Document oMRJQ7kkB1GbeOom5EZjewk9w

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES Dl 53fclM SUL IM.U3 NOV 2075 ip _ ______ . . , EPA lists 12 plants as sources of toxic PCB pollution By Bruce lngersoll \For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday tagtsd out the 12 industrial die* chargers of PCBa into the na tion's waters and sketched how enormws jbe estire PCB proto lem has becorte. PCBs -- shorthand tor poly* chlorinated biphenyls -- make ep a group of highly tox ic -chemicals. Many govern* meat officials and re--archers here and abroad regard them as a potential health threat aad as an ecological villain comparable to DOT. Despite restrictions on the U S. manufacture of PCBs. an estimated JO million pounds a year are escaping torn the eavirenwtem, Thomas E. Kopp, u EPA chemical engineer, disclosed here at a national inference on PCBa. industry has made wide use of PCBs since 1920. but nobody are present In our environment recognized than as a major to a far greater extend aad at environment*) threat until higher levels than before," MB. In 1W2. MOosanto Corp., the sole U.S. producer of PCBs, began limiting its sates to the manufacturers of elec* tries! transformers and ca pacitors. (PCBs, being fire-retestant, are important to elec trical safety.) Elsewhere, Ja pan banned PCBa outright and other industrialized nations limited their use to "dosed electrical systems.'* Train said. . High PCB levels have beat found in salmon, stripad bass and other fish takes from the Great Lakes, the upper Mis sissippi River, the Hutton Riv er. the Gulf of Mexico and southern California waters; he said. . Moreover, Train added, low concentrations of PCBa have been detected in the torinktog These measures, however, water of Winnebago. HL; SeB- did not suffice, Train toldS--f public officials, industrial' chemists and scientists who came from Japan, Canada, Europe and ail over the U.S. to attend the three-day --of--* eace to the Ack-Coogress Ho- j teL `*710-- years later, we find that, white PCB levels to toad | have steadily declined, PCBs j e r s b u r g, lad.; Bridgeport, EPA officials have identified Conn.; New Bedford, Maas., 12 industrial sources, li of and Escondido, Calif. So far, which are manufacturers of oo health standard has been either transformers or caped- set for PCBs to tap water. tors. Th discharges from Train's aids Kopp said that these sources range from a the EPA has begun the "detec. - few ounces sf PCBs a day to live work'* to track down all 116 pounds, be slid. the sources of PCB pollution. Kopp --id that General Elec "The number of people who tric is dumping PCBs from are sending used PCBs to four plants at Pittsfield, waste-disposal companies is Mass.; Fort Edward, N.Y.; unreal," he said in an inter Hudson Fails. N.Y., and view. "Where do they get Rome, Ga. westtogbou-- them? We really don't know Corp. is descbarging PCBs yet." from its plants -- Sharon, Pa., and Bloomington, tad. The other sources are Aerovox In. dustries Inc. and Coroell-QuM* tier Electric Corp., both to New Bedford, Mass.; Sang- araon Electric Co. in Pickens, S.C., and Universal Manufac* taring Corp. in Totowa, NJ. Monsanto's PCB-maoufac- taring plant at Sauget, HI., near East St Louis, and Uni versal Manufacturing's capaci tor plant at Bridgeport, Conn., send their PCB dischargee to rnsnidpai treatment plants, Kopp --id. '- HONS 03331*