Document kVMVQb83X0wD5ryEKbJ8R2qq

T cc: Me. Ji E* Boudra&u Mr. Charles H. Ze&aah James 0 {alone smog-- status and coverage Ecu York Hew York Hessr S3 , 1956 / In line with cur comrersafclon cm the sublet 1 shall attempt to put In perspective here the situation on snog as it Involves Ethyl, and review the means by which it has been and coo continue to be covered. X shall do so under five headings: legislation, Press end Public Attitudes, Technical Aspects, Information Scarce and Correspondence, and long Range Factors and Policy. A. Legislation 1. hoc Angeles. The ssost Important single starting point end test area of smog I^Lslation**loeal, state and .federal-coatinuet3 to be Loo Angeles* This?. is so despite the fact that the moot recant smog season in Los Angeles (late stsaaer and Yell) van the least onerous in at least ten years, and that the county Air Pollution Control district felt able to ask for a reduced budget for fiscal 1956* The Los Angeles County AFCB is the most active smog control agency in the country. Xt easerclaea relatively severe restrictions on industry of all kinds, including, notably, the oil industry. In 1937 it van given power by the California legislature to regulate the sale and ext force the use of exhaust control devices for autos. This power will not take effect until a suitable device Is available. Recently auto industry spokesmen said no realistic date for the availability of such a device can be set. Leak of a catalyst that will convert combustion products in exhaust into noa-smog-foming substances, and at the same time tolerate the presence of lead compounds sufficiently, seems to be the main obstacle. Los Angeles officials may be expected to continue their demands upon the auto industry for a workable exhaust device. The County Board of Supervisors has proposed setting a deadline for this 16 months or two years away from therstarting tine, after which the sale of new cars or resale of used ones would be prohibited within the county. For metropolitan areas sound the rest of the country, the powers and activities of the Los Angeles AKTD have already been to an extent, and probably will be further, a guide to local anti-smog action. The situation in Los Angeles has also given rise to considerable legis lative activity in California*a state capital. Xt led in 19^7 to KE- 0004886 ^/t- iS r' VV;'v:b m XT. M*y S3, 1958 eetablishasnt of the lev under bleb tbe Los Angelos ASCD was set up, and under which at least five other Air Pollution Control lUstricts have also since been set tip. One is tbe Bay Area (Ben Francisco} APCb which takes lb Pittsburg. other states base borrowed tbe Aid* idea At tbe urging of Los Angeles officials tbe Californio, legis lature also considered a bill to create a statewide air pollution control mechanic, in 1957. This M U did not pass, due partly to opposition by tbe California oil and chemical industries, vhlch bold that the smog problem is local, primarily, and should be controlled locally* At the national lewd, Los Angeles eiggpllad the is&etus for the first major federal legislation on air pollution passed In 1955. introduced by California Senator Thomas Kuchel, this legislation, Public Low 1$9, provides for the expenditure of $25 million over a five-year period, mainly for research and for cooperation vitb local agencies not of an enforcement nature* In hearings f o r the Scbenek Bill in Kashington in March, Loa Angeles representation vas most prominent of any* Tbe bill would direct the Burgeon General to enforce limitations of specified exhaust emis sions. Largely due also to suggestions and appeals from Los Angeles, & na tional ytnferewft* on air v i U be conducted in Washington during the week of Boveober 13, 1958, under auspices of the Tmparfcmant of Health, Education and Welfare. The conference vili range widely over national problems of research, control end legis lation. 2. Other Municipal Areas--Praatieally every major urban area in the y am ^ y y 'hlfin a n p r o b le m , a s d o massy CO SBBUn ltlen with a special industry and/or geographical situation. Practically all have ordinances applying to density of aisaian or types of odor* Many such ordinances are antiquated. fora, citie* cow have regulations againat visible e t w a t , ^ type of restriction is becoming more widespread* In general nueh mens attention hm been paid lately to the contribution of exhaust to urban air pollution, and more detailed regulations aay be ex pected to be put into effect in cosing years* Much may hinge on the availability of an economical exhaust device for cars. According to cam expert there is also a trend toward broader municipal control ordinances. These are based on the Los Angeles County ordi nance prohibits the emission of toxic nuisance effluents, gaseous and particulate. Zt is thou^xt too that the country control district type of air pollution agency will become more prevalent. This breaches tbe situation in which the large city la unable to con trol its m&uxfea* HE 104887 a&sq TTTS w x sx &s 3er?g* n 0004888 6%t Ciarles B* eanab--3 Hey 23, I95-S Mr* Charles H. leaaah-- b ay Zit nonprofit research organisations and by universities, subsidised by bath gpveraaent end industry. Under local offlcialdora data, is taken regularly in many oomnunities to dstemine local air content* Many Individual com panie* and plants are studying end working to control their local emis sions. Predominantly the research is of an engineering nature as distinct from having nodical or health goals* More is being learned about what air pollution is, and where it ia coming from, than about what it does. And of course much of the uncertainty over what should be done about it results from lads of knowledge of its effects* Of all technical aspects, this department probably has most reason to be interested in the search for a catalyst that will live with lead in an ex haust device* fbr several years the only organisation carrying out this work was the Oxy-Gatalyst Cooptmy* A number of other firas are looking now, aaaong them the auto companies. Ford has made the biggest splash ao far with vanadium pentoxide, but this ia not yet comaercially feasible. Detroit has been keeping in close touch with the search for u catalyst. Next lu order of interest in the work on auto exhaust in genomi Ethyl's own efforts in this field have been highly significant and useful. The Aix Pollution Foundation, to which Ethyl contributes, now devotes all of its research support to exhaust. Project it ia sponsoring are being carried out at the Stanford Research Institute, South Pasadena (with co support by the API's Smoke and Fumea Ccmssifetee); the Midwest Research Institute in Kensas City (in working cooperation in the recent poet, on some projects with Ethyl); the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia.; the University of California at Riverside; the Armour Research Foundation, Ch icago} and the Atlantic Research Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia. The Air Pollution Foundation's purposes are to learn sore about or expedite; (a) basic mechanists of the formation, of smog from auto exhaust; (b) fundamental principle* of afterburner design; () elimination of nitrogen oxides from auto exhaust; and (d) devalopaent of leod-inaensitivc oxidation catalysts* These might be considered the leading alms of exhaust research as a whole, with the implied inclusion of reducing hydro carbon amissions* Other groups most prominent in exhaust research are the Automobile Manufacturers Association, the Coordinating Research Council** Joint organisation of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the API with active participation by Ethyl-- and the toe Angeles County Air Pollution Control District. Of farther interest among technical aspects is the question of rtaoglesa gasoline," or whether changes in the composition of actor fuels might help reduce smog. This has been a lively issue for more than a year-in Los Angeles, since "selective elimination or reduction of highly re active olefins" was suggested as " possible means to abate the smog nuisance* tov an iSCS researcher* Boohatic doubt of this cossibilitv been expressed fey the Veotem Oil and Gas Association. Further investiga tion is being conducted by the APCD, by ROGA and by the U. 8* Bureau of K E 0004890 Mr. Ch arles fi. eaxiah-- 6 ttey 3, i m Mines at Bartlesville. Since suggesting the reduction of olefins, the APCD bee stated that bigb octane gasolinee developed lor hig&-coa&ustlon engines In the last few years have inadvertently helped reranve some ol the eye-sting froa X.* A. ' smog* B. Inforsaatien Sources and G cadence 1. Legislation--The most concentrated and thorough coverage of legisla tion carried on h&e been the scanning o f weekly bulletins of state legislative activities cent by state Petroleum industries Committees Experience has shown that such regular scanning dees not pay out In the long run* Other sources can give warning of any upcoming or pending bills that might be cause for concern, and the state PIC of* fleers can be asked in individual eases for special coverage of most state bills* the prisary other legislative source to be relied upon Is the Manufacturing Chemists' Association, through its legislative bulletins and through correspondence to those on the nailing list cf its Air dilution Abatement Committee X have been receiving both types of material. A few others In the Cospeny, including the law department end Dr. Charles Smith, receive the legislative bulletins only, state end federal* The MCA Itself will give detailed informa 1937i :U tics on a bill on request, end can furnish or lend copies of bills or laws* last year the MCA supplied a suaraary of air pollution legislation f o r state sessions* It may do so this year unless it doom the subject not worth special attention since only 16 state legislatures have bsen In session in I9>o--though at least half cf these have taken up air pollution In some manner* In coverage of state bills by PIC secretaries in the various capitals, six states am t be excepted* Five of these are covered by the western Oil and Gas Association: California, Oregon, Washington, ftavada and Arlscna. the remaining state, Texsu, is covered legislatively by,,the Tcxss-Midcontihent Oil m id Gw Association, headquartered in Dallas. For reference on the prevailing body of air pollution legislation acrosa the country there are In the files two detailed and fairly re cant articles* Cue Is by Sonusl M* Bogsrs, of the U* & Public Health Service, tee other by Frederick S. Mellette of the American Society cf Mechanical Engineers. The Rogers article has a bibliography of source material on air pollution legislation. In addition the files contain copies of a nunber of state laws on air pollution. Clippings also have furnished occasional leads on state legislation. But to a such greater rxtent they tell what Is going on at county and city levels: local agitation and discussion, and word of actual saw ordinances* For acre than a year we have not been receiving clippings under the head of air pollution; we have been getting the ones touch ing upon exhaust and lead only* Aa of Huy 29 tea Inflow is to be cut off entirely* But eooe feel talned by regular perusal of "Smog Sews,' a twiee-swntbly collection of clippings put out by tea ASHE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, to which tea department subscribes* KE 0004891 Mr. Charles B Zeanato-- ? May 23, 195 Ml^sllaaspra--Shcplpg in touch with events in Los Angeles is by now a&iaty a ac&ter of keeping In touch with Howard Htsealbarg* Bess and others of Detroit od Saa Bernardino are of course directly Involved in such of the research on exhaust and device developtasnt. As you know, Detroit has been cooperating with the AFCD In supplying samples of AK-33X for study of any possible effect on saog formation. la an~ dltion the Los Angeles office and VOGA continue as Information out posts* For staying Informed of press and ptffelle attitudes, reading "Smog News" Is again Important* Zt nay be of help for a while also to hove on hand soae of the acre tmet-iedea aad significant articles end clippings of the past two years or so. They provide a background for much of what will be happening* In the files the clippings re sorted under Los Angeles, Ban fraaclsoo, West Coast, and Batlcmal-Canadlan-Zsteraatloiull. Also of use are oecealenal items in the trade press, and part of the contente of the monthly Sew York city "Air Pollution Control Sews, " which is received free* cm technical developments, apart from direct word from Detroit and elsewhere la the Company, there Is once again "Smog Sews," plus trade press Items, end the monthly "AFCA Abstracts" which summarises cur rent literature of air pollution* A K A means Air Pollution Control Association* This organisation, of which several Sthyl people are Individual mashers, also publishes the quarterly "Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association," which prists pepars delivered at meet ings of the Association, end other materiel* Heatings of the AFCA constitute another prime sottree of technical in formation and they core attended regularly by Ethyl* assigned technioc.1 people, as during this week In where the * meeting is in progress. Regional meetings occur at other times durine the year* In addition, API Division of Refining meeting regularly schedule air pollution sessions, attended by Howard Keoeelberg as a now member of the &sofcs aad Punas Committee* Other groups that have sponsored Important meetings In the. pest two years are the Southern California Chamber of Ccneasree (annual Southern California Conference on Air Pollution)] the Armour Research foundation and the Btdweetern Air Pollution Prevention Assn* (eo-oponsore)] the Air Pollution foundation] the Los Angeles APCP, the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, and the Society of Automotive Engineers* On all of these natters of information ad information sources, the twenty-odd folders of the smog file supply background and details. ft'Ef 0 0 0 4 8 9 2 Mr. cbtl** fi. Hay 23, 195fi S. Loag-Raaae Tactora and Pollcr Er. W. L. Fsltb, Director of the Air Follutioa Foundation and tftougfrt aound propbet, predicted noi so long ago tiwfe it vili la tvo or tbree yaara before a suitabla exbauat dorica vili ba avallatele for autos. Ttois aay m a n that it vili ba thie long befare a suitabla leod-tolerating aatalyst can ba fouod and put iato catelytic afterburnera os a vida scala. Purlng tilia tiaa tbe contrlbution of axbsust ta air pollutica, in aany cflOBunitiee, aiy increaaa. And nev studine f the eeateot and affaci f cxbanat gases vili ba publieiaed. It lo llkely th*i tbs ganara! public vili bacca aora avare in tbls parlad of the rala of laad in teea&erlag exhaust purificstioOi xi it io possibl m v flndinga on cadSauBt t u link it definitely to th rloing inoidsnee of lung cancar and to cibar bad effecta on heaith. So, durine the neact ooupla of years et least, befbre auto eaa ba furnlshed efflcient exhaaat purlfiars, the laad in gasolina oould cena under aera ettaok-- ocre parsiataat and generai attack tban baa had to ba daalt vitti so far# acepte durine ti tveotles. It can ba said oov-- fra th vanter polsi of nera fehan ivo yaara1 observa tioa-- thst in soat stntaa urbait orano tettare io ltetelo chance km vili ba put into affaci direetly running conciar to th usa of leed in {gasolina, befora aa sdamai devine io ready. Bufe tbere io a threefe la th sehsaek BUI, a federai bill. Zf enoug$ anclfegaant le @enerated ver hamful effeets of exhaust, tbio bill eculd $ sw fceavy and ustionai jr*- licity, thia yesr or nessi yaor or th osa aftor. And viti tbio oould erica negativa coocaaat on tha jTXwnennn of in gasoline, nd pos sibly sona pressura co tba oli industerjr to remavo it, before an cafarnai daviea io ovailabio. Sudi pressure aigfafe ba laked vitti a de-esgjbaeis of octane mnbaro, end cxncelvnbly oven sosas decline in oeteae lavala sfaould tbere ba a strong and loag-rmmout aesand Sor m xm eceaaoaay and a cessation of tbe borsopovsr rasa in cara, 'ibis io e^eculsfcicn vfaleb arises frea a coneept of saog covando m a kind of steady scstry duty requirlag alertaos to botti sudasi m m q p m im m d raste tbrea&a. In th lack of on akbaast dovine, tbe TEL ecoiKxssicc story night bave to ba put to vide use in defasse of th product. Berfaapa it vould ba gpod to bava sema oatorial of tbis kind, aloag vitti updetod Information on tbe 1sai'ety factor of laad in air, preparad for tbe ncefclonal eonference on air poHutiwk aat for tba vede of fiovadbor % 195S in ^asbington. !19 agenda for tbls conferenee I t a d f baa not yet baso aaanotmced. Zt sigbi ba advia* abla to fiad out fra tt Public tkmltl Servica soon vbat cempulsosy occaslcaa igbt arine durlng tbe confemwse for stating, or insorting loto tbe record, tbe enea fer laad. JCH:tp Malcna . K 0004893