Document kDVm7ZprpY8eqmkmVrdLQGYgb

TUK NEW YORK UMES, HAIUKVAY, JAnUARf.il, DU i The 24 organization member] A CHEMICAL PACTj * countries from Western Europe, North America and developed] Asia signed a council decision) |on Feb. 13, 1973 to control ilhe use of the chlorine-laded iPCB's and arc now exchanging [Charged With Not Curbingj information about what pro gress they have made. Use ot Toxic Substances An organization lawyer ex-J plained that a council decision! Affecting Foods By CLYDE II. rARNSWOBTH ' Pi*f kt t Tn f.e* Vrti VMl PARIS, Jin. 16--The Untied Stairs has been chargt-d with not living up to its obligations [under ivhnt is in effect an international treaty In restrict] use of a group of toxic chemijcnlx and prevent them from lenlrring the environment and Iconiaminating the human food] chain, Tills was reported yesterdayl by officials of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development who noted that Hie United Stales and other nations in (he organization had under the organization's rule* Jof organization, "has the btndti ,lng effects of a treaty.". Organization officials ht- were surprised by the termtnol ogy of Russell F.. Train, lead] of the Environmental Protec-] tion Agency. In referring to| the council decision in one re-, cent statement as a *'recom-| [mendation.'' | The council also adopts re-! icommendations, but these are! not binding on the members. <7 don't understand." said je organization specialist who tasked not to be cited by name, "how the United States could solemnly make an agreement and at the same time not be in the position to carry it out." signed a commitment neadyl three years ago to contmLthal A toxic substances control! act has been bottled up In chemicals, known as fliVm hMMUHrtMiei WnheWtc -41 the Congress for five years, having run into intense Indus-j By poisoning fish, the sub-! stance enters the human food chain. H has caused liver can cer and reproductive failures in some laboratory animals. Other nations who are major offenders, according to data collected by the environment! secretariat of the Western coor dinating institution, are Wgpg try opposition. But officials of tiie Organization for Economic] [Cooperation and Development1 jeannot fathom why the Admi nistration does not propose leg islation to deal specifically1 with PCB control, especially: since there is only* one major] American manufacturer of the laubstancs, the Germany.* Italy and opsin. Among Ine countries that nave ^"witliout controls jobbers can best met the obligations of the [undertaking are Japan and the; [nations of Scandinavia. ! jdistribute the substance freely 'and imports can come in from, manufacturers abroad. PCB't! Hid the United States passed the legislation envisaged under, are relatively easy to make, amt because of their inertness, the organization commitment, the Oaneral Electric Company would be barred from discharg ing PCB contaminants from |two capacitor plants into the 'Hudson River. fire resistance and ability to hold an electrical charge, they are widely used In the manufac ture of capacitors and genera-i .tore In the electrical industry. flThey art also used in lubri- [In New York, a spokes 1 "cants, paper coatings, hydraulic s9iman for General Electric said that the company, under [fluids, piastieizers, inks, paints] [and adhesives. permit granted a year , ago by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, was dis charging about three pounds of PCB chemicals a dey from the two plants, at Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, into the upper Hudson north of Albany. [The permit, the spokes man said, allows the com pany to discharge up to 30 pounds of the chemicals a dsy,1 _____ __________ ___ High officials from the orga nization's member countries are to meet In Paris March! IS to discuss application of [the council decision. Christian |Herter Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Environ mental and Population Affafts,t Its to lead the American dalega[tion. The councTI decided that! |PCB's shall be used only for .specifically defined industrial [and commerical purposes [where the substance is main tained in a closed system. .. The accord also said that imember countries "shall: con trol the manufacture, import nnd export of bulk PCB's; insti tute adequate arrangements for the recovery, regeneration, ade quate incineration or other safe disposal of- surplus and waste materials; institutue a special uniform labeling system for .both bulk PCB'* and PCB-eontaining manufactured products, ami established safety specifi cations for containers and transport The United States Is bv far the largest producer of PCB's. According to organization data for 1971--more recent statistics' are unavailable--the Unitedl (states produced 18,000 tons:! West Germany, 8,000: France, 7,GOO; Britain 5,000; Japan, 6,800; Italy, 1,500 and Spain 1,300. The Soviet Union is also be lieved to be an Important pro ducer, but figures on its output re not available. In Eastcrri Europe, East Germany is prob ably the biggest manufacturer, organization officials believe. , At the coming March meeting! In Paris, the United States is expected to run Into criticism from the countries that have met their PCB control obliga tions. , Since the council decision, Japan has stopped all manu faeture of the product and. banned imports, except for e. specifically defined special case. .In June 19G8 about 1,000 Japa nese were poisoned as the result of leakage of a heat-tram/er, fluid containing PCB in a nce| toil pasteurization plant. West Germany, like the Unit id States, has no PCB tcgisla tion end is believed to be in creasing production. France psisort a law in July last year controlling the produc tion, manufacture, and use of PCB'S. . Britain enforces control pro cedures throogh what is known as a gentlemen's !* ment among users and t*. single manufacturer, a Mon santo subsidiary. 1 All the Scandinevian coun tries and the Netherlands, Austria and SwKserland are believed to have effective eon trols. . .1 Italy end Spain- have not] carried out the council de cision. Italy Is said to provide [figures on its production, but Spain so far has refused to do] this. HONS 032X64