Document gDMvZ9vvr3VXGyrLMz74qpEkJ

px from the desk of M. A- PIERLE P. E. Heisler - 1740 W. B. Papageorge - G4WA P. S. Park - E2NE Please review the attached draft and submit comments. K012310 Mike Pierle 5/9/79 '(f 6>u -pa Ia 0* ( LETTER TO Mr. Ken Buercklin, FDA SOUGH DRAFT 5/9/79 TL t /=vu< On April 3 you hand-carried a memorandum to Mr. Charles P. Farley requesting certain information regarding Monsanto Company1s -7 . chemical operations at Sauget, Illinois. During these discussions you requested Monsanto to determine if it had any information concerning the presence of dioxins in Monsanto*s landfill or its effluent to the Sauget waste treatment facility. This memo will confirm my conversation with you on April 18 and will reflect in total the efforts Monsanto has undertaken to determine if any information requested is available. Monsanto personnel have thoroughly search files to determine if we had any knowledge concerning the presence of dioxins within either the Monsanto landfill or the plant's wastewater discharges .. to the Sauget-Village waste treatment plant. Having concluded this effort, we find that there are no data available. As I explained to you during our conversation on April 18, Monsanto has not had reason in the past to look specifically for dioxins at these locations. Furthermore, we understand that the analytical procedures necessary to develop this information have not been generally availabli Analysis specific for the 2,3,7,8-TCDD isomer require the use of small amounts of this material to standardize the analytical instruments. The potential for exposure during handling by laboratory analysts has precluded such determinations both at Monsanto facilities and, as1we understand it, also at EPA analytical contractor facilities In addition to investigating possible Monsanto sources of information, we also surveyed the Environmental Protection Agency data base information systems to determine if non-Monsanto information existed. No data were available fro;CfVf/^"'S O N F IO E N T IA L " SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORt*.1 2- - Draft to Buercklin 5/9/79 In summary, in examining the information sources that are readily available to Monsanto, we have not found any information on the presence or absence of dioxins associated with the landfill and wastewater discharges at Monsanto's facility in Sauget. Vie hope that this information is useful to you in responding to others within FDA. Sincerely, M .A . Pierle SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C13143 K 012 312