Document pKvdZBanKwKvQNgVOgOa61kw

FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1971 DOC NMA180 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Wall Street Journal - Open Spraying of Asbestos Materials Would Be Banned by New EPA Standards = Open SprayingSpraying of Asbestos Materials Would Be | Would Banned by By o WALL STREET JOURNAL Staff Reporter WASHINGTON Open spraying of as bestos fireproofing and insulation would be pro- hibited under new emission standards pro- posed by the Environmental Protection Agency _ The clean standards which cover beryl- New EPA Standards training of workers won't be needed Additional costs aren't anticipated for beryllium users but the mercury alkali plants will have to spend 0.5 to 0.9 of annual total products worth The figure for mines will be 2.5 to 3.6 the agency estimated At a briefing on the proposal Dale M. Hum and mercury as well as asbestos also Slaughter chief of the EPA's hazardous pollu- would -Require Industry to use filters to clean any gases produced in the mining milling and manufacturing of containing matert lants branch said the agency has been advised by industry that the additional costs mean the end of mercury mining in the U.S. However Mr Slaughter argued that depressed mercury als and to ellnilnate visible emissions from cer- prices not environmental costs would be the tain sources related to their operations real cause of such a development At present 1 -Set beryllium ceilings for extrac tion plants machine shops foundries ceramic | | plants propellant plants and incinerators that are designed to dispose of toxic substances These ceilings would limit emissions of the pol Isonous metal to a maximum of 10 grams per - hour day or to the point that beryllum con- the industry located in California Nevada and Utah consists of two large mines with fewer than 200 workers altogether plus 30 to 40 one man and man mines In 1960 when mer- cury prices were triple current levels 100 mercury mines were operating he noted The spraying ban would ^ a tein- i centrations won't exceed an average 0.01 ml pered by the provision that spraying may be crogram per cubic meter of air for 30 days a ~- Require rocket test facilities to done done indoors under conditions where the air that would be released to the almosphere can be cleaned ty keep concentrations of beryllium in the sur- Beryllium users also would have the choice rounding atmosphere within a celling of 75 ml of complying with the hour maximum or crograni minutes per cubic meter of air accu- the ceiling average over a day period mulated during any two consecutive weeks A 300 microgram minute is derived by dividing the Approximately machine shops ceramics plants propellant plants extraction plants and weight of the material collected by the flow foundries could cause beryllium emisalons But rate expressed in cubic meters of air per min- because the light metal's extreme toxicity long iite The rule provides that the sampling must has been recognized the major portion of the be done in not less than 10 minutes and not more than 60 minutes An EPA official ex industry already has the emission controls needed to comply with the proposed stan plained that the agency would require not- dards the agency said For this reason and - work of sampling devices set to collect for because beryllium trapped in air filtration de- varying periods of time within this range vices has reprocessing value it said the stan- e e -.Require mercury alkall plants daros are expected to have little impact on produce chlorine and sikali caustic and the industry _ which hear- primary mercury mines tolimit emissions to The EPA said it will announce public maximuni of live pounds of mercury over a hour period Ane 1 The inhalation of asbestos hers has been linked to a number of human diseases includ- ings on the proposals within 30 days and also is allowing 90 days for written comments { Agency Looks to Further Limitations ing bronchial cancer Beryllium in high con- centrations enn cause pneumonia diseases poisoning while mercury #ystems disables the nervous Earlier this year the EPA made final the maximum atmospheric levels of six major pol tutants Including partienintos sulphur dioxido and carbon monoxide that will be permillod Costs of Compliance Assessed under federal control plans due to take el- fect in 1978 The greatest economic impact from the pro- In addition the agency la authorized by the posed standards would be telt by the nine as- Clean Air Act of 1970 to establish specific bestos mills processing domestic ores The source emission limits for toxic substances EPA estimated that their cost of complying The proposals announced Friday represent the will range up to 6.7 of the average 1868 sell first response to this mandate But the agency ing price of a ton of domestically produced as now is looking into the possible need for simi- ,, bestos The averago figure for all the mills for emission limita on borne cadmium van- however only would amount to 0.0 the adium manganese and arsenic Dr. Vaun A. agency said 1 Prodincers of asbestos products including - floor tile reinforced friction materials paper and textiles fave an annualized cost equal ta Newell EPA health effects director told the briefing One major source of borne asbestos ma- vohicle brake linings Isn't covered by the 0.3 of the output product value according 0.3 dite EPA This would result in an average to[ product peke increase of 0.3 with the most proposed standards However control of brake emissioniss being assessed EPA officials said signteaut being 2.6 for asbestos paper prod- prod- ucts the agency said The ben on sprayed asbestos would affect Sources of mercury in the air also not cov ered by the proposed standards are fossil fuels notably coal Dr. Newell explained that be only about 0.5 of annual domestic consump cause high stacka and even higher Sten The EPA said that Increased costs for smoke plumes distribute emissions from such substitute materials will range up to % but sources quite widely the EPA been therale { that { new spraying equipment and extensive re- ttle chance of them exceeding the ceilings Dec. AP na