Document jaE3DrGX6ZpjOM95a7gMgnoO

Vinyl-Chloride Emissions Would Be Cut 90% Under Standard Proposed by EPA * Wall Imrt Joibjul Sierr Xrporter WASHINGTON--Declaring that a health risk exists lor 4.6 million people living near vinyl-chloride plants, the government pro posed requiring a W.% cut in air emissions of the cancer-linked chemical. The standard proposed by trie Environ mental Protection Agency would require that the 60 or so existing manufacturers of vinyl chloride and two sister compounds. "ethvlene dichloride and polyvinyl chloride, install "best available" technology to limit emissions from their plants. Concentrations of the chemicals in air around the plants currently average less than one part per million, the KPA said. Th new wouliTfeduce th.ii level to about O.j part per million. ^"TOtyl-chlorid* gw it used primarily in the plastics industry to make polyvinyl chloride, hr PVC. a plastic that la widely used in consumer products and construction. It has been under intense scrutiny, spurred in pan by a B. F- Goodrich Co. unit report in January 1974 that several of its employes had died from a rare liver cancer linked to exposures to the gas. EPA Administrator Russell Train said i that his agency doesn't know precisely what ' level is lew enough to eliminate any cancer 1 risk but that he hopes the proposed standard j will reduce most of the cancer cases traced j to the substance. From one to 30 cases of j cancer each year are attributable to vicinity j exposure to vinyl chloride, he said. Cost to Manulacturer* E Mr. Tram said that meeting the new standard would cost manufacturers about : $196 million plus another $70 million each year to maintain the required emission levels. That cost, he said, could force four small plants, or O.Sft of the industry- ** close. These facilities, according to the EPA. are Occidental Petroleum Corp.'s poly- vtnyl-chlonde plant in Hleksnlle, N.Y., and three Jannet Corp. polyvinyl-chloride plants in Torrance. Calif.: Tucker. Ga.. and Somer set. N.J. The plants employ a total of 30 workers. Mr. Train said the agency considered re quiring that emissions be eliminated en tirely but feared that such a stringent stan dard would effectively close the enure in dustry. Because the lapse between exposure to vinyl chloride and the appearance of can- j cer may be as much as 30 years. Mr. Train 1 said the EPa couldn't ignore the growing public exposure to the gas- Vinyl-chloride production is up about MOT* from IS to 30 years ago. Workers' Exposure Reduced In October 3974, after months of fact-find ing and hearings marked by bitter contro versy, the Labor Department ordered a cut , in worker exposure to vinyl chloride within the plant to one part per million from the previously allowed SO porta per million. In dustry officials bad warned that the rule was so harsn it could lead to a total close down of plants making PVC plastic vtnyi- chioride gas. - So far. however, only Uniroyal Inc. has announced plans to close a plant rather meet the worker-exposure standards. It plans to close Its Palnesville, Ohio, PVC res ins plant by March l. The new EPa standard won't be adopted formally until otter a -to-day period for pub lic comment and a public hearing. Mr. Train said he hopes to complete the process by late spring. Manufacturing plants would then hove 90 days to install the emissioncontrol equipment or to apply lor an exteit4 non. Tha agency could grant extensions of up to two years. Industry spokesmen agreed on the need to restrict plant emissions of vinyl-chloride gas but at the same time denied there was any known risk from such leaks into the to be able to meet the requirements, even though untried technology would have to be developed to do tt. Poses No Overriding Problem Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., another major maker, said the proposed standard is attainable "and poses no overriding problem lor Goodyear, which already is well along the way to meeting it." A spokesman said in Akron that the company expects to make "rather substantial" capital expenditures to meet the standard and that "regrettably, atmosphere. these additional costs ultimately will be re "In the Public Interest" "We don't believe that there is any cur flected in product costs." 'N Both companies declined to estimate the rent. nor has there been any past, risk to the health of individuals residing in the proxim cost to them of meeting the EPA regulation. ity of vinyl-chloride gas and polyvinyl-chlor- Tenneco Inc. said In Houston that it is fake-resin plants, but the VCM-PVC produc- { currently in compliance with some sections ers agree that rigorous emission controls ' are in the public interest." said Ralph L. of the proposed regulation and would be able I to meet the rest within the EPA's time lim Harding Jr., president of the Society of the its. Plastics Industry Inc. The society represents makers of 99<7c of the vtryi-ehioride-aionomer and polyvinyl- j chloride plastic made in the U.S. Mr. Hard er- big said fus group views the EPA * action as v*ii `-primarily a precautionary step." But he 1 \: noted that the EPA's proposed standard hasn't been studied m detail by industry rep ! resentatives and that further comment will be made within the normal rule-making pro cedures preceding imposition of the require ment. A spokesman for B. F. Goodrich Chemi cal Co.. a unit of B. F. Goodrich Co.. Mid In Akron. Ohio. "We recognise that there is a need for control requirements and emission limitations." He said the company expects RSV 0006726