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OpetyAir'Spfw^^^^^^teriah^
Would Be Banned by N&^~EPjtStandayds)>
'" By a Witt. SnurrJovawxr. Jfoff BryarUr *.- training of workers won't be needed.*Additional
' 'WASHINGTON - Open-air spraying of *i- costs aren't anticipated for.beryllium users,!
' bestos fireproofing and insulation would be pro but the mercury-cell chlor-slkall plants win
hibited under new air-emission standards pro have to spend from 0.5% to 0.9% of total annual
posed by ' the Environmental Protection products' worth. The figure for mines will he
Agency.
;;.V 2.5% to 3.5%, the agency estimated., '
^Theclean-air standards, which, cover.beryl ..'At .a briefing on the proposal) Dale:, jit
lium "and mercury`as well as asbestos,' also Slaughter, chief of the EPA's hazardous pollu
wfBUi^'v ., .. Vv "; i-.-jVitequire 'industry to uae .filters"to -cleah
tants branch, said the agency has been advised by Industry .that the additional costs'mean the
any gases produced ia the mining,'milling'and end of mercury mining in the U.S.' However,
manufacturing of 'asbestos-containing materi Mr. Slaughter argued that depressed mercury
als and to eliminate visible emissions from cer tain sources related to .their operations'..,',.;' /'
--Set beryllium-emission ceilings for extrac tion plants, machine shops, foundries, ceramic plants, .propellant plants and incinerators that are deigned- to dispose of -toxic substances. These ceilings would Omit emissions of the.poi sonous metal to a maximum of 10 grams per Zt-hour day, or to the point that beryllium con centrations won't exceed an average 0.01 mi crograms per-cubic meter of air for SO days.
--Require rocket-motor , test facilities .to
keep concentrations of -beryllium in the sur
prices, not environmental costs, would be the
real cause of such a development. At present,
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 two-man mines.-In 1969, when mer
cury prices were triple`current levels, 109 mer
cury mines were operating, he rioted. V>i-
The asbestos-spraying ban would be tem
pered by the provision that spraying may be
done"indoors "under conditions where the air
that would he released to the atmosphere can
be cleaned."..'
...
Beryllium-users also would have the choice
' .
rounding atmosphere within a celling of 75 mi crogram minutes pec cubic meter of air accu mulated during any two consecutive weeksl'CA microgram minute is 'derived.by.'dividing the weight of the material .collected-by . the flow
rate expressed m cubic meters of air per.'mlnute.jiThe rule-provides that the sampling' must be done.Ia not less than. .10 minutes sad not more than .,60 minutes.j\An. EPA '.official' ex plained that .the' agencyflwouid require1;* net work of sampling, devices -set to collect!-for varying periods.of time within thisrange.-T:,,;.'
--Require mercury-cell chior-alkali 'plants,' which produce chlorine and alkali .caustic, and
primary, mercury mines to Umit'emisstons to a maximum of' five pounds 'of mercury'aver a
21-hour period.-5 V'l -c!c.;.'' e-t ` lie inhalation "of^ asbestos-fibers.ha!s been
of complying with the 24-houx-day maximum or
the celling average over a 3May period. .- "
Approximately 300 machine shops,'ceramics
plants, propellant plants; enaction plants and
foundries could cause beryllium emissions. But
because the light metal's extreme toxicity long
has been recognized,
major portion .of the
industry already, has the .-.emission controls
needed to jiom^ly^ with "the -.proposed stan
dards,") the'agencysaid. -For-this' reasonjfipd
because, beryllium trapped in air liltratton.de-'
"vices' has*reprocessing val.ue,''it's'aid''the:stan.-
dards "are expected to have little impact' oh
the Industryl'J
The EPA'said it, will announce -publici'ear-
trigs on the proposals within 30 days and also is
allowing 90 days for written comments,...,......y
linked to'a'mimber'. of human diseases'Includ Agency Looks to.Further Umitatlriris
ing bronchial 'cancer. .Beryllium'in Wgh con Earlier"this! year,; the EPA made, final.the
centrations .can cause pneumonia-like diseases) maximum atmospheric levels'of six r-.ajor.pol
while mercury poisoning disables the nervous lutants. including particulates sulphur dioxide
system. "c;
^ - j C `f;'-.-'-.- . ^ and carbon monoxide, that will, bo permitted
Costs of Compliance .Assessed -- . .-The greatest economic Impact from the.proposed standards would .be felt by the nine as bestos mills- processing domestic ores. The
under federal-state control plans due to take ef
fect in mid-1975.-tI." 1 In addition, the agency la authorized by the
Clean Air Act of 1970 to establish specific source emission limits for toxic substances.
ERA estimated'that their cost of complying The proposals announced Friday represent the
will range up to 6.7% of the average '1563 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 shrif
bestos.. The average figure for ail.'the' mills, lar emission limits on air-borne cadmium, va
however, only would amount-to-0.9%, the nadium, manganese and arsenic. Dr. Vaun A.
egency said. - . '.
. .;
Newell, EPA health eifects director, told the
Producers of asbestos products, including briefing.
floor tile, reinforced friction materials, "paper - One major source of air-bome asbestos, mo
end textiles, face an "annualized cost" equal to tor-vehicle brake linings. Isn't covered by th<
0.3% of the "output product value," according proposed standards. However, control ot.brakf
to the EPA: This would result in an average emissions is "being assessed," EPA otflclai:
product price increase of 0.3%, with the most said.
significant being 2.6% for,asbestos paper prod Sources of mercury in the air also not cov
ucts, the egency said. ; *
ered by the proposed standards are fossil fuels
The baa on sprayed asbestos would aifect notably coal. Dr. Newell explained that be
only about 0.5% of annual domestic consump cause high ' stacks' and even higher-risim
tion. The EPA said that lncreased'costj for smoke plumes distribute emissions from sue',
substitute materials will range up to 15%, but sources quite widely, the EPA believes there'
that new spraying equipment and extensive re "little chance", of them exceeding the ceilings
CAP CO JEN 0010341