Document k65dJYq6ndXwov16YgqKk2oMJ

I7i:;f) CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- NOUS o, 102 pic gathered at Andrews Air Force Case that-- Deep differences la political philosophy ca:i:ioc pcnr.aner.tlv Uivide the peoples of tlie worlci. What is most important for the United States is that those differences in-politi cal philcsoplry should not be used like a vice to crush the independent, nr.f -nalistic course which the Rumanians have chosen for themselves. This will not oc cur so long as America recognizes that independence and actively encourages it. President Nixon has recognized that independence and now has urged the Congress to act to foster it. As with the ping-pong tournament In China, the call is now in our court. If we in Congress are to fulfill our responsibility in the determination of national policy, then hearings should be held on our Eastern European trade policy at an early date. The two bills I am introducing today could provide the focus for those hear- The general bill I today introduced would permit the President to extend MFN to any country with which the United States has diplomatic relations ar.d which- is a member of GATT--Gen eral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-- if the. President determines -such to be in the national interest. X PCB'S---EVIRONMENTAL POISONj 'The SPEAKER. Chder a previous order of the House, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ryai?) is recognized for 10 minutes. ' Mr. RYAN. Mr. Speaker, on Friday. July 23. the U.S. Department of Agricul ture revealed that a significant propor tion of chickens raised in 12 States have been contaminated with an extremely dangerous chemical--polychlorinated bi phenyl--PCB, This occurrence tragically illustrates* the failure of the Federal Government to take preventive action against the un controlled use of this deadly chemical. During the past 2 years I have attempted to get the appropriate Federal agencies to take the necessary protective actions that would have forestalled such an oc currence and would have guaranteed the health and safety of the public. But in an almost unprecedented display of disr Polychlorinated biphenyls may be taken into the body by direct action upon the ski:: or as a vapor through the respira tory tract. Tire effect on the skin is ch.loracne: the early sympicins of which are pimples and dark pigmentation; later, mere serious eruptions. Persons who have been continuously exposed to PC3's may suffer nausea, vomiting, loss of weight, endema and abdominal pain, increased respiration, lowered bleed ceil count, and inhibition of the carbohydrate metabolism. More serious effects are those on the kidneys. The principle ef fect. however, is on the liver--possibiy leading to atrophy, followed by death. PCB's are very persistent in the en vironment thus making them a long term threat. They are not soluble :n water and resist biological breakdown. In the past, PCB's have been sold by the Monsanto Co. for use in plasticizer applications; in closed system applica tions. such coolants in transformers; as hydraulic fluids; and as an extender in pesticides. When I first brought the potential dangers of PCB's to the attention of the appropriate Federal agencies in April 1970,1 requested that certain specific ac tions be taken to protect our health and environment from the hazards of PCB's. I urged the Secretary of Agriculture to ban the use of polychlorinated biphenyls in pesticides. The Department of Agri culture agreed to discontinue the use of PCB's in pesticides and to cancel regis trations for pesticides containing PCB's. I urged the Food and Drug Adminis tration to set food tolerance levels for PCB's, to require the labeling of all prod ucts containing PCB's, and to determine whether tins chemical should be banned completely. In replying to me, the FDA advised me that it was undertaking a survey to determine the extent of food contamination from PCB's--the results of which I still have not received. FDA refused to set food tolerance levels and to require labeling. I urged the Secretary of the Interior to act to protect fish and wildlife from this hazard. He replied that investigations were being carried out by various agen cies of the Federal Government and the results of these studies would be funnr'cd to the staff of the Council on Environ mental Quality. ban of the irrmortation. marufr--t\ and sale of all products containing PCB's with the possible exception of certain closed system applications. i 'urged that he require that any product cor.tr. FCB's r.cf included in su:h a baa. be labeled with a warning as to tho.r detri ment:.! environmental effety. I rec,u::`ed that he obtain from Monsanto those pro duction and sal?- figures necessary to determine the extent of possible ?3C cor.tam.inaf'ffn--da:?, which Monsanto has refused to provide me. Ar.d I urged that tire Iky .-r.mentr.l Protection Agency coord:::: :e all appropriate gov ernmental agencies in dealihg with this hazard. In replying to me. Z?A ignored all four of my requests and in no way responded to them. In sherd except for the action cf fhe Department of Agriculture in banning PCB's in pesticides, the Federal Govern ment has net tahen ar.y cf `he necessary steps which I have requested ever 'he pas': 2 years to ccmbat this very ser.cus environmental and health hazard. The results of thus Government inac tion are now trr r.cally apparent. Large amounts of poultry and h:gs in a 12 State area may now be contaminated with this toxic chemical. For nearly 3 months PCB's have been leaking into fish meal processed at the East Coast Terminal, Inc., "'.ant in Wil mington. N.C. The meal has be*i sold to 64 pcv.ifcry producers in Virginia, Dela ware, North Carolina. South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama. Florida, Indiana. Tennessee. Kentucky, Arkansas, ar.d Mississippi. According to the Department of Agri culture, 1C.OOO tor - fish meal had beer, produced at the Wilmington plant be tween April 30 and July 16--when the plant was closed down. Tiffs contamination would yet be un noticed if it were not for the fact that a commercial poultry processor became alarmed at the lew rate of hatching 0: eggs in his broiler breeding chickens. I can see no wr.v hr- all the pcult-p and hogs r.;her::d to this chamicai c:..: now be rimed. The potential results could be dbastcroui. And this is not the sole Instance o'. widespread PCB co:itai::.nr.t:c.a ;:i v . regard for the public'Heoith and welfare, I urged the Commission Product Safety food cha an that administrative actiqa has not been forthcoming. Thcrcfore, I am toda^istroducing leg islation to totally ban 46* distribution of PC3's in interstate oommerce. thus insuring that our health and environ to determine the nature and extent of the threat to our environment. The Com mission replied that It was not possible for them to conduct an 'r.dopih investi gation of the hazards of PCB's at that time. In December 1370. the Campbell Sow: Co. discovered tha: fat samples : urn. from slaughtered ri-.icker.s corn / of FC 1 rest . Upon ing notified 0 ing the peter.;: ment are safeguarded from the hazards And I urged the Council on Environ rence. urn New' of this chemical. mental Quality to coordinate the efforts Agri Manufactured in the United States off all appropriate Government agencies, stopped the w. solciy by the Monsanto Co., polychlo so that the public might know the from the area . rinated biphenyls are a serious threat sources and the seriousness cf the FC3 where the cltick to our health and to our environment. danger, and that it take steps to elimi Like DDT--their chemical cousin-- PC3's and their residue are extremely toxic to animal life, cause birds to lay eggs with shells too thin to protect the embryos they enclose, and have a nate this hazard as soon as possible. The Council advised me that it was working with other Federal agencies to determine what course of action was available to the Federal Government. Apia full-scale inv:. of pp=v.oie ?C_> cCu; try.' ings made by Cs.r.;. dcloter.ous effect on the reproductive Earlier this year I renewed by call for levels of FCD'.-. and capacity of animals. administrative action by requesting ; he of A But by far the most frightening hazard Administrator cf the Environmental restraint m m: n Is tuo effect cl PCD s on human beings. Protection Agency to place an immediate try for slaughter m . HONS 030662 V CONGRESSIONAL RECORDHOUSE [-1 7137 found screening ..en* and New York .ure and .'C3-C0IX- I u i ' r " congressional hearings ir.c ci Furrier. I am reiterating my call for the D c t of Agriculture, the Food ^ a ustration, and the Ea rn- 0 lection Agency to com- me c 1 ely a full and exhaus- pounds, lias been long and widely used Jn the U.S. as a solvent in the production of paint, pesticides plastics and resma on a uuch Items as "carbonless1' carbon paper, as well as m heating and cooling machinery. Monsanto now recommends its use be hm.tcd to neat exchange systems, an FDA spokesman said. PCB contamination of the vl-sucs of poul c.cse tiv n in to the extent of try prod'.'.cid in New York State last year re ?C3 c a ion. And I am calling sulted r.i the seizure a.id c.eo'rucl.on of more for i die administrative ban on than IPO.OOO birds. The :ource of contami the ctuo, shipment, and sale of nation in that c:v;c has not been pinpointed. Althov.'-'h PCB has been In use worldwide ,, <. vp i 3 T.:e prcolem of PCB's is indicative of since before World War It. It was not until 1369 that its presence m sod, water and a much larger problem--that of the al animal tissues became known. a, e most urnvitricted influx of harmful "Environment" Magazine, which first :q v.-incn ccu.c nave ra- r.eihr.nt r.ad not been d;sj c.-.nno: oe ignored. And I .at this is not an isolated exitnt't-ie. In January 1570. E-imp.es of milk col lected by the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture revealed residue of a prod chemicals into the marketplace. A sys tem must be established to insure the safety of a chemical before it can be sold and that only for specific uses. But in the meantime, everything pos sible must be done to protect the pub lic from known chemical dangers. We know the hazards of PCB's. We know brought the PCB problem to national atten tion, reported that concentrations of PCB were overlooked in chemical analyses because It Is so similar to DDT. Kevin Shea, the magazine's scientific di rector, yesterday disputed the government's assurances that toxic birds are not cn the market. 'T suspect PCB contamination may be quite widespread." he said in a telephone uct closely resembling DDT and DDD, On February 19. a dairyman, George Scluvarzwaldcr, was issued a notice by the division of food, dairies, and drugs to discontinue the sale of milk until such time oe the residue found in his milk was below the actionable level. On Feb ruary 27, another dairyman, Franklin Humphrey, received a similar notice. Subsequent samples from individual cows and the bulk tank on these farms submitted to agriculture laboratories and the pesticide laboratory at Ohio what can and must be done to combat those hazards. And we must undertake those actions now. At this point I include in the Record two articles by Hank Burchard which appeared in the Washington Post cm July' 24 and July 25 respectively, and a July 24 New York Times story by Wil liam Blair. The articles follow: JFrom the Washington Post, July 24. 1971] Chemical Found n Chickens--Contas*i- nated Fowz Found at 12-Stat* Area Interview trom St. Louis. Mo. "We were told to check birds from the South more than two months ago. but haven't yet been able to track It down." he said. Dr. Joseph Stein of USDA said the agency had "been checking chickens in the South during this period and have found nothing to lead us to suspect contamination of mar keted birds." Scientific opinion on the dangers presented by PCB is divided. USDA researchers, a spokesman sold, regard the outcry over PQS (and DDT) as exaggerated. " An FDA spokesman s&ld the agency forbids {State University revealed that the resi (By Hank Burchard) use of PCB in toed or In the production of due was not DDT but PCB's. The Ohio State Department of Agriculture found the contaminating substance to be AKOCLOR 1254, manufactured by the Mon santo Co. Apparently, the dairymen's silos were lined with a product called Cumar which included AROCLOR in Its content. The PCB's were then absorbed A "significant proportion" of the chickens ralsod in 12 state# have been contaminated with a DDT-Uka compound, the Department ot Agriculture aanounoed yesterday. USDA sold It has "no evidence" that any of the birds have reached oonsumers and has taken steps to make sure none do. The contaminant is poiy-chiorlnated bipyhenyle, known as PC8. For nearly three food containers. "Its effects are not known in detail." he said, "but to us it's an adulter ant and impermissible." Dr. Robert Rlaeborotigb, of the University of California at Berkeley, discovered while doing research on the brown pelican that PCB was endangering the species. Since then he has reported finding PCS residues widespread. by the silage which in turn was fed to the milk cows, resulting in PCB-contaminatedmUk. month# it had been leaking into meal processed at the Bast Coast Terminal. Die., plant in Wilmington, N.C. The meal hoe [From the Washington Post. July 29, 1971] Law Sought To San DDT-Lnts Chemical Although I have been assured by the Ohio S;ate Department of Agriculture that tills present is now under control, the harm that might have resulted is obvious. In view of the lack of administrative action even after these incidents were brought to the attention 4dJ?ederal agen been sold to 04 poultry producers la Vir ginia, Delaware, North Carolina, South Caro lina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi. PCS, like DDT, is a persistent compound that accumulates la fatty tissues and is sold to cause low fertility and birth defects in animals. Its effects on.humans are uncertain, ' (By Hank Burchard) A New York congressman said yesterday be will introduce a bill to ban all use of a DDTlike compound that has contaminated hu man and wildlife food chains in the U.S. and around the world. The announcement by Rep. William Fitts Ryan (D. N.Y.) came after it was revealed Friday that high levels of polychlorinated cies and In light of the obvious threat posed by PCB-contamtnattan in milk and poultry, on May Hffy introduced legislation <H.R. 576) flrfean the dis tribution of polychlorinjtfMl biphenyl in .Aterstato commerce. However, this Icgislahon gave the Secretary of Health, 'but CBDA has set the maximum acceptable level of PCS in marketed flesh at 9 parts per million, the same as for DDT. Teats of poultry in markets in the South and East during the past week have found none that have as much as 9 p.p.m. of PCS, according to Dr. Fred J. Fullerton of USDA's consumer and marketing service. biphenyls (PCB) has been found In fish meal fed to poultry in 12 atacee, including Virginia and Delaware, over the past three months. A Department of Agriculture spokesman said yesterday that fish meal from the same Wilmington. K.C-. plant bad also been fed to an unknown number of hogs. The depart ment said It docs not beiievo any of tho Education, and Welfare, the authority In my opinion, there would be no broilers poultry or pork Involved lias reached con to exempt from this ban PCB's for use Jn stores above the tolerance," Fullerton said. sumer markets and is moving to prevent in certain cicrcd-system applications; namely, us the dielectric fluid in capaci tors, the coolant in transformers, or as a Art resistant ir. heat transfer media, provided that he iound such uses would not adversely affect the public health and The agency does not regularly test for PCB. In poultry not yet slaughtered. U5DA found PCB concentrations as high as 22 p.p.m., and one poultry producer reported levels as high as 40 p.p.m. The contamination of fish meal in the Wilmington plant was caused by leakage them from being sold. Fish meal produced by East Coast Termi nal, Inc., of Wilmington, was contaminated from about April until the plant was ordered closed Friday. The PCB, being used as the heat transfer medium in sterilizing vatJ, leaked unnoticed Into the meal. welfare. of PCB being used as the heat exchange The contamination was not discovered hr It is now apparent, however, that PCB's are a serious threat even in these closed system applications, as evidenced by the current incident of poultry feed con tamination, Therefore, I am. today in troducing legislation to totally ban the interstate distribution of PCB's. And mechanism in a sterilizing machine. The accidental leakage, which may have begun around April 90, was brought to the attention of the Food and Drug Administra tion last week by the Monsanto Corp., sole U.S. producer of PCB compounds. FDA la turn alerted USDA on July 19. PCB, which stands for a dozen related com any government agency. It came to when a customer of the Monsanto Corp., the sole U.S. producer of PCS, complained that ' his chickens were being sickened and their eggs were of low fertility. Monsanto traced the problem to the chicken feed and the feed to the WUnt.r.gtou plant, then notified the U.S. Food and Drug HONS 030663 *loS CONGRESSIONAL "SCORD --HOUSE M" 2r~37T* AdrftiRi3VraUon. which notified USDA, which a week later made the first public announce' menu. GROSS NEOLECT Ryan, whose office has been investigating the PC3 problem Tor two years, said the case "graphically Illustrates the gross neglect ot the federal government to take preventive action against the Uncontrolled use of deadly chemicals by Amerltyih Industry." K? sa:d ins bill would be Introduced Mon day. i: will replace his HR 8576. Introduced May 19, which would permit the Secretary or Health. Education and Welfare to exempt certain uses of FCBs from the ban. "The latest case convinces us there Is no sale way for the stuff to be used." said Ryan aide Chic Edwards. Government regulation of PCSs has been limited. The USDA recently banned their use in pesticides, and the PDA does not permit them to be added to food products. A half d^zen other agencies say they are considering regulations, Monsanto's recognition of PCBs os an eco logical hazard and its voluntary ban or. their use except in "closed-system" equipment ;s very nearly unique in industry, according to the scientific 'ournal. The company also collects used PCBs from Its customers and destroys them In a special incinerator In Illinois. MONSANTO TESTS Recently completed Monsanto tests, con ducted over two years, showed that rats fed food containing up to 100 p.p.m. showed en Ulster Counties. N.T, as a result of the find ing. * is,coo Tttrs or ::r.-L An Agrlruvare Department .v-okesman said that about ie.Z',0 tons of fishh-.ci been produced at t. t "a,'.ml,":- tween April 99 .;.? :e. 'hrrr*-.., , ' ir.er.i makes up cr.'.v i sat all poultry feeds.' :n oi -.. A spokesman for Rsprescn-rflvt TY;il!.-.n\ F. Ryan, Democrat of rta-.I'.aimn. Mr. Ryan had been trying for a year :o the shipment of PC3 orohibited in utter- state commerce. ::u.-b:luccd legislation to that effect but I: has Irr.gu.shcd in the Hess Interstate Com mere; Cur.mi-.-.c;, the spemesrr.nt-. said. Me sa.d Mr. Ryan had warned of "wide USE LIMITED largement of the liver but suffered r.o other spread'' contamination of foodstuffs, pa.--: A spokesman for the Mansanto Corp. said effects, the company spokesman said. Dogs iariy poultry, before the Mr- York cat-. Ho yesterday the use of PCBs is "absolutely es showed no 111 effects, he said. had looked into `he toxic effects cl ?C3 sential" for heavy electrical equipment and Reo. Ryan said he was skeptical of tests ter reading a study bv Californ.a scient.stj that the company has taken "very stringent ordered by the company for its own products. on the chemical and .lading *'-v. it was not meaures" to control use of the compound. Edwards, his aide, said "It's ridiculous to soluable in water and could o? tahon into Since last August, he said Monsanto has withdrawn PCBs from sale for any purpose other than as the Insulating fluid In elec* have to introduce a bill every time another family of dangerous compounds turns up la our bodies and throughout the environment, the human system by phrrical contact, the spokesman said. "' PCB has a " de range of Industrial u:-, capacitors, as a coolant In transformers but, given the repeated failure of govern including paint; and resins and in the manu or as a fire-resistant ingredient in industrial ment agencies to act, there's nothing else facture of plastics and other nater.cls. In heating and cooling systems. The embargo we can do." the North Carolina case, the substance tv.is also applies to the United Kingdom. In which used In a heat exchanger to rco: liquid. In Monsanto also has a monopoly In PCBs. For more than 40 years before the Mon* santo action, PCSs. which are a group of e. dozen chlorinated hydrocarbons, had been (From the New York Times, July 24, 1971) United States Fears Poison m Some Chick ens--Search on in 12 States Aster Feed Is Found Tainted the New York chicken cose, the PCD vui believed to have been in taint that Caked tff a storage bin or to have been absorbed bv ths feed from the paint. widely used as plasticizers (softeners) In paints, sealants, adhesives and other surface coatings, with miscellaneous applications in thermostats, food, pharmaceuticals and hy draulic fiulds, according to the April, 1971, "Now Scientist and Science Journal." A spokesman for the National Paint, Varn ish & Lacquer Association, Inc., said yester day that PCBs "never have been `widely uaed' in paints. They had certain limited indus trial applications and are no longer used. Any paint buyer may be assured the products contain no PCBs." SSTSCTS ISU DDT (By william M. Blair) Washington---The Deportment of Agri culture announced today a search In 12 states for broiler chickens and chicken feed that may be contaminated by an industrial chem ical. The toxic substance is of the chemical fam ily of polychlorinated biphenyes. Spokesmen for the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration sold that the PCB, as the chemical is known, had leaked from heating machinery used to pasteurize fish meal at the Bast Coast Terminal, Inc.. Wil mington. N.C. The meal was sold for use os The SPEAKER. Under ft previous or der of the mouse, me gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Roy) is recognized tor 5 minutes. ; [Mr. ROY addressed the House. His remarks will appear hereafter m the Ex tensions of Remarks.! THE PEOPLE OF UTICA. MISS., ACT TO HELP POW-MIA'S The effects of PCBs in animals are similar to those of DDT, and before 1989 the pres ence of the compound in the biological chain was not suspected because It was mistaken for DDT in laboratory analyses. There is no consensus among scientists about how dangerous ths compound is. Their concern centers on the fact that PCBs. like DDT, is a highly stable compound that breaks down slowly. A worldwide ban on PCBs and DDT will be proposed at the United Nations environmental conference in Stockholm next year. It Is Insoluble In water but soluble In fats, a factor which causes It to become concen trated in the tissues of progressively larger arbmals m the food chain. Residues of up to l`;09 parts per -"ll'tn (r f "*) have oeen found in the tissues of American seabirds. The USDA Rides da nefcpermlt sale for hu man consumption of-JMti containing more an ingredient la poultry feed and may have found its way into some hog feeds, officials said. They said that the meal had been sold to at least 64 feed processing plants. These in cluded plants that raise and process poultry for retail markets. The officials said that the Wilmington plant had recalled all fish meal shipped since April 30, the indicated date of the beginning of the problem. The plant closed voluntarily a week ago, they said, The toxic substance causes digestive dis tress, nausea, fever and other upsets in hu mans, officials said. The Food and Drug Ad ministration said it had n guideline of 5 parts per million for the PCB substance. Ag riculture scientists said that 15 to 20 parts per million had been found In fish meal still at the North Carolina plant. ALARM OVER EOO-HATCKiNO The SPEAKER. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Gsirrm is recognized for 10 minutes. Mr. GRIFF-H, Mr. Sneaker, in early June, the people of Vciea. Miss., my hometown, undertook the task of send ing two representatives to Paris. France ar.d Rome. Italy to e*:pre-s their supper: and concern for ail the American PO'.V- MIAS presently beimr held in North Viet namese prisons. Air Force MrJ. Thome? E. Collins III, has been a prisoner since October 18.1063. Ke is a native cf Utica. The representatives were Mayor -John F. Tillman and Postmaster P. L. Scott, both noted am. vek-respected ai'r.rhmr? of the community. The mission proved than 5 p.p.m. Some eaHfcpBa fed on the con The contamination was disclosed by an un successful beyond the Lopes of u- taminated fish meal HrifWa found to con named commercial pouiihy processor who be who supported and er.couragtu :h.: effora tain up to 40 p.p.m. Lost December a Campbell's Soup plant in New jorsey discovered impermissible levels of PCSs in chickens purchased from New York growers. Again the discovery was made In private tests, since the federal government came alarmed at the low rate of hatching of eggs in his broiler breeding chickens. Using private laboratory tests, he found up to 40 parts per million In the fat of some of his chickens. Agriculture officials said. He traced the meal to the Wilmington plant, they said. It is a source of cuoimohn ,o r.i that citizens in and r round a :yu like Utica, 1,0"3 pcuv.'.aiien. shmMu v '- clertake such a pro;: r h logu i.c.'i r financial problems .t'.. .> overcome. Over docs not regularly test for PCBs in marketed The meal was sold to users in Alabama. come they were. : Tv. c; v.ker. .`or, : fle^h. Arkansas, Delaware, Florida. Georgia. Indi a remarkably short .'.me ait-:: ih.o i.Tc.t CHEMICAL TRACED ana, Kentucky, North Carolina. Mississippi, began, the money mired rr.d ar New York State officials traced the con South Carolina. Tennessee and Virginia. rangements made far Mayor Tih r.r.n ' :1 tamination to chicken feed produced In a plant that uses stolo bakery goods (which may have been wrapped in plastic made with a PCB) Some 146.000 chickens were de stroyed and burled^ - Earlier, milk from two Ohio dairy herds The F.D.A. set a guideline of five parts per million for the substance after it had been found in feed from an Agway, Inc., plant In Sullivan County. N.Y., early this year. Higher concentrations' were found in chickens fed the feed and shipped to a processing plant Postmaster Scot? to embark cn th.nr m::sicn. It was a community project, and cue ir. which people of nil walks of l.ic ticipated. Its motives were of the 'v:':h ' was found to contain PCBs derived from sh In New Jersey. order and i`3 irtcir.pur.Tv ; ". ag? stored in :;iios painted with PCB-treatcd Federal officials said that 146,000 chickens epoxya. had been destroyed in Sullivan, Orange and break and cintern and live ;. m. '. ..a :i HONS 030664