Document jgLrVdNOQN7GvrdVxXzvBk2JO

October 15, 1940 . Memorandum on Baton Rouge Visit Status of Central Alloy The improvements to reduce exposure in the Central Alloy are being made. Sight glasses are being blanked and clamps installed. The square cornered rubber boots have been taken out and replaced with oval boots. These are- less susceptible to leakage. Ventilating ducts have been placed about the agitator shaft on one melt pot and are in process of installation elsewhere. There are considerable tear downs, replacements and repairs in Alloy at present, the improvements not being completed. As the Third Quarterly set of samples is now in process of collection and will be in before the improvements in the Alloy are completed, the special set on Alloy men will be deferred probably another six weeks or two months until all the work in the Alloy is done and the place is cleaned up. It is hoped that the Alloy work will be completed and these samples collected % before the rotoclones are installed at Baton Rouge, in order that we nay measure the effect of the improvements in operation.' Operations Fifty or sixty operators who had been trained for operation of "" building (Ho. 9) have been laid off or put on construction as the new building is not being opened at this time. The remainder of the operation is being carried out in four shifts, working 7 days a week. "Am building was put back in operation in May, 194^ The blender has been operating since September 15 , and ,lA" and "C" '.ash Houses have been reconverted, from blender use to wash purposes. KiT 0003643 Medical At the present time there are about l,l{.00 lead examinations per month, with two men doing the work. with the men laid off and construction completed, there will be about 1,000 lead examinations per month. Owing to the change from three shifts to four, the men are being examined once a month instead of once in three weeks, this having been done since September 8, 19lj.0. No questionable cases have appeared. Medical personnel is adequate for present volume of work. General Conditions For the past few months the sludge washed from tank cars has been passed directly into the sewer instead of being transferred first to the sludge pit (bismuth). This adds further to the contamina tion of the water leaving the Lead Plant and passing into the Jersey sewer and thence into the river. This sewer line was traced and found to conform to the attached plan. Except where the line crosses the road (beneath the ground), the sewer is entirely within the property limits of the duPont or Jersey Companies. The s\vamp into which it drains prior to seepage into the river, is entirely fenced in on the property of the Jersey Company and would appear' to be, entirely safe in so far as inadvertent access is concerned. Entrance to the swamp can be obtained only by way of the property of the Baton Rouge Refinery and at a subsequent time it is planned to investigate the extent of this swamp and to secure samples of water and sludge. A further problem may be created by the deposition of the sludge in the sewer line for the line, from the Tank Car Wash House 3- - enters the main sewer (process ditch) beyond the separator. A manhead at this juncture makes inspection possible. Housekeeping The following items were noted: (1) Six men were welding and burning on pipes from the Wash Houses, this work being carried out in the open space to the west side of the Blender. Only one man was wearing a respirator and considerable fumes and vapor were visible from the pipes that were being welded. Dr. Sanford is taking this matter up with Mr. O 'Brien. (2) Sample flasks and dirty gloves were found lying on the floor of the filter room in the Blender. . (3) The Third Floor of the Blender requires cleaning. Wooden boxes and pipes are left lying about on the floor, together with extra manhole head covers and couplings for the ventilating line. (ii) Fluid removed in the Tank Car 'washing operation is stored in drums in the Blender Buildsng. Ho leaks were apparent but many of these drums were stored bung down. Monahan will correct this. (5) The wetting sprays on the slag have reduced dust from this souirce, but some slag still finds its way on the roadways beside the pit and c an be carried about in the Area. (6) Still A-15 had considerable odor within the enclosure. Still A-7 kad a noticeable odor. In both instances this odor seemed to emanate from the packing gland about the agitator shaft. (7 ) Packing glands on sludge pumps were in better condition than before. Only the pump on the floor of "A" Wash House was a source of air contamination. Willard Machle, m. v Solvay iij.' >; 'r . C. --^ ^ --^ Go t *t h i n g t on - ... . .....- i. , > 1 i"^ .- ;-. V. r ^ -- ': y* ' 1 * r'' J r> y* p ** v4 O ,s-`^ P /GF 0003646 Gulf Gtoto' ? G., I, 1 / t r :j V '- v j !f t 1 I* I ', iI II I pr \ / )