Document nG4vgR673E5gbBgvxKOKGyy2

i: tn-i li By PETER J. BERNSTEIN SUr-L*i$-*r Wifhtngion 6urju WASHINGTON -- Chemical manufae` turers will be required lo reduce by 55 per coni airborne emissions of linyl ciilonde -- a cancer-causing substance widely used in making plastics -- under regulations to be issued soon by the Environmental Protection Agency lEPAi. The regulations are among the most de- tailed EPA ever has established for an air. , contaminant. The rules set emission limits for every phase in the vinyl chloride manu facturing process. - ' Special air pumps will be required to . trap so-called fugitive emissions of vinyl chloride gas that escape through vents and windows of chemical plants. EPA officials said the standard would affect 41 plants winch produce the toxic chemical, and would have lo be met.within 2vj years Most U S vinyl chloride plants are in New Jersey. Louisiana. Illinois and Texas. #* * * Potentially dangerous traces of vinyl chloride gas have been detected in recent months as a result of federal monitoring near plants in New Jersey and Texas, Similar tests are planned at vinyl chloride plants elsewhere. Approximately 4.6 million people live within a five-mile radius of vinyl chloride plants, according to EPA. New Jersey Department of Environmen lal Protectin', officials said six major wr.y chloride man aacturcrs in the state wouic come under the regulations. They are B.F. Goodrich. Salem County; Hooker Chemical Co , Burlington; Par.tascte Co.. Passaic; Tcnr.eco Chemical Co. Plants in Burlington and Flomington. ar.d Jar.r.ai Corp., Franklin Township. The chemical industry has used vinyl chloride for decades in producing such plas tic. products as toys, phonograph records. - (PleaseturntoPage20) rson cut ordered (Continued from Page One) appliances and vinyl jackets. The chemical attracted little notice until Jan. 22. 1974. when B F Goodrich, the leading producer of vinyl chloride in the country, disclosed that several of its chemical workers had died from angiosarcoma of ihc liver, a rare form of cancer. The National Cancer Institute has since confirmed 27 cases of liver angiosarcoma among chemical workers with a history of exposure to vinyl chloride. Studies of occupa tional exposure to vinyl chloride indicate there is a latency period of up to 20 years between initial exposure to the organic clicmical and occurrence of the disease. Only a quarter of the vinyl chloride plants are 20 years or older. Most have opened in recent years.- The EPA regulations do not apply to some 8.000 plastic fabricating pinnts, winch use polyvinyl chloride, a chemical denu-d from vinyl chloride. These plants account for about 10 per cent of the vinyl chloride m the air EPA said monitoring in the vicinity of several plants showed that vinyl chloride concentrations were too small to malic the expense of cleaning up worthwhile. Jack Fanner, who wrote the EPA regu lations. said in an interview that the measure is essentially the same as regulations the agency proposed last December. * Farmer, chief of the standards develop ment branch in EPA. said the regulations are designed to provide a reasonable margin of safety to protect ; c health from vinyl chloride. They Teq.i.n- . hemical firms to use the k>l available -. ; al teennoiegy.' The EPA craJ.uj.-.n is the fast link m a chain of regulatory actions against vinyl chloride. In 1974. the occupational health and safe ty administration, a branch of me Labor De partment. issued rules limiting tie exposure of chemicals workers to xir.yl chloride. Plants unable to meet the standard na\e been required to provide workers with respi rators. i THE STAR LEDGER Friday, Sept. 17, 1976 BOR 015003