Document mB8dwg4nmYKYw9XQgkzM3pY4k

UD:aull> RTws EBSgestf Serve JOURNAL The Guardian . DATE PAGE April 2, 1971 ------------------- ------------- =\ Makers "i. withdraw a poison By our Sdcnco Correspondent , Monsanto Chemicals Ltd., Is to curtail strictly sales on the British market of the highly poisonous and persistent indus trial chemicals known as poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Without any public announce ment, the restrictions came voluntarily into operation in March and. after the last "un restricted '* orders are dis patched during the next two or three weeks, production of PCBs at the company's Newport factory will he sharply reduced. Monsanto are the sole pro ducers in Britain and the US. A similar restriction was imposed on the tJS market some months ago. PORs, as persistent In the environment as organochiorinc pesticides and almost as poison ous, have been in use since the IMOs and are now a widespread and significant component of the chemical contamination of the oceans. During the past few years, they have been increasingly impli cated as 8 contributory cause in environmental disasters such as the destruction of birds in . the Irish Sea in 1969, I Although strong 'in terms of circumstantial evidence, the environmental case against l PCBs is by no means water tight. This action by Monsanto is, therefore, both commendable and unusual The question now is whether other countries will follow the Monsanto lead (both France and Germany manufacture PCBs in quunlity) or whether opportunists with less environ mental conscience will try to break Into the market through the back door. This Is something which the Department of the Environment could usefully 1 watch. . , f 005ZAA9 TOWOLDMONOQ55397