Document gbbEbEqZ1aVx49RMKNpM35yNN

February 17, 1971 - . ' 1 . Farmers are feeling good towards Agway and this project may be worked: into a plus position before we are through. He also advised that Gibber has his own feed mill, however, as we know Gibber had some infected birds but they did pass the State's test and he was able to market his fowl. ' I . 10:15 a.m. . Talked with Dick Rice. He advised that he had 20 some odd., samples of eggs in from Sullivan County and he was proceeding to run these tests. He had nothing further to offer at this time. 11:30 a.m * s' Talked with Commissioner Dalrymple. He advised that they have about 300 samples coming into their Lab. today. He also advised that they found on RogerVaughn1s farm, Richfield Springs, a reading of .56 i-n one flock out of . V four. They also found on Roger Bennet's farm, a reading / of .56 on one flock out of four. i PCB-ARCH-EXT0376891 February 16, 1971 8130 a.m. 1 '. . ^ Had a call from Commissioner'Dalrymple. He advised that Campbell will not take chickens regardless of any tolerances established by the Government. Apparently he was feeling real disturbed over this situation. He advised that he was going to talk further with them and would call me later. 9:30 p.m. - Had a call from Commissioner Dalrymple. He advised that Campbell has now agreed to take any birds that are under the 5 ppm. in fat. This will allow birds to move to market. He advised that there were some birds on a George Walter farm that are very high, 6.3 - 21.4 ppm, . He at not at this time contacted Walters.. The number to be disposed is relatively small, something like 3 -4,000. The Commissioner also stated that they had run 149 samples on eggs from all over N.Y.S. This included about 50 poultrymen. All egg samples tested have been under the limits. Some farms that ran .3 on eggs-were Pickard at Dansville . Audie at Geneva (?) Wilcks at Lyons The Commissioner figured these were close enough to ignore. He made quite a point out of the fact that if one bird is high, it throws out the whole lot. In other words, they are not willing to blend samples. This, is making it extremely difficult to getunder .the tolerances `.that the State requires. The Commissioner also advised that he had contacted Staley, but without success in obtaining additional quantities of Isotol for the Diet Feed. PCB-ARCH-EXT0376892 ' ' ^l' .jfi? ' . :$ . .-'% '' " February 13, 1971 9 a.m. _______ I called Gordon Foland. He reported that on Friday, 2/12, he visited all flock owners purchasing feed from Delaware Valley. He advised that there seemed to be no undue alarm amongst farmers. The farmers basically think that this is a feed problem and that they have confidence in Agway that they will do the right thing towards them. Gordon has picked up egg samples from all of them and these samples will be in the Lab. on Tuesday, 2/16. Gordon advised that they have kept samples of each shipment since mid-January. Some of these have been tested and others are being shipped to the Ithaca Lab next . Tuesday. From here on he will keep samples for 60 days and once each week, he will ship to Ward Flach in Buffalo one sample from each day's run. He advised that there is Koriai? in every egg he visited. This is a Dow product and it contains the ingredient Trichlorophenyl. . February 12, 1971 . 4:45 p.m.____________ ' ' '. . I called Mr. Batinkoff. He advised that he had had a call from. Dr. Trabosh and Dr. Trabosh told him that early this week he had sent out an order advising that 5 ppm on fat was acceptable. Dr. Trabosh also advised him that Campbell Soup has accepted this figure. . Mr. Batinkoff was skeptical and therefore called Mr. Trumble at Campbell to find out if it was true. He vowed that it is. Mr. Batinkoff also advised that the birds he had sent either to Chester or Campbell..had been cooked up and then tested. These tested out at .3, thus leading Mr. Batinkoff to the conclusion that we should figure out some, way to process these birds and salvage them through this process. Mr. Batinkoff also advised that it cost between 7 and 8 cents per bird t.o dispose of the birds. Mr. Batinkoff also advised that he had three farmers who feed Inter-County visit him and who were most upset because Inter-County had taken the position that this subject is an insurance deal and the farmers would have to prove their case to the insurance company. We further discussed what additional actions Agway may take and Mr. Batinkoff assured me that he felt Agway was doing everything they could. I again reassured Batinkoff thatAgway'..s .policy .was to stand behind its products and if and when it is proven that PCB's are caused by improper feeds, Agway would, of course, stand behind its product. . 4:30 p.m. I talked with A1 Cohen at Inter-County. He advised that he had notified the insurance company of possible claims and he said that he was not sure whether or not any insurance people had been in the territory. He also advised that they do not have margins enough' to pay claimson this type of thing, therefore, it would have to be the insurance company if-anyone-was.-going to make payments. Our .visit _ was of a general nature, although he did advise that Dalrymple Had i ^ told him that 5 ppm-was -now .an -acceptable tolerance. The .s.tr.ange part is that we had ,nsever be.en jio.ld this. PCB-ARCH-EXT0376893 aaai&ii jj>t. .' ij. .* y. *v-S > ;vV- Ward Plach G. E. Edick February 16, 1971 Once a week Gordan Poland will send you a sample from each day's run for testing for PCB's. They are also immediately instituting a program of retaining samples at least 60 days on all mill runs. Please report the results on these test3 to me in the usual manner. Thanks. GEE/sh ccj J.S.Gallick L.S.Mix t '. PCB-ARCH-EXT0376894 CONFIDENTIAL A6WAY STATEMENT ABOUT PCB RESIDUES The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is jmaking--a-r.au.ti.ne check in several counties in connection with minute amounts of a chemical found in a few flocks of Leghorn fowl. . The chemical is believed to be one or more of a group of individual chemicals called PCB's, used in manufacturing numerous products ranging from fire retardants to gasket sealers. So far, the problem appears to be confined to a very limited area in* New York State. The source of the chemical has not been identified. T^p compound-has-been--found -in flocks "fed by"three different ' feed-manuf acturers-j--including--A-gw ay baifTit-has not "been .--determ-ined-whether'-the--source--is--in_J:he_feed-or--in-s-ome . 'other factor. Agway is continuing to monitor -finished-feeds"and"" -ingrediehts~~at-- all its--feed--production--plants . The problem is being studied by Agway, by other industry people, and by State and Federal authorities. We will continue to work with interested parties in trying to determine the source of the chemical. February 12, 1971 PCB-ARCH-EXT0376895 ' The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets' is making a routine check in several counties in connection with minute amounts of a chemical found in g. few flocks of Leghorn fowl. . , The chemical is believed to be one or more of a group of individual chemicals called PCB's, used in manufacturing numerous products ranging from fire retardants to gasket sealers. So far, the problem appears to be confined to a very limited area in New York State. The source of the chemical has not been identified. The compound has been found in flocks fed by three different feed manufacturers, including Agway, but it has not been determined whether the -source', is in the feed or in some other factor. All fae4--sample6-t-aken--at--Agway-p-l-ants--s-inee "found"'free of"~PCB" *eentamina-tien-.--- . Agway is continuing to monitor finished-feeds and - . ingredients at all its feed production plants. The problem is being studied by Agway, by other industry people, and by State and Federal authorities. We'.will continue to work with interested parties in trying to determine the source of the - chemical. February 4, 1971 PCB-ARCH-EXT0376896 . >: \ * AG.WAY Inc., box 1333. Syracuse ny 13201 TO: Board of Directors FROM: R. N. Goddard DATE: February 4, 1971 Confidential Poultry Situation . The problem of contamination in spent fowl continues to be elusive. The contaminants are one or more of a group of individual chemicals called PCB's. These compounds are widely used as fire re- , tardants in insulating materials and plastics-, in certain lubricants and gasket sealers, and many other applications. . This is a new source of contamination; up to now no tolerances had been , established. In an industry meeting held in Washington this week, the FDA established tentative tolerances of five parts per million in the fat of birds being marketed. ' . The source of this problem has not been identified. So far, it seems to ' be confined to a very limited area - tests of birds, eggs, milk and feeds . in other parts of Agway territory have shovwi negative to very minute amounts. In the area affected, flocks fed on feeds .of .at least three different manufacturers that have been involved. It is still not clear whether the source of the problem is in the feed or in some other factor. Both finished feeds and ingredients at all Agway mills are being monitored. Many lines of investigation are being pursued - by Agway, by other industry people, by state and federal authorities. This is an industry problem. The scope of it, or the degree of Agway involvement cannot yet : be determined. We have no intention of getting out in front of the rest of the industry, but will work with other interested parties in trying to solve it. Research in Focus. The enclosed paper gives a concise but comprehensive summary of the'present status of research in Agway. .. N. Y. Conference Board. Each year the New York State Conference Board of Farm Organizations prepares and presents to the Governor its recommendations on legislation having significance to agriculture. Because the-.problems and proposals in all Northeast states are in many instances 'similar to those in New York, you may find the enclosed summary ;of "interest. cc: E. H. Fallon end. . 333 BUTTERNUT DRIVE. DE WITT. NEW YORK PCB-ARCH-EXT0376897 February 11, 1971 2:50 pm._____________ - y . Ward Flach called to report that Staley could not ship any Inositol to us before February 25 at which time they could give us 1000 lbs. In view of this, I am going to ask Commissioner Dalrymple to intervene on our behalf to see if we can get it sooner. PCB-ARCH-EXT0376898  :<> &: * ''.. r '-* February 11 . ,> . :. ' '. .. ' . ".' :` . 12;30 p.m. Commissioner Dalrymple called Dr. Mix to inform him that the State Lab in Albany had analyzed 30 layers from the George Walter's farm at Narrowsburg, RD #2, New York and found PCB values ranging from 6 ppm to 21.4 ppm with most of the individual values falling around- 16 ppm. Mr. Walter has about 3000 layers and is reportedly an Agway feeder using feed out of Callicoon. I will verify this with J. McEwen and will arrange for egg samples and information as to the age of flock, etc. The Commissioner reported that he has not been successful in finding any other processor to take birds. They are.all very cautious and want nothing to do with this. I .asked Comm. Dalrymple if Dean Palm had contacted him. He said Yes, Palm had been in touch with him and that Palm would be calling Washington this morning in an attempt to get the FDA to put their tolerances in writing. February 11 12;50 p.m. "' Dr. Mix returned Ward Flach's call. In response to Dr. Mix' request that we make every effort to purchase additional Inositol to meet our forthcoming needs in Sullivan County, Ward reported that he could purchase 1000 lbs. to be shipped by Staley on Feb. 26 -- no sooner. Inasmuch as Al Cohen had told me in Ithaca on Tuesday that Inter-County had been successful in buying 100 lbs. of Inositol from DeCatur, Illinois, I told Ward that he should check with Al Cohen and find out exactly where he was able to find it. Ward will follow through on this request. Comm. Dalrymple has agreed to put thepressure on if needed to help us get this material immediately rather than wait until Feb. 26. 8:00 a.m. Dr. Mix visited with the General Manager and brought him up to date on the PCB problem. The General Manager requested that the duplicate sample to that analyzed by the State Lab. on January 6 and in the possession of L. Batinkoff, betaken to the Ithaca Lab. immediately. I asked Bill Prigmore who is at the Middletown regional meeting to make arrangements with J. McEwen to have this sample delivered this morning. I arranged with Dick Rice at the Ithaca Lab. to have this sample run in two ways -- 1st as an in-tact sample and 2nd on each component in the sample as separated by microscopy. A portion of the sample will be saved and sent to Monsanto for confirmation. Hopefully, results will be available by 3 p.m. on Feb. 12. PCB-ARCH-EXT0376899