Document o91rp1r3XyQBEb2VrvG4r9VO7

)X TELECOPIER 295 ) ** #* ' rrottU KEWitAB Delivered! > 4wa , B-Oot-S mil EOT sys 197 (63) subject! MONSANTO snoneanto co midveet hibbbe^'and chemical oo oerro copper pro * DPI STATE Wire Kill Idt IPK-19-7-681025-103460001 --MOW-- (No., Mississippi Pivot states) Testing begins at piout* along Kieaissipil BAUOW, 111. (UPI) Th* U.S. Environisntal Protection Agency on Tuesday begun *ampling"'diaeharg** into 1i* Kisoisslppi River fron eight large chemical plants and two *ewega-trei&t*nt plants across th# rivar rJl .y. m i;"rf ' ' : .. s&rt' M-M/.'r ' .. from St Louis. ., About 30 environmental onginear* andadmitlata will take hundreds of sample* front the discharges this wee* a* Krt o* an effort to determine whether th industries are in wap anoa with fadaral olean-vater lave, SPA officials said, , The samples will be takan from th* dischargee rather than from the river itself, officials said, ; Anpresentativea of the agency held a new*; oonfarenoe Monday in Collinsville, about 10 nilas east of at. Louis, to announce the investigation. 1 nMe are deeply concerned about the 'pollutants being discharged into the Minftissippl, * said Ann* Mainert, ajn environmental engln^er with the XPA's Bagion V office In Chicago, | samples will be taken froa the discharge* of Monsanto Co,, Midwest Rubber and chemical ce.f cerro Copper Products, Clayton Chemical Co,, Trade waste Incineration, Big River sine, Ethyl Petroleum Additive me. an* Pflser Pignenta inc. All of the slsinte are in Saugat except Pfizer, which is in neighboring East St, Louis, -More-* ,i Testa also will be conducted on dischargee from the American , Bottom# aawage-treatment plant and the 1Baugbt Physical Chemical Plant, investigators will test the sample*' for the presence of nitratse, nitrites, ammonia, heavy netals, arsenic, mSreury, polyehlorinatsd biphenyls (vcse), ail and grease, officials said. Several weeks or perhaps months will be needed to analyse the , samples, Wainart said, 1 .j The agency ha* been planning th# li&setlgiitieft for months, partly because of concern about the gquality ot f th* Water in the Mississippi, Neinert said, she denied the investigationjh*d been prompted by a recent study by the international environmental group dreenpsaoe. "While we are aware of the Oreenpeaio study, this action has bean planned for quite some time," the said dranpaoe released a report aarliejr thJ simonth eaying that i9,ooc exceaa deaths, the highest death rate ialc the river, ooeurrsd in St. Louis between lass and 1913, j Th# ooapaniea whose discharges are being tested wore contacted ahead of time and have cooperated with th*linvestigation, Winert said, she said she did not balieve the oespsniesjwould try to lower the levs! of pollutants in their discharge* baft .........s..a..m..p. ies cou.l.d.....b..e....t.a...ken, Maw McCombs, superintendent of env| onftaftt' el affairs at Monsanto' W.a, Kruaarioh plant in fauget, said oottplianos with diaoharga standard*. :ssaanntt'smaokepsercahtieomnsicawlsereuseind in 1--Mora-'- Jibe ilaalsale used in swimming the manufacture of rubber and also pools > Dave Adams, plant manager for sth; leum Additives Inc., admitted th* ERA probably would require th* company to oBhange its manufacturing prooeseee In order to olsen up its discharges. T. he investigation, being carried gut ltt conjunction with the m'a National Enforcement Investigation .Denver, will focus only on dischargee from th* Sauget area, W*i said. She said it would not lnolufl* ether discharges along the r Th* SPA au*d the American Bottoms !e#wai trea.t..m. ent plant in Kay, charging it discharged pollutant* th*t we the moat toxic "ever meiassuurreed i'n Reg'ion V,."......w..h...i.c..h...........* ole, Indiana. Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota t ie pending in federal court in Alton Upi 10"il9"tt 10*99 aod DSW 136276 1 ips'llSf:, ' :*flSslilr 'Sr ' ;'ov ; : Si STLCO PC B4036242