Document gb8Lrq4BD7m7NV2b6ppgy8v9Q

U C C 100237 By ROBIN TONER Y'People I talk to indicate that there are uncounted, hnfindable Of The Dally Malt Staff f - tlet valves coming out of the plants along the river, that come ' f' uunnddeer the Kanawha River, discharging godawful stuff,'' Pickett, Stale Health Director George Pickettssaayys be believeess'chemical ssaaidid..""1They don't even know where they all are, can't find them.'1 > pollution in the Kanawha Valley presents the potential for serious^ p? , In recent months the Issue of chemical plant emissions We has'' health problems for the Valley's residents. ' , .1 r yv.y taken on a new intensity. A Health Department statistician cur- "There'a no doubt In my mind that the people tn the Kanawha-'- rently is conducting a study of mortality rates in the Kanawha Valley are sitting mi top of a number.of dangerous'situations, i_y.; Valley. - , - , , ,V.. - most of which nobody really knows enough about at this stage of ;f, A panel n for which the study Is bflng done has been formed the game," Pickett said In an interview yesterday. - ,, Y y* i by Pickett to prepare data for two upcoming sessions on pollution1 "I'm quite certain that we have the makings of a kepone type' < f problems in the valley. Among those Involved are APCC Director disaster In the Kanawha River Valley," he said of an incident in Carl Beard, State Medical Eiaminer Irvin Sopber and Kanawha- Virginia whqrq a loiic chemical manufactured by Allied Chemical Charleston Health Department Director Pa ge Seekford. may .unfold over a longer, slower period of time and manifest jif. mg a two-day conference, to be held June 1 and I at West Virginia itself in different wrays., I really can't say," said Pickett,, also a 1 State, on occupational and environmental health in the Kauawba member of the state Air PptlulfMi Gontro) Commission. "`But I } Valley. 1 don't have any doubts but that the same potential exists- right q't "The point of all this from the point of view of the APCQ is here." - * t-'-fji'' ' wWber or not there is enough evidence to indicate that there is . i. *{' > an area that needs to be brought under the area of control of the APCC," Pickett said. ` "My hope Is that [the bearings] will shed more tight than 1 confusion," he added. "I don't know how much of a chance I'd give that." The health director says he's not sure wbat the ultimate result : of the studies and bearings will be. "It may lead to the APCC looking into the regulatory aspects of chemical plant emissions. It may simply lead to more focused research on our part." Pickett said he himself is not sure whether there is s need for stricter regulation of chemical plant emissions here. 'T honestly don't know" he said. "My guess is yes, just from living here and smelling the air. . .butj'venotyetseen the engineering data." With the series of health problems that have cropped up in recent years at chemical plants, has Pickett considered expanding his industrial health department! "There's no support for it," the health director said. "In fact, our department has bepn cut this year. 1 don't think there's any support anywhere in slate government to expand that kind of thing" . (Turn to Pg. IA, Col. 1) r GEORGE PICKETT Health Director THE, WEATHER / I -.I ' f! ' ,V :1." .:v ' i1'.' ! CLEAR TONIGHT, Lows mid, 40s (!C). Mostly sunny Wednesday, ` V ,, ilighs upper 60s (21C). , Details on Page 3A ,l`tt ' ` 'v V.! ; Vs':/-,, V '' ' ' ; '-i 1 ` WMouf, or With, Offence'fo Friend's or Foes, / Sketch Yopr World Exactly as It Goes , ' VOLUME 172, NO, ,V f ` v CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA; TUESDAY EVENING. MAY 15, 1979 ,> , ! ,' . '4 r -.. ; ,, i r HOlylE EDITION ** 15< .,c U C C 100238 Continued From Page Hue VU.C III uvtu tutuiiLu mliu no.si i ui is. lui. with information about pollution and ItMtedidyy iaya that If United withdraws < the center of the state's conoecttons to ,iat ol , health jvemment at consump- ' Pickett mused: "They see that in the,' risks, but not with realistic solutions. i Charleston, Piedmont is.most., other major cities. Consultants said present frame of sort of an anti-bureau-1 "You have to show people that yd^H|(|lyy to replace service to those cities. if. they think that might improve service .cratlc, anti-regulatory process , He . can solve the problem,' [that] It isn't JjJ^eiBcenUtto ,, mm passengers ns in other West Virginia cltiea, but added that attitude can he seen strongly .Tst Srr^'tat; ^ ta *">-*- " ^ im" ( Cowgill sqld the leaders of other com- towards the APCC.i tlOli. "Coi. "Because [the APCC] has done a bet en. It is possible to clean up a town and irration a I rules i ter job than most Air Pollution Control not lose its economy. It's been done. and proce, / Retract from or thwart the 1m jds of Congress... and . certainly do not promote the goal of energy self-sufficiency;" said Byrd. ; Commissions around tbe United States, , Pittsburgh showed that." , they seem to feel that Carl Beard is a 1 villain. I think he ought to be canonized "I'm not inherently a crusader," the' for what he's done, particularly for the hoaith director reflected. "I can lay out Fresh, Tjmely Merchandise at Savings for ONE DAT ONLY- OUR FAMOUS WEDNESDAY SPECIAL At least ninf programs administered | Kanawh- a R-.i.v..e..r..V...a..l.l.e..y....."........ the facts and issues and choices that ' WHILE THEY LAST! by seven agencies "act; as a dead band ' Pickett added, `They've allowed tbe people have. . .1 can try to bring to on the coal industry's efforts to expand big power companies to make it seem their attention thq choices. . .but ulti production, as the President requested that Carl Beard is singularly responsi- mately, the more power I have to do many months said. ago," the majority leaderr,','i, r bte for raising the cost of energy. . .the something about it; tbe less '.Inclined I am to use that power unless the peop le He dMUnw pepM regula-, T|ie healUl di t0` also noted M want it used.'1 ions which have delayed for It months.! i(teD b ^ results of ocqupa the opening of a major undergroundv mine near Pigeon Creek, Mingo County. )' Alth.o.u.g.h the mine would rproduce. J.sV, tiona--lly-re-laled health problems can"be seen, their cause has been corrected. ; 'Secondly, it's not possible as tar as I' million tons of coal a year j one-half h ^ to have a rlski?ss wur]d , . Tbe FUEL PLAN of t percen of the country's total prod- u questiw, * wha( degree! risks can we ' i -VJ j'^ooilnned From Page One',^. uctmn - it has been unable to open ^, Tolerate or accept as individuals Iq so-; , . i-fl-1 because the Interior Department has ^ Ciety ' r' refused ou environmental grounds < .Third!y;. (he hea!th dirKior said,' \ `.'t'fti ........... . Committee has oversight over theh Clean Air Act, said he hopes to get EPA *rseenetinhe ia^cui,ty.or a raik s,,dtng ,V. c!,ot0mmunity sensitized to tPhePi>sasue? U[In * and utility officials together in his off-' ^ ice to try to resolve the dispute. < , Byrd said there is an advancing Kai,awtla Vau , emybody '0m- ' There has to be a yielding, an qppor-1 awareness within the S>eennaatiee tthnaati uunn-- f1 ,. abou.t..^......... "one does not3 detect tuiinniiftyif to nmtnoHdilffuy tthhlinndgos,*"* esaniid/l RDannndjlnollipvhli,. *' necessary government rreegguullaatuioonnss are, lile filing that t(le community is say-V "I want to have them sit down together.L- preventing a nationwide sswwiittcchh to coal.. jng> `hey, [ want this stopped.' " 'They've beqn too much at arm'sf He blamed the regulations on "oyer Plckett added that when he discussed . length." ,, zealousness on the part of these in the I. potential) health problems mi a recent The 7I(i-megawatt Eddie Stone faclil-'* bureaucracy who write the rules, i news program, a number of ;. ty south of Philadelphia is emitting into Mane neoole have never oeeiu., jodnsiry representatives called his and ; ... If. the governor's office to comment. "As -V ]* far as 1 know, there were no cards, no ! ............. " ; 1 letters,.op phone, calls received by me,'} or anyone, on the governor's staff say- ' J ; ' ing we're glad the state is taking that , 4' . 1 interest and that position.1' <J The health director continued, `T | , don't need fan mail. . .but these little l things register in your mind." ' , ` 1 Pickett reflected that much of the j i problem may be created by the fact | Unlted strike beggflhdake effect, lie Bald the 11 pert^^Bwth over last year was signifi^dptgher than the annua] 4ft percent growth at tbe air port over the past ten years. NO. 374 1