Document nm54OYM1ZDr0rLn3jL5OVp1Qw

JOSCAM E. KLLf* JlMHt H. HCCHtUM WILLIAM M. BOBOMESAMI, jA. MALCOLM Q. "M**THU* waynE V, BLACft tcahCmC*O JQhCS MABTIN W, EfBCOVlCl JOHN . ELOHEO WILLIAM L. KOVACS CaAOLE C hAHNi* MICHAEL r MQAAOHC mask rcj* even* JOHN a. BICHABOB johh a. oueeck METE* L* *< w* CBUI ChBiSTINE M. 9>LL MELVIN . DBOZEN HlALKV * KUJIMpTO LAWAEMCE A MALAAIM AALAH A. IIHHONI ACTCA A. BUBStB C OOUOLAB JABBETT EMtILA A. M*LLAB KATBICH. J MUAO QEO*CS MlBNO fftfQEBICH J. DAY. JB HOT ADMITTED IM D.C. TCAAV J. NOMINE BH*1LA V. LANpEAE 4MIN B. DOMI WWIO I. ACAOCM E EIIAIO TAOTTEET MAAK a. EICVEAE MICHAEL A, EEHNET TMOMAE A HOUhTCEA OAVI0O EAAVAOl* O fNAMHON KQ0NTZ CATHEAIWC A NiElJEN KBI ANNE MONTClTH ELLIOT EELILOB MAAK l. |TZHO*r MAAC bemEvha JUETIH A MCCAHtHT KENNETH A. OLSEN Jeffrey E. lampAACMIE L. HAAEiE. JR * BAIAM T AflHEV T ABULIAS ECCK* ARTHUR OAAHETT Ml hick o rhodce* LESLIE E. ElLVtflMAN* ruHK c. tohAce mi* BAVANT HOEINBON in , /itlo^<S^oca<4. LAW OFFICES iKeller and Heckman 1190 17T* STREET. N.W. T SUITE lOOO OOaJ WASHINGTON, D.C. 20030 (208) 900*0600 5AlS is. ^0*4. -jfe c.+ij ftOCMTIftC ITAff WON DANIEL S. DIXLEE. Ah. D. CHARLES V. ENCOCA, Ah. O. ROBERT K MATHEWS. AH. D. JOHN A. MqOQCAMAH, Ah. O. m4 /A MOLL* NUTMIJII FQLET THtS ^ **JUSTIN C. AOWtLL. Ah. O. . JANCTTE HOUK. Ah. D L(STtN SONOOtHEHY. Ah. D. s^-r terf* TELECOMMUNICATIONS KNSIHCCA CHANGES * TUAhCA DMT* hc, <3fA^rCHt-r TELEX July 29, 1991 ** ^ TM A 70 ' - VWu'iJt TELECOAIEA 5a r. ....... .. CABLE ADDSCSS "KCLMAN" WRITER'S DIRECT DIAL NUMBER (202) 956-5641 Mr. Donald Pearson PPG Industries, Inc. Post Office Box 1000 Lake Charles, LA 70602 Re: OSHA PEL for EDC Dear Don: In recently reviewing my file notes for the Vinyl Institute Health, Safety and Environment Committee, I realized that I had not yet written you concerning the relationship between the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) for ethylene dichloride (EDC) and a settlement agreement entered into between OSHA and the Society of the Plastics Industry. As discussed below, the settlement agreement reflects a determination by OSHA that the new EDC PEL cannot be met by engineering and work practice controls alone for certain operations. The agreement also defines the types of respirators that may be used under various operating conditions. In its rulemaking, OSHA lowered the permissible exposure limit for EDC from 50 to l part per million (ppm). 54 Fed. Reg. 2332 (Jan. 19, 1989) (29 C.F.R. S 1910.1000 Table Z-i-A). The final rule became effective March 1, 1989, and the startup date for compliance with any combination of controls was September 1, 1989. The startup date for compliance with a preference for feasible engineering controls is December 31, 1992. SL 091783 Mr. Donald Pearson July 29, 1991 Page Two Kki.i.er and Heckman In August 1989, we entered into a settlement agreement with OSHA regarding the use of air-purifying respirators to meet the EDC PEL (a copy of the settlement agreement is enclosed.) This agreement provides that OSHA will permit the use of half-mask air purifying respirators for EDC concentra tion levels up to 10 parts per million (ppm), and full-mask air-purifying respirators at levels up to SO ppm, provided the filter in each respirator is changed at the end of any day in which the cumulative service life of the filter totals onfl-hour or more. The agreement covers intermittent industry operations for which engineering and work practice controls alone are inadequate to reduce worker exposure below the PEL of one ppm. In particular, we were concerned with the feasibility of using engineering and work practice controls to meet a 1 ppm PEL for column and other equipment cleaning. The settlement agreement also provides that we may _ request the use of half-mask respirators at EDC concentrations above 10 ppm or for less frequent changing of filters if provide test results to support such a change. While there was some discussion of conducting such tests, I am not aware that this has been pursued. In any event, I trust that this letter will clarify that the settlement agreement's sanction of half and full-face air purifying respirators is not time limited. If you have any further comments or questions or if I can be of any furth r assistance, please let me know. cc: Frank Serrelii Robert D. Luss, Esq. Larry Thomas Meredith scheck Peter L. de la Cruz SL 091784