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- fn>^ The vinyl'chloride fight is on Chemical companies iri filing objeolions u> the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's proposed per* maaeot expoeure standards for vinyl chloride (CW, May 13,p. 23). But despite the outlook for prolonged hctriagt and accumulated data from many studies, OSHA is (till hoping to adopt the Stan dards, which call for "no detectable lever of VCM, by October. Calling the proposed standards "im practical," "unachievable" and "a disas ter for the industry," producers of vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride are bas ing objections on three main points. These ire, they allege, the unavailability of manufacturing technology to eliminate VCM oompletely, the economic impact on the industry (they contend that plants will be dosed, jobs and markets lost) and lack ofdatt to support the new rules. But Industry chance* of changing the standards appear to be getting worse, if last week's New York Academy of Sci ences meeting on toxkity of VCM and PVC is any indication. Charges of blood, liver cad respiratory abnormalities result ing from exposure to vinyl chloride were added to the known cases of angiosar coma. Standard Setting: The new standards proposed by OSHA define Mco detectable exposure level" as being determined by devices capable of detecting concentra tions of 1 ppm. with an accuracy of 1 ppm., plus or minus 50%. `That'i going to be tough to achieve," says Daniel Boyd, director of the agency's standards devel opment office. But Boyd observes that a combination of engineering controls, work practice methods and respirators could be used in complying with the rule*. The standards would put plants in three categories: those at which "feasible engineering con trols" would be used to reduce exposure below detectable levels, those at which respirators would supplement work prac tice and engineering changes, and those at which respirators alone would be used because "no feasible engineering control or work practice method can be instituted immediately." But industry is saying that there cate gories are not practical. Reason: there is no technology available to completely eliminate exposure, so there has to be re liance on respirator systems. And these, industry adds, are dangerous and won't work. "Maybe we can build a new plant to approach the proposed standards," says Harry Connors, general manager of Diamond Shamrock's plastics division, "but w can't adapt existing plants to it" More Beadles: What choice is left to in dustry? The answer could come fh>m a series of acooomic Impact studies that are being undertaken. One will be done by OSHA, although a contractor to do the work has not yet been hired. The Society of the Plastics In dustry has hired Arthur D. little to study the economic impact of the new regu lations. That study could be ready within two months. In formulating its VCM rules, OSHA relied heavily on evidence of develop ment of angiosarcoma in mice at 50-ppm. exposure'during tests sponsored by the Manufacturing Chemists Assn, at Indus trial Biotett Labs. And now those labs and those of Ccsare Maltoni, in Bologna, Italy, are going to ran Anther tests on mice at 25,10 and 5 ppm. But the indus try contends that much of this data doesn't relate to human exposure. Con nors cites cases of 17 workers at Diamond Shamrock's Deer Park, Tex., plant who have bad 20 yean' exposure, he says, without damage. Also under investigation is emissions of vinyl chloride from manufacturing plants. The Environmental Protection Agency mnuain that there axe 5% VCM losses from PVC plants and concentra tions of 1-2 ppm. in air outside plants. Several PVC makers have been installing ventilation systems as protection for workerr. doting tbit outlet for air pollu tion reasons will prove an added hardship for the alreedy-hard-pressed makers of VCM and PVC. And if limits are put on the amount of unreacted YCM on PVC retins, as is being considered by EPA. the industry may And it has "nowhere to go," as one company spokesman put it. Dart takes the plunge Improved market conditions have trig* gered one polypropylene expansion, and more may be in the works. Dart Industries, which had been con sidering expansion for some time (CW, Apr. 11, "73, p. IS), said last week it will build a IM-miltion-lbs./year polypropyl ene plant qear Houston in a joint venture with El PasoProducts, a subsidiary of El Paso Natural Oas. Startup is expected in *76; cost was not disclosed. The partnership already operates a Top of the news 130-million-lb*,/year polypropylene plant in Odeua, Tex. That unit will be debottlenecked to up capacity by 10 mil lion lbs./year, according to Dart's chem ical group president, Ralph M. Knight. Knight said the decision to build a new plant was based on forecasts that US. polypropylene demand will double, to about 6 billion IbsVyear, by 'SO. Recent Increases in prices of the material, he adds, should offset higher costs. Site for the new plant will be 550 acres in Bayport Tex., recently acquired by the partnership (torn Friendswood Develop ment Knight takl the site was chosen be cause it is close to other petrochemical complexes and to shipping /Utilities. Polypropylene is tight, although not as scarce as some other retins. Meet are Arm, and industry observers tey addi tional capacity Is needed, since only Her cules and Amoco Chemicals have major US. expansions now ia the works. Shortages won't vanish Shortages of vital feedstocks will be a major and long-lasting problem for the plastics industry, Amoco Chemicals* en vironmental coordinator, Victor A. Denslow, said last week at the annual techni cal conference of tb* Society of Plastics Engineers in San Francisco. The short ages, he predicted, will last at least three yean, perhaps 10. Denslow maintains ifaai new feedstock capacity hat been discouraged by low rates of return on investment ("3-59 in recent yean, sometimes almost zero"). In addition, be says, environmental consideration* bave limited tbe avail ability of energy and feedstocks. He cites these examples: nuclear plants, which could free hydrocarbons for chemical use, have been held up; the Alaska pipe line has also been delayed; Santa Barbara channel oil has not been available; and sulfur and ttrip-truning restrictions have cut the availability of co*L All these factors, Denslow notes, will resnlt in reduced availability of plastic* and higher prices. "We can't yet assesa the effect of higher prices on demand for plastics," he adds, but he says that it will probably lead to a drop in demand. Conference leader John J. Hahcr, gen era] sties manager for Borg-Warner Chemicals, emphasiwd that "the plastics industry most prove to die oil companies that plasties represent a favorable'return on investment to their refineries." To get a share of available crude oil, he added, plastic producers will bave to pay much higher prices. May 22. 1974 CHEMICAL WEEK 1 j * t AP00034946