "that we're going to put the in dustry out of business." Forty-four groups of witnesses from in these responsibilities from Daniel Wolf who had been editor. New York Magazine Co. said Mr. Wolf has been asked to serve as a consultant, but it didn't say whether he bad agreed to do so. The company also said Bartle Bull, presi dent of The Village Voice Inc., the operating company that produces the paper, would be loss of 18.3 mill, operations of 18 Mr. Penn a: in fiscal 1975 is short-term debt production, sale: 1976. The compa aring insisted that the findings didn't nec dustry and labor appeared at the hearings. responsible for the paper's business affairs. year, but still Edwin Fancher, who had been publisher, snowmobiles du also bee been asked to serve as a consul season aa It did t Senate Votes to End `No-Knock? Raids tant. Mr. Fancher, who Is a practicing psy "It appears t chologist, didn't Indicate whether he would stabllzed througl In Suspects by Federal Narcotics Agents do so. territories,'' Mr. Some staff members of the Voice said they aaw Mr. Wolf's replacement aa editor as an indication that Clay 8. Felker, presi By a Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter ' ` WASHINGTON-Some of the Nixon adnitration's early law-end-order leglsla victories are showing signs of erosion in Committee unanimously approved a "speedy trial" bill aimed at cutting down delays in the federal court system. Spon sored by Sen. Sam Ervin (D,, N.C.) the bill dent of New York Magazine Co. and editor and publisher of New York, was moving to consolidate his control over the Voice. At the time of its acquisition last month, the igrcss. 3y a heavy margin of 84 to 31, the Senate lerday voted to end "no-knock" raids on r euSpects by federal narcotics agents, r sharp debate in 1970, Congress had ap ed letting agents get special no-knock eh warrants allowing them to break into ultimately would require a defendant's fed eral court trail to Btart within three months after his arrest Currently, trial delays run more than a year In some federal court dis tricts. The Justice Department had resisted Sen. Ervin's schedule of prosecution dead lines, but its opposition has faded. Voice was promised continued editorial in dependence. But staff members said they felt such in dependence could be guaranteed only In a statement of support for Mr. Wolf by Mr. Felker. Mr. Wolf's contract as editor was due to expire Dec. 31, one staff member said. Voice staff members, with one excep welling without first identifying them- Sen. Ervin regards his speedy trial bill as a preferred alternative to preventive de- tion, passed a resolution last month asking that Mr. Wolf bo guaranteed his Job as edi rpoal of that provision was added by tcntlon. or jailing without bend, of suspects tor. Senate as an amendment to a drug- who might commit violent crimes before Staff members declined, however, to east s prevention bill. If the House oopeurs, their original trials begin. In his first tern, Mr. Wetzsteon ae a "bad guy." Mr. Wet*- authority for no-knock warrants would President Nixon pushed for a national pre steon, said one, was admired for his fair pealed Immediately, ventive detention law tor all federal juris ness. i Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary dictions. Sen. Ervin has blocked that, txit in see eek's Auto Output 1971 Congress authorized preventive deten tion for suspects in the District of Columbia U.S. Banknote Appoints alone. Edward B. Ory President Both no-knock drug searches and preven Trail *73 by 21%, tive detention in Washington have been little NEW YORK--U.S. Banknote Corp. said used in actual practice, but they were sym Edward B. Ory wee elected president sad e p Holiday Period bols of the administration's early promises director. As president he will succeed Fred to get tough with criminals. Since 1970 there R. Esty, who remains chairman and chief have been several highly publicized Inci executive. v i,i. StreetJounal Staff Reporter 'ir.OTT -- U.S, auto makers plan to :: ',227 cars in thetr domestic plants i .k, about 21% below year-ago pro- dents of drug agents and policemen, with or without no-knock warrants, breaking into the wrong houses and terrorizing the occu pants. Mr. Ory, 48 yean old. joined the com pany about four months ago as executive vice president. He previously owned his own investment advisory concern, Edward B. Ory k Go. U.S. Banknote, which had a net i but almost 20% above last week, ' One lawmaker who supported the origi loss last year of M.l million on sales of 121.2 v.as shortened by tho Fourth of July nal 1970 hill, Sen. Robert Taft (R. Ohio), million, produces stock and bond certifi explained his switch yesterday by complain cates and Is engaged in financial printing. il production last week totaled 114,.'.a the year-ago week's output at ing that no-knock searches have "increased the chances that the officer or someone in side the dwelling entered had a greater * Commerce and Industry J. P., Stevens k Co. (New York)- probability of being killed or wounded If of Thomas B. Price was named a corporate -ral Motors Carp, said it reached a ficers burst Into a home of an accused with group vice president of this diversified tex u agreement Wednesday night with out prior notice.'* tile eoncr---! V-"*'-------- - 1" " voikers at its Kansas City i-.ssem- coo fri., juiY 5.1974 Cbatleston Dailp 09ail IJA' OSHA HEARINGS Dow Details Chloride Fight Bv DANIEL F. WEST For The Doily Mail WASHINGTON - Swamped by a flood of undigested testi mony, lawyers for the Occu pational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have called a recess in their hear ings into safe job site levels of vinyl chloride, a substance widely used in the plastics in dustry which is now thought to be cancer-causing. OSHA has proposed that the gas (it is used at the South Charleston Union Carbide plant) not be present in de tectable amounts. The chemi cal industry has sought to un derline the flimsiness of the cancer connection and stated that reducing the levels would be technically impossible. * " The hearings progressed lei surely throughout most of last week -- nearly 90 witnesses were scheduled to speak, but by the time recess was or dered ohly the top 12 on the list had been heard. Respective arguments were unfolding as expected and un til late Friday afternoon few eyebrows had been raised. Then the Dow Chemical Co. took the stand. To the surprise of many of their industry peers, spokesmen for Dow de tailed how they had fought the vinyl chloride emission prob lem and won. Physicians for Dow, admit ting that exposure to the gas at levels of half the former federal minimum "definitely increases the risk of malig nancy", said that none of their workers had contracted the rare form of liver cancer as sociated with the chemical. In four hours of testimony, the firm's officials went a long way in destroying the carefully orchestrated argu ments of those who had preceeded them. In the words of one smiling OSHA official, "The week seems to have end ed on an up note." Labor Department lawyers later said the Dow statement, which cited specific safety steps in their manufacturing process, gave evidence to those who claim that a major ity of the plastics industry had been exaggerating the diffi culties of reducing leaks. Before April 5. the govern ment had allowed 500 parts per million (ppm) in facto ries. Following the release of European studies which linked the gas to cancer, the level was scaled down to 250 ppm. And when U.S. research ers collaborated the earlier studies, federal authorities further reduced the allowable level of 50 ppm. Only a week prior to the be ginning of the hearings, the. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made public the first cases of people who developed the liver cancer be cause they lived near plants which used vinyl chloride. Although this study pointed to only two deaths -- both oecuring occurring neighbor hoods near two Connecticut plastics plants -- the revela tion was a setback to those who had maintained that rela tively insignificant levels of the gas were not harmful. In addition, the EPA study listed two more chemical workers who lived and worked in the same area and who have recently died of the dis ease. The two most recent deaths are noteworthy be cause they are the first not in volving plants where the raw chemical was being produced. Health officials have said that approximately 6 per cent of the total U.S. output of vi nyl chloride escapes into the atmosphere each year, most through smokestacks. The EPA has issued a stern warn ing to the industry that it should take immediate steps to reduce neighborhood expo sure to the lowest possible lev els. The industry, during the first round of testimony, of fered a counter proposal. In stead of barring any detecta ble levels, they suggest a gradual decrease of the nox ious gas -- starting with 40 ppm this year and decreasing to 25 ppm by 1976. UCC 104969 Nader Group Asks Ban On Aerosol Chemical WASHINGTON - Ralph Nader'r Health Research Group asked the federal gov ernment Thursday to ban the use of vinyl chloride in aero solized cosmetics, pesticides and other household products. Several cases of a rare liver cancer have been found among un\l chloride woikers m a B F Goodrich Co. chemi cal plant in Louisvijle. Ky., and in a plant operated by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. \ t1 t*jf Moore in Niagara Falls. Vinyl chloride is a basic chemical in the plastics indus try and the foundation for hundreds of consumer prod ucts Dr, Sidney M. Wolfe, direc tor ot the research group, said a sigmlicant amount of vinyl chloride is used as a propel lent in aerosol containers Wolfe told a Senate Health subcommittee that a source in the cosmetic, industry in- formed him that vinyl chlor ide is going into such cosmetic aerosols as hairsprays. "Heauty parlor operators and consumers are using the vinyl cloud." he said "This chemical may represent an other thalidomide." He did nut identify any prod uct brand names. Tile Nader petitions to ban the chemicals in aerosols were sent to the Food and Drug Administration, the Con sumer Product Safety Com mission and the Environmen tal Protection Agency. In letters to the three agen cy beads, the Nader group asked them to make public the brand names of all aerosol consumer products and cos metics which contain vinyl chloride as a propellent. / rn- V*i> v-r\ '/ Vt L> r .. V. \( id J& EX-C11AMPS Jim Seals left and are chart champs now with a str hits including "Hummingbird,'' a Never Pass This Way Again." Th formerly performed in an instrur called "The Champs." Seals ant appear at 8 p.m. Monday in the ( f State Senate Debate UCC 104970 Employe Changes Hattie of Sexes Told by Mcjunkin McJunkin Corp has made three major personnel changes. President H. D Wohrle Jr, said Thursday. Wendell S. Moore, former assistant production manager for Cities Service Oil Co. in Denver, Colo., has been ap pointed director of marketing of the McJunkin oil and gas division. Richard Hill, who joined McJunkln In 1968, ha* been promoted to director of man agement Information sys tems, nod Jack Dyer, a com pany employe since ISM, has been promoted to manager of sales and the oil and gus divi sion. Moore, a former Charleston resident, is a graduate of West Virginia University. Foi the past 33 years, he has been with the Columbia Carbon Co. and Cities Service Oil He and his wife, the former Mary law Bullard, plan to move to Char leston May 1. HiU, a graduate of Morris Harvey College, lives with his family in Dunbar Over, a native of Wayne, was an oil and gas drilling contractor and operator be fore joining McJuniin Since 1964. he has been top producer several times among the com pany s GO salesmen. Wehrle said Rages Equal Rights Amendment, to be or not to be, that is the question. Women descended on the State Senate in large numbers Thursday to express their opinions and to observe the action They came to a hearing on a resolution that would with draw and annul West Virgini a's ratification of the amend ment last year. The amendment is designed to give equal status to women under the U. S. Constitution. Congress has approved it, and 33 states have ratified It. Five more must ratify before the Youth Service Aimed At Expanded Outlets 15) Martha Smith bluff b rih r activities are carried out in the city proper and many who live in outlving neighborhoods handle at least half the cases now filtered through juvenile courts Over ERA amendment can go into effect. At least one state, Nebras ka, lias rescinded its ratifica tion. but that action is under a cloud of legal doubt. A movement is under way for other states, including West Virginia, to take similar ac tion. During the bearing, one of the opponents of the West Vir ginia resolution quoted a tele gram from l). S. Sen. Sam Er vin Jr of North Carolina, saving. "There is no question but that the states have a right to rescind " The telegram was read by Mrs Charles Beaver of Hun tington. representing a nation al organization called Happi ness of Womanhood. Hut Sen. Louise Leonard. R- Jciferson. quoting Rep Mar tha Griffiths of Michigan, a champion of women's rights in Congress for 20 years, said there is abundant evidence that withdrawal of ratifica tion by a state is illegal Mrs Leonard cited deci sions by Congress and in high courts to the effect that with- Hr i l ' ' dent of t Voters, s is oppose^ the amei year. Moi sent law are full o Howard the Wes Rights Ci that num about bit the civil to 20 ye; "Moun free," be part of tl rights, b Witncs included wood of; resenting ration Cathcrin ton. 1) ( Citizens the StatL Also t Falk, a Mine W< nev riii-i directn YWCA, icility I v hve Goodrich plant deaths .iic.il pi,in arc highlights of of I AM local 778 cm- OSHA hearing probes ! l), ' 1. reports that the major Li c occupational canceru emplo>ccs. oh classifications, bidding ons and in the processing baimieis Angiosarcoma, a rare liver cancer, has claimed its fifth 11.non negotiating commit* | victim at the B. F. Goodrich jlt. Mjrjonc Rosson, Eva C hemical plant in Louisville, Ky. Revelation of the latest fatality came in Louisville as the U.S. Occupational Salely and Health Administration (OSHA) was con ducting puhlic hearings in Wash ington, nr., investigating the tN Machinist* Council will "i irr- Li ^ at the I'antlln.l ..Did Hapitls, Fred Kundr.Ua. , i. porta. deaths of the first four workers. All five workers were exposed to polyvinyl chloride and its vapors chinlsts Special School* inside the plant. 3-8, Start orientation for n;ii3 and general chairmen, dfiuartera. Washington, D C. 17-2?, Staff orientation for t < ps and general chairmen. .U|uartvra, Washington, D.C. 7-12, Education methods for and local education . members. University of Jiirimngham, Ala. The disclosure of the fifth death was accompanied by a re port of an angiosarcoma diag nosis during recent surgery on a sixth Goodrich worker. His chances for survival arc reported slim. t-211, Arbitration training In r full-time staff who handle >n University of California, Calif. 3, Collective bargainmu, institute for business urnerai chairmen, Cornell \ lihaca. is'Y. s-M*> 3, Specialised colleeumng school for local nego.inniittec members. Uniter* i."i iinsin. Madison. Wis. lo. Arbitration training in; full-time start who handle n I'mversit} of Illinois, Ur- application form* from at u>n department at I AM < rn, Washington, D.C. The cases of liver cancer among Goodrich workers en gaged in the production of poly vinyl chloride brought more than 25 witnesses to testify at puhlic hearings in Washington. The iead-o(T witness at the day-long hearing was John O'Neil, chief of OSHA'.s health standards divi sion. He told the packed confer ence. "We arc faced with a new occupational disease. There is no sense denying it " of Machinists fixers I Sccretary-Treato .I.NE II. GI.OVUR la, himats' Uldy tiui'/ti/n, J) C, tOOJS KOBERT R. SIMPSON Suite 3 4?:0 Atlantic 4v, Long Beach, Calif. 90807 TOM Dl'CY 50 M'i it Oaktan St lhs Plained, III. 0018 A trade union panel of experts was led bv Sheldon Samuels, health, safetv and environmental affairs director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department. He was joined hy Dr. Henry Ander son, Mount Sinai School of Med icine. New York City; Louis Beliczky. industrial hygienist for the Rubber Workers: and Dr. , | in ii.-.Wi.'uv. | " -`""""'L. ' .. | Thomas Mancuso, University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Puhlic Health. Dr. Mancuso has been working with 1AM mem bers in tracing links of certain forms of cancer to specific jobs. Samuels acknowledged that the exposure limits at the Goodrich plant in I ouisville were far more stringent than the Federal safety standards. Rut he pointed out that even those limits, as well as the entire monitoring process, needed tightening. Samuels asked the Department of Health, Edu cation and Welfare and the Labor Department for immediate action on an emergency standard for working with polyvinyl chlorides. Dr. Mancuso warned of other industrial diseases among poly vinyl chloride workers, some of which have already been uncov ered in Louisville. He listed cir rhosis of the liver and other types of cancer such us skin, bone and lung. Dr. Mancuso's warnings were upheld by testimony from Pro fessor Ccsare Mulloni of Instituio Di Oncologia, Bologna, Italy. Italian researchers, like Dr. Maltoni, have found a variety of cancers occurred in rats exposed to high levels of vinyl and poly vinyl chlorides. Dr. Mancuso called for a three-pronged program to investi gate links between polyvinyl chloride and cancer. His recom mendations included; / An immediate Government study, through the National In stitute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the can cer potential and other health risks of working with polyvinyl chlorides. vestigate and inform workers around the world of potential hazards, European countries pro duce nearly 75% of the world's vinyl chlorides. 4 That international trade unions join with universities and medical centers to study the can cers occurring among union members and examine the rela tionships to their jobs. Dr. Mancuso told the OSHA investigators in Washington: "This situation, the chance re cognition of an occupational can cer by a unique combination of circumstances, clearly demon strates what is not known about the carcinogenic potential of thousands of industrial chemicals that have been in use for decades and further focuses attention on the total absence of a national concerted study of occupational cancer in this country." JOHN rSTKltFAri Mi Machinists' Hlda U a^hmfjton, /) C f00JO --When you have finished read- j V An International Research ing your copy of Tilt Machinist, Committee on Vinyl Chloride pass it on to a friend or neighbor. I and Cancer be formed to log, in Eugene Glover. Secretary-Trfmworer, International Association of Machinist* and Arrospam Worker*, 1360 Connecticut Are., N.W., Wank., D.C. tOOtt. Independence Day. Thanksgiving and Christnms Sccond-cla** postal paid at Washington. D.C. Subscription 34 yearly to non-membera. UCC 104971 , 14 CHEMICAL WEEK June 26. 1974 Focusing on fabricators Fear that angiosarcoma, a rare liver cancer, may be an occupational hazard in the polyvinyl chloride fabricating indus try was raised this month by two more workers' deaths that were attributed to the disease. Previously, investigators suspected that the alleged carcinogenicity of vinyl chlo ride monomer was a danger only to the estimated 6,500 workers employed in VCM or PVC production plants. But word from the Connecticut Health Dept, of the death of a man who worked with PVC insulation for wiring at General Electric's Bridgeport plant and of a clerk in Ross & Roberts' Stratford PVC-coated fabrics plant seemed to indicate that the danger of exposure may also be a problem for hundreds of thousands of employees in the PVC processing industry. The expanded scope of the carcino genicity inquiry is likely to be a factor in the Occupational Safety and Health Ad ministration's attempts to set a safe worker exposure level for VCM. OSHA has proposed a "no detectable level'' of exposure, reduced from the SO parts/million standard now in effect. This week, OSHA is holding hearings in Washington to get reaction to that pro posal. Several companies already have said they don't believe such a level can be achieved. The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) last week issued a report, prepared by Arthur D. Little, stating that at least 1.6 million U.S. workers would be out of jobs "if an unrealistic occupational health regulation, limiting worker exposure to vinyl chloride, forces a shutdown of the industry.** The cost, in terms of lost sales and production, would eventually amount to at least $65 billion, according to Little. Ralph L. Harding, Jr., SPI president, says that technology needed to enable manufacturers to meet the "no detectable level" standard is not feasible. He adds that if such a standard were adopted, "the vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride resin producing industries will be forced to close down immediately." As for using substitute materials for VCM and PVC, Harding adds that many materials that might be considered as PVC substitutes are now in very short supply. SPI reports that Little is looking into the possibility of using substitute mate rials on a short-term basis to replace PVC in some applications. Little's analysis will be presented at the OSHA hearings. DCC&arletton &aia7f!lppQIafl WED . JUNE26J974" ' STUDY OF VINYL WORKERS SHOWS WASHINGTON (AP)-A president of the B. F^Good- fnedical study has produced >ew. evidence suggesting a igh tncidehce of death from rich Chemical Co. 1 Vittone. representing the pastic industry trade associa rare liver cancer among fac- tion. proposed a different ory- employes working with standard in prepared testimo inyl chloride, a chemical ny. His proposal would reduce ! rfdely used in the plastics in- worker exposure to vinyl | ustfy. chloride from 50 parti per ! A study of vinyl chloride million of air now in forte to. /orfcers at the Goodyear plant 10 parts per million, effective \ Niagara Falls, N.Y., found October 1977. *? tat'three of 24 deaths were ite to the cancer, angiosar- But Selikoff argued that tma.' "the only .prudent course for I)r*Irving J. Selikoff. direc- the prevention of angiosar >r of the Environmental coma - is to provide awork fences Laboratory of the environment with no detecta iouht Sinai School of Medi ble levels of vinyl chloride.'' ae. cited the study. He emtasized the critical import- Dr. Marcus M. Key, direc ice of reducing the amount tor of1 the National Institute vinyl chloride workers are for Occupational Safety and :posed to. to a "no detecta- Health, said the Finding of 19 e level" as proposed by the cases of angiosarcoma --13 of tbor Department. them in the United States -- Selikoff was among dozens among vinyl chloride workers witnesses Tuesday at a between January and May a ring on the Labor Depart- "indicates that we are observ enfs proposed standards for ing a newly recognized occu gulating vinyl chloride use. pational disease associated with exposure" to vinyl chlor Representatives of the So- ide. ity 'of the Plastics Industry, He said that previously c.. a trade association, about 20 to 30 cases of the dis gued that the medical eVid- ease had been reported an ce was too inconclusive to nually in the United States. quire banning worker expo v , re to the chemical. They Key also disclosed that*, id the proposed regulations within the past two weeks :re!impossible to achieve scientists have documented d would force the industry two more liver cancer deaths close scores of plants with in men employed at plants us loss of as many as 2.2 mil- ing polyvinyl chloride to fabri n jobs. cate other products. T!)e proposed permanent Vinyl chloride, a gas. Is mdard is not technological- used to produce polyvinyl feasible and. if adopted. chloride, a white suggary- >uld shut down the indus- like material used in the man ^ ".warned Anton Vittone, ufacture of most plastics. THIS CUPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE PAGE /A it-: I ncicfence H i UCC 104973 THIS CUPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MA DATE (o-X(c-7<J PA G E__/ IldC'OatiestoH^aiip 60all wed.june 26,1974 STUDY OF VINYL WORKERS SHOWS Rare Cancer DeathIncidence High WASHINGTON (AP) - A president of the B. F.Good- ----------------------- ------ --________________________________________________ medical study has produced , rich Chemical Co. new.evidence suggesting a,; ' Vittone. representing the hifeti 'Oicidence of death from - plastic industry trade associa- a tare liver cancer among fac- tion. proposed a different lory employes working with standard in prepared testimo- Vinyl chloride, a chemical ny. His proposal would reduce 1 W idely used in the plastics, in- worker exposure -to vinyl j i^liistrv chloride from 50 parts per , A^tudy of vinyl chloride million of air now in foree to * Workers at the Goodyear plant 10 parts per million, effective in Niagara Falls. N.Y., found October 1977.. - tnat' three of 24 deaths were " due'to the cancer, angiosar- / But Selikoff argued that, comal . ' ; "the only prudent course for Urjlrving J. Selikdff. direc- the prevention of angiosar- tor 'ofthe Environmental coma ~ is to provide a work Sciences Laboratory of the environment with no detecta- Alount Sinai School of Medi- ble levels of vinyl chloride." cine, cited the study. He em- - /ihasired the critical Import- , Dr. Marcus M. Key. diree-' ;>nce of reducing the amount tor of the National Institute r vim! chloride workers are for Occupational Safety and :posed to, to a "no detecta- Health, said (he finding of 19 o level" as proposed by the eases of angiosarcoma --13 of . abor Department. them in the United States-- , Selikoff was among dozens among vinyl chloride workers ij witnesses Tuesday at a between January and May .hearing on the Labor Depart- "indicates that we are observ- ,'niCnt`s proposed standards for ing a newly recognized occu- regulating vinyl chloride use. pational disease associated ' with exposure" to vinyl chior- Representatives of the So ide. ciety of the Plastics Industry.' He said that previously Inc., a trade association, about 20 to 30 cases of the dis argued that the medical erid- ease had been reported an >jricv ^was too inconclusive to nually in the United States. roqflire banning worker expo sure to the chemical. They Key also disclosed that said the proposed regulations within the past two weeks were?impossible to achieve scientists have documented and would force the Industry two more liver cancer deaths :oildse scores of plants with in men employed at plants us the loss ol as many as 2.2 mil ing polyvinyl chloride to fabri lion fobs. cate other products. "The proposed permanent Vinyl chloride, a gas. is standard is not technological used to produce polyvinyl ly feasible and. if adopted, chloride, a white suggary- vonId shut down the indus- like material used in the man rv, ".warned Anton Vittone. ufacture of most plastics. UCC104974 HEARINGS ON VINYL CHLORIDE THIS CUPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIt DATE (a-'AS'l H PAGE Jh * 3 Restrictions May Cost Jobs By ROBERT A. DOBKIN Associated Press* Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The plastics industry warns that proposed government rules to drastically reduce workers' exposure to a cancer-causing chemical could mean the loss of 1.6 million jobs. This was one of the points to be made by the industry dur ing a week-long public hearing opening today at the Labor Department The department's Occupa tional Safety and Health Ad ministration has proposed permanent restrictions that would limit air levels of vinyl chloride in plants to less than one part per million, or too small to be detected. Hie cur rent emergency standard is $0 parts per million. Vinyl chloride, the founda tion for much of the modern plastics industry, is the cento' of a growing worldwide con troversy over its potential health hazard to workers and possibly consumers. The government imposed the temporary emergency standard after the discovery earlier this year that exposure to vinyl chloride may be a cuase of a rare form of liver cancer known as angiosar coma. (Earlier this month Union Carbide officials said enforce ment of the proposed OSHA standards would produce a loss of 400 jobs at the South Charleston plant where vinyl chloride nonomer is converted into polyvinyl chloride. The resulting plastic also serves as the raw material In the pro duction of Dynel fiber at the plant. One South Charleston plant worker died of angiosar coma in the late 60s and anoth er worker is in critical condi tion with the disease. The B. F. Goodrich Co. dis closed in January that four workers at its vinyl chloride conversion plant in Louisville, Ky., died from the disease. Since then, 20 cases world wide have been linked to workers at plants where the vinyl chloride gas Is produced or converted into polyvinyl chloride. About 6,500 U.S. workers are involved in making,vinyl chloride and turning it into po lyvinyl chloride, a solid plas tic used in countless products including paints, pipes, floor tiles, toys, food packaging, phonograph records and clo thing. At first it was thought the danger involved only the workers at the first stage of the manufacturing process but scientists have now turned up evidence Indicating that as many as 700,000 workers could be exposed to the danger. A total of 95 witnesses, rep resenting government, the medical community and the big plastics and chemical manufacturers, have asked to testify at the hearings. The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. contends that if the government's proposed "no detectable level" is adopted, scores of plants will be forced to dose immediate ly, resulting in the loss of 1.6 million jobs at a cost to the economy of 165 billion. Labor Secretary Peter J. Brennan, in a statement Is sued before the hearing, did not comment on the industry's claim of lost jobs. "The purpose of this hear ing this week is to eUcit addi tional information from those in the industry -- employers and employes -- and others concerning the hazards from exposure to vinyl chloride, the best means of protection and the impact of the proposed standard," Brennan Mid. The industry argues that while it favors reducing work ers' exposure "toas Iowa lev el as possible." the proposed standard is impossible ta achieve with today's engineer ing technology. Industry sources indicated that the industry will propose an exposure level below the current temporary level of 50 parts per million, but some what above the government's proposed zero level. UCC 104975 THIS CUPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE L-H-7+ PAGE /S'fi Chloride Results Private No public report is planned on the round of tests taken over the weekend by Carbide employes for any effects of vi nyl chloride, p chemical asso ciated with a-rare cancer of the liver. > Instead, reports on the ex aminations will be made to the individual employes, a company spokesman said Monday. It will require sever al weeks to coordinate test re sults by Carbide physicians and a medical team from Mount Sinai School of Medi cine in New York under Dr. Irving J. Selikoff. - About 420 employes were examined, including a number of retired workers and 100 oth ers who had never worked in vinyl chloride but who served 4 as a control group. The New York team was in vited jointly to Shuth Charles ton by the company and Local 598 of the International Asso ciation of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Ucc 104976 THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE PAGE^s Exaffliner HopefuI Can Solve Chloride Problem DB.y, RDITCPHOAiRDDn UHAlAi<S ' Daily Mail Business Editor If the chemical industry cannot reduce the cancer risk to its employes, it should be shut down, die director of a medical team studying wat ers at Union Carbide's South Charleston plant said Monday. Dr. Irving Seiikoff. director of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine unit which conduct ed four days of medical tests at the plant, added, however, that he was impressed with . the industry efforts being ' made to reduce waker expo sure to vinyl chlaide. Dr. Seiikoff s team is one of the leading research groups studying the possible link be tween exposure to vinyl chla ide and angiosarcoma, a rare form of liver cancer. Carbide and the Local 5M. Internation al Assn, of Machinists and Aerospace Workers invited the New York group to the plant after concern developed earlier this year over the pos sible dangers of the chemical. A review of plant medical re cords revealed that one South Charleston worker died of jthngiosarcoma in 1968 and one Hdher fonta? employe is seri*ausly-Jltt!F'a liver disease jwhichlias not been definitiveifdiagnosed. Followin__g__a1tour ot ftvth.*e pro duction units at the plant where vinyl chloride monom er is converted to polyvinyl chloride. Dr. Seiikoff said the. technical progress made in re ducing levels of vinyl chloride in the workplace and the good will shown by Carbide were hopeful signs that the problem could be solved. - The South Charleston plant is the fourth major U.S. chem ical facility visited by the Mount Sinai team this year, but the clinical data on the ef fect of vinyl choloride under actual wotting conditions is very limited. Dr. Seiikoff said. Researchers working with laboratory animals have found they can produce the liver tumors associated with angiosarcoma in rats by ex posing them to very limited quantities of vinyl chlaide, he said. The problem, he noted, comes in transferring the ani mal findings to'the human sit uation. "If you ask me what is a safe level of vinyl chlaide. I can't answer that," Dr. Seii koff said. "No one can. I can tell you what an unsafe level is. and I cah .tell you that If you want to be absolutely cer tain you Shduld eliminate ex posure completely.' but I can't say whether there is an in-be tweenLlnevuel lththoat titisuslacfe"." The goal of industry and its government regulators should be to reduce the cancer risk of chemical worker* to the same risk level of the papulation in general. Eliminating the riik completely would be impossi ble, Dr. Seiikoff said, since some cases of angiosarcoma are not linked to vinyl chla ide. Since the adoption of the Oc cupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 the taw of the land has been that industry mnst 'If you ask mo what is a safe level of vinyl chloride, I can't an swer that. No one can.' --Dr. Irving Seiikoff offer its employes a woirli- place that is free from expo sure to accidents and disease, Dr. Seiikoff said. If the chemi cal industry cannot reduce the risk from vinyl chlaide, gov ernment would be forced to close the affected operations, he said. Dr. Seiikoff rejected the contentions of some chemical industry officials that the can cer risk involved in exposure to vinyl chloride is less than ththaat t1a3sSs0oiCic3ateteddWwitihthCciguartrle!tte smoking and thus does not warrant strong government action. "The correlation is strong in both cases." he said, "but cigarette smoking is strictly voluntary." Because widespread use of various chemicals is a fairly recent phenomenon. Dr. Seii koff said he expects other problems similar to the vinyl chloride situation to develop. "Those of us involved in can cer research are asking our selves'; ' Howv many other vi nyl chlorides should we be looking fa?'" If any of the tests conducted on the Carbide workers prod uce suspicious'findings, he said, the workers and their physicians will be encouraged to arrange further testing. A statisticafrfpat which does not revsel names will be sent to both the union and the company. Dr. Seiikoff said. If any of the workers tested give their approval more detailed findings will be disclosed to Carbide medical officials, he said. UCC 104977 THiS CLIPPING FROM. THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE u -/V PAGE I.tlilorinls If Union Carbide had been recalcitrant all along on the environmental questions of the day. we would be inclined toward skepticism on the statement of company officials regarding vinyl chloride produc tion But however grudgingly the chemicals firm first confronted demands of environ mentalists. Union Carbide quickly adjust ed to what it recognized as a new way of industrial life duction units have been voluntarily closed down as the alternative to risking emis sions of high-level toxicity. On the other hand, we can well under stand the concern with the apparent ef fects of vinyl chloride. The Occupational Salety and Health Administration * me belief that exposure to vinyl choloride can cause cancer, has proposed stringent reg ulations to be effective Aug. 4. To this. Union Carbide officials say they . Compliance with environmental stand cannot meet the deadline. At present vinyl ards soon became the rule rather than the chloride is released into the atmosphere exception, and Union Carbide today is only when reactors are cleared and when among the most cooperative of industrial finished products are drying. This tech concerns on the matter of environmental nique permits compliance with the tem quality. porary 50-parts-per-million emission standard that has been in effect since ' We know the Union Carbide plants in the April Kanawha Valley have made the most The new regulations will require a re strenuous efforts to comply and we know duction to 11 "no detectable level" of emis that on some davs. wilh certain weather sions. If the requirement cannot be met it conditions prevailing, Union Carbide pro- will mean a shutdown of vinyl chloride production in the Kanawha Valley and the elimination ol many jobs. About 4#U per sons are employed in the production of the substance, which is converted to a com mon plastic used in containers, garden hose, and coating for electric wiring. Thus we have another collision of indus trial and environmental concerns, and it is impossible to declare one or the other to be "wrong." The connection between vi nyl chloride and cancer is still subject to debate, although the evidence suggests a link. The amount of exposure sufficient to cause the fatal illness hasn't been estab lished. It is possible that massive amounts arc necessary. Under the circumstances, however, the safe course is better than the sorry one Giving due consideration to the good inter* hions of both sides, one can only conclude the job layoffs are mure desirable than ex posure to cancer. We are confident that Union Carbide scientists eventually will find a wav to reduce the danger to a negli gible level. UCC 104978 t: --Jun** 9, 1 * Sunday w-icin -.muh --Ch*rle*fon. Wcl Virginia-------- How To Buy Vinyl Chlorine Risks Known, But -Hushed fcy Sidney rfargc!."'3 Cotuur icr I-.ipcrI Jor Sunday Gcseite-Mcil Oik of the most disturbvig aspects of the controversy over the industrial uses of vi nyl chloride, a cancer causing gas recently implicated m the deaths of several wot hers, is that some U.S. ,-nd European corporations a id the Manu facturing Di-rmNts Atsociation (MCA), l;rre.-,r of tile clan gers but vif.ibo! 1 these facts for at leas* a i '-t. This informal' >ti was mr/e public by or. o? the co'mu y's leading pnfe." i-nal associa tions, the A nc!-i';rn c:.:;n;::;d Society, in the-,y ^ iISUc 0f its Chemical au.d Nnghv'ering News. In Align! t. 1'`72. an Italian scientist. Os.-.re Mnltmii, fotiu l his first rngio , rcania (a rare form of cancer) in the liver of rats he was testing the article relates. In Janu ary, 157,3, a leant of three U.S. chemical industry scientists viri'ed Profcn rr Muto-g to lerrn cf his result. * LDflEVEH, U.S. rh 'meal industry sources say they t-CiC boord by an agreement i.ndcr which four European nrrrc oo'.ittolh 1i eh'-we of the ''"uiiil 'c t (I '*i, ti; - rcr-ort t rvcr.ls. The f-rst public dis- cao'ura of th" findi-cs came oa Fe'e. 15, I! 74, in Me US after It. F. Onoflnrh's an ti uncement of three deaths due to "npiesareonm of the 1'vor since 1771 arnrng work ers at its r.ooisville Kv ri-;- ' S"uhsogocoily, the total ivrrif- c, 'f ,'jrm*) b'-cran- ginjarro n.( n other r1 !*'"t1i`' U.S. an.I abroad f ' risen t > jo, including 13 in die Ids.. ^ To c . ''v on J're'essor . Vitir s fit, imps, the Occu- patioral Sifofy ant' Health . 'mni.-'r.yim (OKSA) has ' - ! t ;- - ermissible work- - ir: level o' vinvl ; ?''< *o - parts ; - mij- t f. .1) th - grot*ru.\ 'cih'-tg i- -'Hi ppm. Put the AIT,-CIO Industrial Union Department lias criticized this standard, and the U.S. Labor Depart ment has proposed a complete ban on worker exposure to vi nyl chloride. Vinyl chloride also has been widely used as a propellant for many aerosol spray prod ucts used by consumers. It now has been banned for this purpose even though the risk involved in tliis use was said to be relatively small. * IN GENERAL, despite their admitted convenience, aerosol spray products have come under increasing attack for their hazards. Vinyl chlor ide spray had been used in many hair sprays; some brand of medicated vaporiz ers; athlete's foot sprays; some anti-perspirants and deodorants; wig sprays and cleaners, and even antiseptic room sprays. Previously, the Food and Drug Administration had banned aerosol spray cough remedies, usually labeled "decongestant sprays," con taining trichlrrocMiane. This solvent is an anesthetic when inhaled and disrupts normal heart beat more readily even than chloroform. Another frequent prohlcm is flammability of such sprays and, in some products, the danger of fumes. The Consum er Product Safety Commis sion reported the case of a woman who used a spray var nish in a small room. While the vapors were still in the air, she lit a ciyarct and was nearly consumed in flames. Nowadays aerosol cans are labled "flammable" and i> can bo argued that this wom an should have known better than to light a cigaret. But Commissioner Barbara Franklin points out that whil" the can was labeled "flammable.1 the womar "had no way of kilowing tt>e vapors were also flamma ble." Without doubt, aerosol ha - awls are multiplied by ina"" quate labels. None of the prop ucts I have examined say v/Iiat the propellant is. (or r: ample, whether-the pro'Uwt contains vinyl chloride. Du spite the recalls, maoy Rl'~ products may still be iu con sumers' homes and some rrvy even be on store shelves. * SOME CANS display pro;ni- n mt warnings about flamma bility, fumes and danger;; even of high boat. Others provide only obscure state ments in small print, some times buried in the instrtm- tbns. Obviously, the quickest re lion the government apt........ can fake is to require that la bels state the kind of prnplIrmt and set standards for the prominence of warnings. There are additional dan gers in the use of aerosol ra-r. to which consumers need to tie alert. One is that the can will explode if dropped into a trash fire or incinerator, nr if the* can is punctured. Significant ly. vent release devices which will reduce this danfrr have h.-on available for at least Mur years at the rest of a cou ple of pennies. Cut most i rnufactuers, judging from pt _>d- uets on the market, have chosen not to undertake P is addil ional expense. Cut even mot e protein lit warnings may not he cut -h. Sotne nroducts with h"A n dangers sw-h as the spray var nish pm Imps .shouldn't h on tlm market at a'l. At b ast son,; manufactut - rs ir? al ternative package'.. One is pump-type hair rpi.iy . They eio probably as c<nvrurnt, .ami may cost no more, '-veil less since they waste 1' of the product. Morcovci, same manufacturers, who mho l ath kinds, say that the g"ai typo also provides bettr''" lio1''- >ng power for hair th; u ."uo- so] spray products. rump-type sprays also -r e available as an alternative in many household cleaning products. Creams and rotl-on ;-p ;r lives alro are ,-nvila blc tn many toiletries such as deodorants. ucc if'*'*':-- -f*; VORKm RESTED rI MiuTii cMi-a,r*ts. *?-.,"``I- THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE PAGE ?/ cer Exam By RICHARD HAAS Dally Mail Batineaa Editor The medical director of Unm Carbide's chemicals and lastics division said Friday i would be "very surprised" the four-day testing pro -am which opened yesterday . the South Charleston plant ,-vealed further signs of liver incer among the workers. In the wake of growing evidice that exposure to vinyl iloride is linked to angiosar>ma, cancerous tumors of 'iver. Carbide and Local nternational Assn, of Ma tt . ts and Aerospace Work 's invited a 16-member team om Mount Sinai Hospital in ew York to conduct medical laminations of plant emoyes. Yesterday, the group gan detailed testing of 420 eseritand former plant nployes -- 320 workers who e regularly exposed fa vinyl loride and a 100-member ntrol group. Dr. Quentin Hull, who was e South Charleston plant ysician before being transrred to the Technical Center lere he directs the medical ograms of several plants, id the plant's workers are bjected to medical screen: on a routine basis. vVith the exception of some tod tests being performed the Mount Sinai team, most the tests this weekend dutale Carbide's previous^ dtcal efforts, he said. The medical history of Car le s employes neither conms nor denys the link be er n vinyl chloride and giosarcoma. jrhich some enUsU.'^apeeta.Dr.' rd. One-Sbutlrcftarlest rker died of the 1968 and another is suffering from an illness which may or may not be angiosarcoma. At Carbide's Texas City plant, however, Dr. Hull said workers have been exposed to vinyl chloride since 1947 and medical checks have failed to reveal a single case of the dis ease. His personal medical opi nion, he said, is that thecorre lation between vinyl chloride exposure and angiosarcoma is strong only when high concen trations of the chemical are involved. Dr. Hull noted that until a few years ago the per missible level of vinyl chlor ide concentration was MO parts per million -- 10 times the current allowable level. He said he has also heard per sistent rumors that years ago some chemical workers deli berately inhaled large quanti ties of the chemical because of its intoxicating effect. Researchers have produced liver tumors in rats by expos ing them to vinyl chloride con centrations of 2S0 parts per million. Tests at lower con centrations have failed to produce significant results, he said. Because there is no solid ev idence about the safety threshhold of vinyl choride ex posures. Dr. Hull said he can understand why the federal government has proposed a "zero detactable" standard. He added, however, that he believes future evidence will show this standard to be un reasonably cautious. Carbide officials have said several production units at the uth Charleston plant will ise to be shut down if the ed standard is adopted. CANCER CHECK--A 16-member medical team from the Mount Sinai HospitalTn New York,began checking workers at Union Carbide* South Charleston plant for a rare form of h,Ver ^ P** Richard Jannev. right, a pUnt foreipflh^^tfeekid^or Wry breathing impairment With himIf Raphael-Warshaw, center, the chief pulmonary technician g the team, arid Df. Quentin Hull, a Carbide medical official. In the photo below, wqrfeen (ill out details questionnaires while waiting to hn<<hM(wii|| fUjlj Mail Photos by Earl Benton. ~~ UCC 104980 Top of the news Good news for VCM The Environmental Protection Agency had encouraging news lor representatives ol 29 vinyl chloride monomer and poly vinyl chloride producers who met with EPA officials in Washington last week. The discussions concerned the possibility of VCM contamination of ambient air near the producers' plants. EPA Administrator Russell E. Train reported that the agency's monitoring of air and water close to VCM and PVC op erations indicates that the pollutant level is not serious enough to threaten public health. EPA had tested air and water samples in the vicinities of 10 PVC plants and two VCM units located in different parts of the country to gather data to help it decide whether VCM ambient air stan dards may be necessary (CIV, June 12, p. 14). In the air measurements, more than 95% of the samples collected within a half-mile of plant property lines con tained less than one part per million VCM concentration, according to EPA. In one instance, 3.4 ppm. was recorded three miles away, but several other read ings at the same location averaged only 0.5 ppm. Train emphasized that the findings were only preliminary and that EPA ex pected to conduct more testing. Me also said that at the present time "there is no basis for considering that the levels of vinyl chloride in water dis charges or sludge, if handled properly, are hazardous to human health or aquatic life." Several VCM and PVC producers, the EPA chief asserted, reported making sub stantial efforts to reduce VCM emissions and promised to aid EPA in its contin uing study. Waste stirs controversy \The Environmental Protection Agency this; .month granted Du Pont a one-year permjk to dump wastes from its Belle. W. Va.. 'chemical plant into the Gulf of Mexico i\out 200 miles sotAlfcast of New Orleans. Bpl a federal jifdge last week barred the cApUMny frofat discharging in dustrial waste^rhVraVe Gulf off the coast of Honda, Du Pont's rli*t EPA-authorizcd dumping of wastes front the Belle plant came undfv tire from tW state of Loui siana. rlf.ich claimed thtfslhc disposal site, 50 miles off the coast if Louisiana. wa too close to fisheries A* a result. Du Pont agreed to move its dumping sue v'T'": Ckimcr .s` A3 't-'F >'v"cA : r rv_./ 77.0 .b. 'i mU d f'rt -i Uiiicn Can ids o ,'ieicls -iy t!r; crnr.T po..Toly run Ur'i'ivi dal . d^f''ftl'iCTO n t ilpc Ttl fi . ."`.'ll <iiu-ene 1: --i '."aT r.i iii'i' . ho!,,...:. : " 1 . -t i " ' \i- l vl cllli'i id i" I'1 . ; t'i a icio I. a i>i hv. ir carcc'", <'> ' 1 nifd 'y mu' llcaltn Annu a r -n 1.-; i'iof'1 1 strin gent mini. lions T :i wuald i o id > < Ifcu A<ig. 4 "unless (be chemical munstiy can obtain modif'cn.vuse * * * CAinnv." oUr'-D '"'id they arc coni- p'viaj wiili tl'" ! !".<) 1' ! Ls per ini 11 ion cim.-sic i * ini that has bean in ifi.ct since cnrlv April. Hut the propo'ed OSU.\ itendarri \.i n! 1 ronuirc "no d'.-tcet- ;:ltle" level of CIU' Mil". Under pres mi pic'.eitiim tcrbrnoncs, vinyl chloride is p". :d into the air when icactors are cie.ivd and when finished products are drying. Ur-ansc both opera tions are retjiiircd, officials said, It would be impossible to produce-the chemicals without some em;-aon. (Please Tuia t > Fee 3A, Col. 1) Directly uficcted by the OS1IA smi'n'd are I ic poly merization units a( the i'i:n"it Union Carlu'V ei irplo'C Iru c which fiii, , eld,:' do inonoi'i r i.dn j o vi ivl rut r- ule llAC', a cmiiiii'U pla.uic used m e i-itaiiKTs, gu-i cn Im.ie. ami electrical wiling co .ting.:. +* t UECAUit ; L'V'"' . o,,, ,;,w rncieri.il in- l'u [)v I fih. r, (lie i lanl'.s Din -i pro duction nai s would I -'i l> ..I. lectcd, off: (.', i U.F (,e , v\ 11,i'i ofl'Ci d.. in i i ,;* iv i i ' of i s v ori ci iii d ol Ic I-, -r .1 if tile id ,r"l ( :: r111 d i' ; - nouncul la <t lb u, m n i ' i o a lornicr \,oir.cr at >' p' t died o. ti:c liver disc.1 e- , - giosarconia -- in * It-- Into If'!',s Aiodc Punier ti, employe i> p<v ito .A ^i with a liv 1 ailm i t v. !i,, may h an moviicoma, flic conip.lay stud CS/Si/et-es ro-j &/} * r<~~ p/fCiTt (,/t/7y \ UCC 104982 Leber -CC' ^; ` iiv JP* i&'&S -' -' tV* !' -;;' .h tf**j ij- -''A, >> .,, . ,,..... _,^*' cVDItOlii flC7:.T)> oli>U* |lnk bhtn (ipolttr* -. , t .cal process industry."- ' -r , - Vitos a different idea i>( what.lbe ppm minimum Interviewed 6y newsmen recently, Selikoff said , should be. -V ' i . <$ I don't thtok'there la any doubt of a firm, strong . V- Field researchers are facing their own prob-. association betwhen angiosarcoma (the liver can- terns. Misdiagnosis of workef^deaths is placed at . . . .cer which -hasJiUed one local worker andlaic)-. >' 33 per cent fay officials ofthF National Institute - ., a critically ill. another) and vinyl chloride." ,, of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). "It's * - t Three months ago Selikoff and his team Visited ,, beginning to look like a full fledged FBI Investiga *---...... .For Tie Daily Mali : v- -<- i - i WASHlNGTQhf-f`Clinical research into what is described as "the entirely probable",fact that vi-. V ?t-. ir? nylchloride is responsible fora fonnof liver can cer was began, in Europe. Rightly so, for the domestic plastic;jndustiy was built on British, .Frencfa.and. German pre-war technology. However, withia the past several months much' of the significant inquiry has shifted to American . laboratories.The upturn in U.S. interest was * spawned by early 1974 reports that the cancer r (angio&rcoraa 1 had begun to turn up with alarm ing frequency among the nation's plastics and chemicals workers. In the words of one New York researcher, the mounting evidence "casts a long shadow" over the lives of thousands, possibly millions of work ers in the plastics-ustog industry. Within this context alone the numerical possibil ities are eerie enough. But now new findings are being brought to the front which may Implicate vi- ' nyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride finished prod ucts-- and the geometric possibilities here are staggering. At present, seven federal agencies, a host of in dependent laboratories, many state and municipal research organizations and teams from the im pacted industry are engaged in "an unprecedent , a Goodyear plant to Niagra Falls, N.Y. After coth tion, miming down the causes of these deaths.". , ducting an Investigation similar to the one which * , ,one NIOSH worker told us v *' is expected locally, they reported to have "found . Another hitch has been bucfcug the conventional vinyl chloride associated disease" in fully 98 per wisdom df researchers as to (he cause of cancer, . cent of the employees who had- been exposed to i. There is apparently a reluctance on the part of V the gas lor twetve.years or more. I < - some doctors at the National Cancer Institute : The Goodyear inquiry turned up' a number of misdiagnosed deaths. Angioscaroma is difficult to _ detect, experts claim, even in its terminal stages. . (prominent in the investigation) to pursue any but the virus-as-cause lead. Working against peer group pressure and with Some workers whose death certificates listed "heart attack" as a cause of death are reportedly being unearthed for more intensive pathalogical scrutiny. Doctors familiar with the disease indicate the . slender funding, two Cancer Institute physicians have been exploring the possibilities of environ ment-induced cancer. And plastics are. they have told their colleagues, the prime suspect. Vinyl chloride products, when properly finished "latency period", or time from first contact to re- . and aged, are not thought to give off toxic fumes. cognizable symptoms, could be as long as lMo-20 There are suspicions nonetheless that certain years. Given this, only chemical workers who nave been working with vinyl chloride (or a dec ade or more would now begin to show signs of the substances in the environment can have a "leaching effect" which may set off release of the gas. cancer. West German researchers have documented six Length of exposure is one consideration, but the cases of what they call "vinyl chloride disease" concentrations of the gas to which worker^ are ex- among workers who install floor tiles which are ' posed has so far received the most attention. Ori made from polyvinyl chloride. And other evidence ginally. federal standards permitted twice the of angiosarcoma*resulting from vinyl chloride by amount found to induce cancer. Standards have products is beginning to surface, according to been reduced twice since and now are held at an NIOSH experts. "emergenev limit" of SO parts per million (ppm). For the present, researchers want to determine edly massive" attack on the problem. "1 don't think SO ppm is adequate." Selikoff has if workers can be exposed to any safe levels of the In the forefront of domestic medical research said. "It would be foolhardy to say the lower level gas. Then they want to isolate those already in has been Dr. Irvin Selikoff of the Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City. Selikoff and a team of investigators is scheduled to visit the South Charleston Union Carbide plant June 10 Selikoffhas called vinyl chloride (used at the lo cal facility in the production of unfinished plastic producto^a "very potent cancer-causing chemi cal loc^^Bjght at the center of our ereat rhemi- is safe. If cancer occurs at higher levels, it will occur at lower levels, though less frequently." y Admitedly huge, the federal effort seems at times left wondering what the other hand is doing There are overlapping areas of responsibility and each agency adjusts to the mountain of incoming raw data with greatly varying resnMtoeness. To date, for instance, each of the ag^^K involved fected After that, they must ascertain if only the liver is susceptible. And finally, they will turn to the potential threat vinyl chloride poses to the na tion's consumer. "I'm afraid," said one National Cancer Insti tute doctor recently interviewed. "I'm afraid we may find that millions of people are infected (o a lesser extent than those who have alrendv died ' oJ CO 00 o> o O z> ,Lalr mm: : ^ < 4'***''&&%i&ii* ? - i y \rE .-. - --,>/;** t*-.' r ji;u - ^ ** '... wmm Consumer - If ,(; C t, ,. tsmDOW'^; 'i - t * fr. v 7* BtLI i - " roiiser ^ *-!-.* - r*r- "f*\-.*H t ;T -/E 01 TOA S *f0* Er.tSk N* fch**tn *ipcJur* /calprocess industry.1'- ' - i' . ,. v has a different idea of wh^t .the ppm minimum *'J\ J r . <. p f to VJriyl cnlo[M*"((nd * r#*tfer*i a* Hwr nc*r jioncdl ' i *' `, Interviewed 6y newsmen recently, Selikoff said should be. `t ; wit ffvoil tfoubJtiqjygca^ftgitft'cfnj tht chtfriical ihdut* *. `.Mtv todiyT^i JrtlckfMOitnrt Wifctt*tu**lTttwch mlo '"li(J quetl(on '- & - **$ * t- - '14- yl; ,Jj, I' 'V . y r ,-"i.don't think'there is any doubt of a firm, strong -V r.'.-, association between angiosarcoma (the liver cau .. -.. Field researchers are facing their own prob lems., Misdiagnosis of workeroeaths is placed at - `:! ^ j < ': i.:; : -: - y- - ser which-has killed.one local worker and |ai(|.'v. y S3 per cent by officials of th?National Institute i (? Jjy-f4--rf+*-' J 't f critically ill another) and vinyl chloride." .of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). "it's < * ;RyDANlEt F. WEST ,. s Three months ago Selikoff and his team visited , beginning to look like a full fledged FBI investiga- 'iK> . For Tt* Dally Mall:'r . ; ` : , "; 'WASHINGTON- --'Clinical research into what is a Goodyear plant in Niagra Falls, N.Y. Alter com ducting an investigation similar to the one which lion, running down the causes of these deaths." . one NIOSH worker told us . described as "the entirely probable"fact that vi is expected locally, they reported to have "found , Another hitch has been buckuig the conventional nyl chloride is responsible [ora form'd liver can vinyl chloride associated disease" in fully 98 per wisdom df researchers as to the cause of cancer. cer was begun in Europe. Rightly so, for the . cent of the employees who bad been exposed to < There is apparently a reluctance on the part of domestic plastic^jgdu$try wan built on British, , the gas for twelve, years or more. .i - some doctors at the National Cancer Institute .French and German pre-war technology. ,. However, within the past peveral months much oi the significant inquiry has shifted to American laboratories. The upturn in U.S. interest was * spawned by early 1974 reports that the cancer 1 (angiosarcoma) bad begun to turn up with alarm ing frequency among the nation's plastics and chemicals workers. In the words of one New York researcher, the mounting evidence "casts a long shadow" over the lives of thousands, possibly millions of work ers in the plastics-using industry. Within this context alone the numerical possibil ities are eerie enough. Bat now new findings are being brought to the front which may implicate vi nyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride finished prod ucts -- and the geometric possibilities here are staggering. At present, seven federal agencies, a host of in dependent laboratories, many state and municipal research organizations and teams from the im pacted industry are engaged in "an unprecedent edly massive'' attack on the problem ' The Goodyear inquiry turned up a number of misdiagnosed deaths. Angioscaroma is difficult to detect, experts claim, even in its terminal stages. Some workers whose death certificates listed "heart attack" as a cause of death are reportedly being unearthed for more intensive pathalogical scrutiny. Doctors familiar with the disease indicate the , "latency period", or time from first contact to re cognizable symptoms, could be as long as lS-to-20 years. Given this, only chemical workers who nave been working with vinyl chloride for a dec ade or more would now begin to show signs of the cancer. - Length of exposure is one consideration, but the concentrations of the gas to which workers are ex posed has so far received the most attention. Ori ginally. federal standards permitted twice (he amount found to induce cancer. Standards have been reduced twice since and now are held at an "emergency limit" of 50 parts per million (ppm) "I don't think 50 ppm is adequate." Selikoff has Kominent in the investigation) to pursue any but virus-as-cause lead. * Working against peer group pressure and with slender funding, two Cancer Institute physicians have been exploring the possibilities of environ ment-induced cancer. And plastics are. they have told their colleagues, the prime suspect. Vinyl chloride products, when properly finished and aged, are not thought to give off toxic fumes. There are suspicions nonetheless that certain substances in the environment can have a "leaching effect" which may set off release of the gas. West German researchers have documented six cases of what they call "vinyl chloride disease among workers who install floor tiles which are made from polyvinyl chloride. And other evidence of angiosarcoma*resulling from vinyl chloride by- products is beginning to surface, according to NIOSH experts For the present, researchers want to determine if workers can be exposed to any safe levels of the In the forefront of domestic medical research has been Dr. Irvin Selikoff of the Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City. Selikoff and a team of investigators is scheduled to visit the South Charleston Union Carbide plant June 10. Selikoffhas called vinyl chloride (used at the lo cal facility in the production of unfinished plastic productsi a ' very potent cancer-causing chemi cal loctjj^^ight at the center of our great chemi- said. "It would be foolhardy to say the lower level is safe. If cancer occurs at higher levels, it will occur at lower levels, though less frequently." y Admiledly huge, the federal effort seems at times left wondering what the other hand is doing There are overlapping areas of responsibility and each agency adjusts to the mountain ol incoming raw data with greatly varying responsiveness. To date, for instance each of the ag^^^k involved gas. Then they want to isolate those already in fected. After that, they must ascertain if only the liver is susceptible. And imally, they will turn to the potential threat vinyl chloride poses to the na tion's consumer "I'm afraid." said one National Cancer Insti tute doctor recently interviewed. Tm afraid we may find that millions of people are infected to a lesser extent than those who have already died " UCC 104984 J 4 (c M i'll 5. 1974 TEN CENTS Pnc^" r (efs'/yy :.yivc; rv'; . \ 'j 1,' ''I . L. titjr A , ;J Cal Ivli.',' . . (-...i1 LI C<If- Z21, Sou'h .-ton plant ,;d ycst.'r,' ; a corup'uiy .nuot opc"'r':f' under the .a. ..;d vii. i t-!;' ".nde crni> ,n Laniard ll .t'-^ iv j - is er.:r i jobr ,.t ;; l .at v.il! 1 . mi..a'., d. jil ii'.us i; j : by tl.a , rcupationi.i Mifuty and i mlth Administration ISiiA) to d . . .ally reduce nccvptn!1\> 1 of vinyl .1 >.;Je ciiii. ns in the (ace : mounting evidence that ,.0-.ure to ttu chemical is .!. d to a ram form of liver iinxr. i at montii Of '\ proposed ,... I cliloru.e i o held to tlie detect..Llylo,el, The .nd.ird will ;.. ii.to effect 4 tilde's P' c':.::riical in* ,y ebtnir.irg .,.. irntif,:;-, ; - i'.e regal.i- Ibj..r;ry - n tlii. qu arc sal...'. . 1 to no heid . Washington Later this - ./h. ' . <. a. d :; y (hey . i o'., ccr.:' 1, . .g \.ith tiie .. v j i; . .s \ or m;l- ' -.lii.stc:. t" . .Lid Ill h u- L..,i in a ;"fion,co e iriy I tunny i ce.it weeks . L of w.,d ch'wide have a : ii.lately 20 ; p.-i i:ui;i:i: , they said i -'-ctly , .; jc cd by the \ st; r. I ... e the* pcly* . c.itii:: . ; t fie plant ii n v.. . yl (filor.de ji.'.'.t into mvTClT IF-fL'.'C) a c ,r.ic.i plastic ia : i .. as p!.e"o- rrcc.-.f , i,~ri!et ho'e, t.ical \uri:,. (noting;. :' ir.iv-e P''C flic raw ma* It- - s Dyr.jl fi- ' ^ ' htc.im in .1* ' }n ,: . fi . .L.ictal : t\; ' v. prcc. .c* tion techniques, vinyl chloride is releas 'd into the air during the clearance of reactors and during the drying of the fin ished product, the Carbide of ficials said. Since both of these operations are required it would be impossible to prod uce PVC without emitting seme levels oi the chemical. In a related tnove Carbide and I-oca! bffi, International Assn, of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, issued a joint statement saving a medicai team from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New Yo.k will visit the plant this weekend to conduct medical examinations on 320 past and present workers who have been exposed to vinyl chloride and a 100-member control frotip. The team is headed by Dr. Irving J. Selikoff. a recog nized leader in Die detection (Turn to Pr. `A, Col. 1) UCC 104985 Continued Stout Pane One of angiosarcoma, the disease which has been associated with vinyl, chloride exposure. James Copcnhaver, busi ness agent for I-ocal 598. said ins memhers are concerned about the vinyl chloride, "but l wouldn't say anyone is pan icky.'' None of the workers have requested a transfer out * of the I'VC production unit and there is a general feeling that efforts being made at the plant to reduce vinyl chloride emissions offer the necessary protection, he said. The company has been working since 1967 to reduce the amount of vinyl chloride absorbed into the air, Carbide officials said. At that time the accepted industry standard was 500 parts per million, al though the standard was low ered to 200 parts per million in 1970. Research into the cancer causing properties of vinyl rhlonde lias been conducted for several years, but it was not until earlier this year that concern about the possible hazards of the chemical be came pronounced. R F. Goodrich told federal officials in February that four of its workers died of angios arcoma, and Carbide an nounced later that month that a former worker at the South Charleston,'plant died of the disease in the late M's. A sec ond former plant employe is now critically ill with a liver ailment which may or may not be angiosarcoma, the company said. Examination of medical records from all major vinyl chloride producers in the H S indicate that 13 workers ex posed to the chemical have died of angiosarcoma since l ere Rare Cancer *K\ ne At Carbide _ iV " | i' % Carbide has reviewed the record* of T& employes end former employes Wbcfhave worked with vinyl chloride monomer end found only one employe who hod aMhear- coma, <| rare type of cancer that affects the blood vessel* Of the liver, the company said Thursday, This employe 1968 and had worked in poly vinyl qiloride production in South Charleston from 1944 to 1962, the company, told the National Institute of Oc cupational Safety and Health in Washing ton, D.C, c 7` Carbide made the study after B.F. Goodricbtaaid a numberof employes who worked, in the polymerization oLvinyl chloride'had died oi.lhe disease. .ate Carbide will continue to review ffcgff- cords of employes to see if there are iny otherTndications of a^coonectjc^bUtWifn < Jipulddii vinyl chloride polvtlW at South Charleston and Texas fittytvtex., plantsa the eompany said. - THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE DATE^^y_ PAGE? rou WASHING Falla. -- formed him that vinyl eWor Nader'r H Jorlde is a basic ld* tejemgtato inch osmetic Group asked jjhe plastics indue- eroaolpas hairSprays. erament Thu tfli* foundation for "Beauty parlor operaton use of vinyl_______ ________ ' '^consumer prod- and consumers are using the oiixed codmetics, pesticides l i vinyl doud, ' be,said. "This and other booabold products. Several cM#pf a rare liver ' chemical may represent an other thalidomide." cancer hamjS^pen found among vinytieHMie workers i a significant amount -of vtoft "i- He did not identify any prod eWorld* te nsed as a propel uct brand names. in a B. F. GottjpCo. cheml-,' lent in aerheol, container*. . The Nader petitions to ban cal plant in Louisville. Ky.,* Wolfe told state. Bpalte the chemicals in aerosols and in a plant operated by the * subcommittee that a source a weip'sent to the Food and Goodyear Tire it Rubber Co. the cosmetic intary Irf- Drug Administration', the Con sumer Product Safety Com mission and the Environmen tal Protection Agency. In letters to the three agen cy heads, the Nader group asked them to make public the brand names of all aerosol consumer products and cos metics which contain vinyl chloride as a propellent. UCC 104986 r\>\ K O' ; ..Jr Sjjx In Same Plonf \ Contact Koro Cancer i,oi!mu.n. Kv. iapi - A sixth vu tun of n rare kind T of liver ( oncer has boon dis covered among w orkers at the H I' (iiHKlm h plant here The worker is still living and has not been identified The other live died from the rare disease, called nngiosar- coma, which medical espetts believe is caused bv prolonged exposure to vmvl chloride The chemical i' used m the manufacture of plashes at the (loodneh plant Or d Rrmliord Block, head of the state Occupational Safety and Health \dmims- . trillion's medical propram, confirmed the sixth case Mon day after llaodrich otticials refused to do <n An international research effort has been launched by the National Cancer Institute and other occup.ituuial dis. ease agencies to trace Hie use and effects of the ctieuni at on workers More than ti.Oho American employes are be lieved to be exposed to vmvl chloride in their work, and thousands more in Knropc are 'Orl.-god .Itlected However tin- cases at the (loodneh plant hete arc the only ones lo lie direefIv linked to working conditions (ioodricb hepan mvestipattnp the jmssitile link tictwcen employe deaths and vmvl chloride last month Dr. Rlock said Monday that most work ers who developed the cancer had worked with the ehemieal about lb venrs. He saitl lie Honks investigation will show that the nnlv workers who in.i\ develop the disease are those who were exposed mnnv vents ago. belore there were anv safeguards I he I anusville Cnurier-.lournal fi is reported that thepolvvmvl manutaetunug process has caused health piohlenisof a less serious nature in the past In the late 19f>0s and ltttiOs. the paper said, some workers who cleaned the large vessels in which the plastic is nude expci lenced severe d.image m hones in their fingertips Altogether. 31 employes who cleaned the vessels ycpoited some damage to their hands according lo a cm ipanx report which appeared in the .lout nal of the American Medical Association in THIS CLIPPING FROM: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL DATE PAGE ^ JOHN CHAMBERLAIN Clear Thinking On Vinyl Chloride We live in the midst of many fears. The trouble is that we have no means of knowing in advance just how many of these fears are misplaced. Yesterday it was cyclamates that were going to do us in. But today cyclamates have been given a reasonably clean bill of health. So it has been with cranberries. But other presumed perils arise. The sudden publication by the B. F. Goodrich Co. of news that four workers at its Louis ville. Ky.. vinyl chloride con version plant had died from a rare form of liver cancer called angiosarcoma now has workers in other chemical plants around the country lin ing up for diagnostic tests. The question is. will the new fear pass with the assurance that the chemical industry will accept a standard of SO parts per million exposure level to the gas that is used to make solid polyvinyl chlor ide? (Such is the standard ac cepted in Britain. > Or will the Naderites, who don't believe that the industry ever has a case, insist on killing the en tire polyvinyl chloride busi ness by demanding a "sera ex posure" safety standard, which cannot in the nature of things be guaranteed? Whatever one may say, the industry itself cannot be ac cused of cover-up practices. The B. F. Goodrich Chemical Company has led the way in making investigations de signed to establish tolerable exposure limits. In the early days of vinyl chloride conver sion to the polyvinyl plastic solid that is used in a myriad of industrial products, nobody worried about the sweet smelling gas that lingered in the plants. Since it takes 15 years ahd more for an angios arcoma tumor to develop, it is important to know whether the 20 or so cases of liver can cer that have been identified as originating from vinyl chloride exposure date back to a dark age of the plastics in dustry tbit has already passed away. The trouble is that adver sary proceedings in which the advocates of extreme posi tions face each other in Wash ington will not necessarily lead to a scientific settlement. In Europe, accredited techni cians set standards without in dulging in passionate argu mentsand Incriminations. But in the U.S., opposing value systems clash, and the scare headlines make it seem that heroes are contending with villains, with industry invaria bly getting the worst of it. Despite the Naderites, how ever, the general public has a special interest in a scientific determination of tolerable safety margins. Some 6.500 U.S. workers now work in plants that turn vinyl chloride gas into a solid plastic. Econ omically speaking, If 6,500 workers were forced to seek other employment It would cause no great crisis. But 700,000 workers are needed to make finished plastic prod ucts out of the raw polyvinyl material. And a grand total of 2.2 million workers through out the U.S. economy have jobs that can be traced to the use of polyvinyl products. Ticking these products off is an almost endless job. Tbe pipe now in most frequent use for plumbing is a polyvinyl pipe. The tile in your shower bath, the cover on your auto mobile seat, the tubing used for electric milking machines that give you relatively cheap dairy products, the clear wrapping in which bacon and other meats are sold, the phonograph records that bring you music, and the safe insu lation around copper wiring that enables you to electrify your house at a minimum of expense, are all fashioned out of polyvinyl chloride. Even the respiratory equipment used by doctors comes from polyvinyl plastic; the medical supplies made out of the stuff have surely saved more lives than have been lost by expo sure to the raw vinyl chloride gas. If polyvinyl plastic were to be replaced by a natural prod uct. the whole of continental Europe would have to be turned over to sheep raising for industrial fabrics. The paper industry, even now suf fering from shortages, would be unable to cope with the de mands for wrapping derived from forest products. Nevertheless, even though 2.2 million jobs are dependent on polyvinyl plastic, it is crass to use economics to make a case for the industry. The safe limit of vinyl gas control must be found. August 25 is tbe cut off date for the submission of evidence in Washington. Octo ber 5 is the date set for tbe fin al decision about the safety margin. What we need is a lot of light and no heat when the ultimate judgment is made. UCC104988 4B Charleston Dailp QdaH sat , feb 171979 Carbide Plans Tumor Check At SC Plant An investigation to determine wheth er there it an unusual incidence of brain tumors among employees of its South Charleston plant will be conduct ed by Union Carbide. Frank Stowers, spokesman for the plant, said records of more than 50,000 persons who have worked at the plant since it opened will be examined. The investigation comes on the heels of the discovery by federal health offi cials that a high number of workers at the company's Texas City plant have died of a type of brain tumor linked to vinyl chloride. Sooth Charleston empl yees were told about the move in a letter tifled by plant manager J Beckman. The letter said that preliminary in vestigation in Texas doesn't provide any evidence that the brain tumors re sulted from on-the-job exposure. UCC 104989