Document rBLLggvV026KpbLBpq6kjD6EJ

HILL AND KNOWLTON, Inc. Vinyl Chloride Costs On Safety Seen High By Richard E. Hotman WtahtnctoB Poit suit Wriur A vice president of Tenneco.i "This is no easy position to Inc., * huge vinyl chloride- take." Bommarito said, "but manufacturer, predicted yes-j there is no alternative. "We terday that it would take two i have both our jobs and our to three years and at least $10' lives at risk." million to roach safety levels! The Labor Department also five times that of proposed! disputed the industry's conten government standards. j tion that new standards would Testifying at Occupational stop vinyl chloride ornduction Safety and Health Administra and use. However, some mar tion hearings. Joseph Faihj ginal firms, the department called the government's at admitted, might be threatened tempt to eliminate traces of vinyl detectable chloride if forced to raise prices to pay for safety standards. "unrealistic and impossible.'* In New York, an AFL-CIO Evidence has been mounting recently to link vinyl chloride; --a key chemical used in the j manufacture of many plastics --with angiosarcoma, a rare; cancer of the liver. Of 131 known cases of workers con-j trading the disease, only; three workers remain alive. I meat cutters union official re vealed that cutting meat wrap ping with hot wires releases fumes which cause dizziness, wheezing and a lack of breath. The official, Ralph Quatroc- chi. said, "Occupational ill nesses which result in cancer and ultimately death is a price no worker should have to pay Taking a position identical for his protection." to vinyl manufacturers and processors. Tenneco represent atives called workers' deaths "tragic" but denied any had had the disease in their em ploy. Twenty workers con-i nected with Tenneco's vmylj \chloride processing have died; In the last 17 years, although none, the company said, have; had angiosarcoma. One possible solution for re- -A 26 Friday. ducing the effects of harmful - ... k levels of the chemical is the ^ use of respirators and other - artificial air sources. Before April 5, the government had allowed 500 parts of vinyl; chloride per million of air until the suspicious deaths! had changed standards to 50 parts per million. The "no| detectable level" is 1 or 21 parts per million. | In some stages of the gas': formation into records, scat] covers, electrical insulation! and paint, workers reduce its presence to 25 to 50 parts per; million with gas masks. Butj artificial air can only be used; for short periods of time with-' out causing harm to lungs and nostrils so something else must be devised, the industry and government have agreed. Ventilation, outdoor manu facturing. and improved valves, flanges and nose con nectors can reduce harmful levels. But "nsinecring com pletely airtight connections is so difficult that the industry, now lose* o per cent of itsj product. Fa`h said. The industry Ins predicted! that if the 46 billion pound fa-' bricatmn of vinyl chloride were shut down. 2.2 million jobs and as much as Sttd bil lion In production would be lost. A labor lender has called the statistics "blackmail." In earlic* testimony, United Rub ber Workers President I'ctc Bommarito, supported the cov* ernmcrCs efforts despite zie possible ioss in jobs. j!74 TOE WASHINGTON POST BFG24412 23217125