Document k9n3wNyGeEE11vybKykYOnOqB

FILE NAME: Sprayed Asbestos (SPRA) DATE: 1971 Dec 6 DOC#: SPRA051 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: WSJ Article - Open-Air Spraying of Asbestos Materials Would Be Banned by New EPA Standards 'Open-Air Spraying of Asbestos Materials Would Be Banned by New EPA Standards i B y it WiUt Srassr JouRHtL Stag Reporter training of workers won't be needed. Additional j ` WASHINGTON - Open-sir spraying at as- costs aren't anticipated for beryllium users, : bcstos fireproofing and insulation would be pro- but the mercury-cell chtor-alkali plants will 'hibiied under new air-emission standards pro have to apend'from 0.5% to 0.9% of annual total posed by the Environmental Protection products' worth. The figure tor mines will be Agency. 2.5% to 3.5%, the agency estimated. i ' The clean-air standards, which cover beryi- At a briefing on the proposal, Dale M. ' lium and mercury as well as asbestos, also Slaughter, chief of the EPA's hazardous pollu ' would! tants branch, said the agency has been advised -Require Industry to use (liters to clean by Industry that the additional costs' mean the any gases produced in the mining, milling and end of mercury mining in the U.S. However, manufacturing ot asbestos-containing materi Mr. Slaughter argued that -depressed mercury als and to eliminate visible emissions from cer* prices, not environmental costs, would be the , tain sources related to their operations. real cause of such a development. At present, . -S e t beryllium-emission ceilings (or extrac the tndustry, located tn California, Nevada and tion plants, machine shops, foundries, ceramic Utah, consists of two large mines, with fewer [plants, propellant plants and incinerators that than 200 workers altogether, plus 30 to 40 one- are designed to dispose of toxic substances, man and two-man mines. In 1969, when mer These ceilings would limit emissions of the pod- cury prices were triple current levels, 309 mer : sonous metal to a maximum of 10 gTams per cury mines were operating, he noted. 24-hour day, or to the potnt that beryllium con- The asbestos-spraying bait would he tem Icentrations won't exceed an average 0.01 ml- pered by the provision that spraying may be t crogram per cubic meter of air for 30 days. done indoors "under conditions where the air -i -- Require rocket-motor test facilities to btheact lweaonueldd."be released to the atmosphere can i I keep concentrations of beryllium in tho sur1rounding atmosphere within a ceiling of 75 mi- Beryllium users also would have the choice , crogram minutes per c.ublo meter of air accu othtecocmellpilnyginagvewriatghethoev2e4r -aho3u0r--ddaayy pmeraixoidm. um or mulated during any two consecutive weeks. (A microgram minute ts derived by dividing the Approximately,300 machine shops, ceramics ; weight of the material collected by the flow pfolaunntdsr,iepsrocpoeullldanctapulsaenbtse,ryelxlituramctieomnispsliaonntss. aBnudt. Hriatete.) eTxhperersualeedpIrnovciudbeisc tmhaettethrse osfamaiprlipnegr mmuinst- because the light metal's extreme toxicity long sbe -done in not less than 10 minutes- and not hinadsubstereyn raelcroeagdniysedh,as"thtehemaejmorispsioorntioncoonftrtohles ' more than 60 minutes. An EPA official ex needed to comply with the proposed stan plained that the agency would require- a net- . work of sampling devices set to collect for dards," the agency said. For this reason, and ' varying periods of time within this range, because beryllium trapped tn air nitration de vices has reprocessing value, it said the stan j --Require mercury-cell chlor-alkalt plant*, dards "are expected to have little impact on j which produce chlorine and alkali caustic, and the Industry." 1primary mercury mines to'limit emissions to a The EPA said it will announce public hear J maximum of five pounds of mercury over a ings on the proposals within 30 days and also is JSt-hour period. allowing 90 days for written comments. , linkTehde toInahanlautimonbeor fofashbuemstoans fdiibseerassehsasincbleuedn- Agency Looks to Further Limitations . inp nronchinl cnnccr. Beryllium in high con- Earlier this year, the EPA made final the ri-utnititiii.s can cause pncumonla-like diseases, maximum atmospheric levels of six major pol while mercury poisoning disables the nervous lutants, Including pnrUrtilhtos sulphur dioxide system. and carbon monoxide, that will be permitted tinder federal-state control plans due to take ef Costs ol Compliance Assessed fect In mld-1975. The greatest economic Impact from the pro- In addition, the agency ts authorized by the ! posed standards would be felt by the nine as- Clean Air Act of 3979 to establish specific jbestos mills processing domestic ores. The source emission limits for toxic substances. j EPA estimated that their cost of comptylng The proposals announced Friday represent the Swill range up to 6.7% of the average 1969 sell first response to this mandate. But the agency ing price of n ton of domestically produced as- now ts looking into the possible need for simi . jtirstcs. The average figure for alt ths mills, lar emission limits on alr-bomc cadmium, van ; however, only would amount to 0.0%, ths adium, mcuigancee and arsenic, Dr, Vaun A. j i agency said. Newell. EPA health effects director, told the 1 Producers of asbestos products. Including briefing. j floor tile, reinforced friction materials, paper One major source of atr-bome asbestos, mo- and textiles, fnco n "annualized cost" equal to tor-vohlcle brake linings, Isn't covered by the tva*, of the "output product value," according proposed standards. However, control of brake 1in the EPA. This would result in an average emissions Is "being assessed," EPA officials 1product price increase of 0.3%, with tho most said. - 1xigmhcant being 2.6% for asbestos paper prod Sources of mercury tn the air also not cov ucts, the agency said. ered by the proposed standards are fossil fuels, The ban on sprayed aqbestos would affect notably coal. Dr. Newell explained that be only about 0.5% of annual domestic consump cause high stacks and even higher-rising tion The E PA said that increased costs for smoke plumes distribute emissions from such 'iilMUute materials will range up to 15%, but sources quite widely, the EPA t>eu<n,,; thTMv j tii :t now spraying equipment and extensive re "little chance" of them exceeding the ceilings.