Document nm0yG8JQpkm893jDQqaxkgZJ1

St. Louis - General Gffices July 13, 1970 PCB's FILE J. R. Eck J. L. Gillie H. S. Bergen E. V. John R. L. Minckler W. B. Papageorge P. S. Park S. Pickard, Wash., D.C. J. E. Springgate E. P. Wheeler REPORT GN MEETING WITH CONGRESSMAN WM. F. RYAN (DEM.) 20th DISTRICT - NEW YORE Washington, D.C. - July 8, 1970 Present for Monsanto: Samuel Pickard John Mason Summary Overall this was a useful meeting with Ryan in which we obtained much more information on his background and motives in pursuing the PCB issue. It appears that Ryan has been active in pollution matters since the early 1960's and he has testified before Congressional committees and abatement hearings on air and water pollution and solid waste disposal. It is interesting to note that he has recently been concerned with a campaign against lead paint poisoning in Hew York where several children have suffered due to eating lead-based paint off the walls of old apartment buildings. This probably accounts for his particular interest in PCB's in paints. We confirmed that Ryan's source of information on the PCB problem is definitely Dr. Rlsebrough of the University of California at Berkeley and the contact appears to be through a Mr. Jules Rothstein, who is a member of Ryan's staff in New York. Ryan volunteered the information that one of his reasons for picking up the PCB issue was the fact that there is only one manufacturer in the U.S. compared with issues where he would have to deal with a number of different companies. DSW 333882 STLCOPCB4080459 Report on Meeting with Congressman Wm. F. Ryan -2- July 13, 1970 During our discussion with Ryan, we went through our letter of June 30 in considerable detail and took great pains to explain exactly what our proposed actions Involved. He made the consent that overall we had made considerable progress but it remained to be seen whether we would be able to control emissions to the environment from closed system fluid uses. On July 2nd, Ryan introduced into the Congressional Record a letter from Thomas Whiteside of the Department of Amplification which was published in the HEW YORKER. This letter refers to 2,4,5-T, 2,4-D and all chlorinated phenols with PCB*s included under the latter heading. This letter and Ryan's comments in the Congressional Record imply very strongly that the PCB's are teratogens. We challenged him strongly on this point and eventually he admitted that he had probably misunderstood Whiteside's letter, but this statement will remain in the Congressional Record. It is probable that Ryan will make a further statement to Congress or a press release in the near future and it is likely that be will make a point that he has been successful in persuading Monsanto to take some action to reduce escape of the PC3's to the environment. At the same time he is likely to bring strong pressure to bear on the Federal agencies, pointing out that an industry has taken action and that the government has taken none. John Mason gl DSW 333883 STLCOPCB4080460