Document rezZQvD4v950ZOzgoa6QvDVwE

sarnie growth this year of more than 3%, ap from bis earlier estimate of 2.8%. The government has predicted growth this year of 2.8%. Since 1884. Canada has had the strangest employment' and output growth among major industrial countries. Canada's strong growth has teen sparred by various developments including an upturn in prices of many of the com modities Canada produces. Michael Hanford, chief economist at Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., predicted Ca nadian growth this year of 314% to 31%, fourth quarter, irmusucs v^umsub wu uuu as s result of the higher imports Canada's deficit ca the current account of its bal ance of payments widened to a record 3.5 billion Canadian dollars ($2.78 Milton) to the fourth quarter from 2.57 billion dollars In tite third quarter. The currant account Includes trade in goods and services and Investment income Bows. Statistics Canada said the rise !a Im ports was led by automotive products and rising demand for a "broad range" of ma chinery and equipment EPA Doesn't Recommend Asbestos Rules For Commercial and Public Buildings msj -h-i-ggr.. ; By Barbara Rosmvicz StaffReporterof The Waij. Street Jouknai. WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that one in five commercial and public buildings may have asbestos problems, but said it won't recommend federal rules to inspect or re move the cancer-causing material. The result is a far less aggressive ap proach to asbestos in the nation's office, government and apartment buildings than in its schools. The EPA's latest action quickly drew fire from Capitol Hill. By federal law, public and private schools must inspect their buildings by Oct. 12 for any materials containing as bestos, which can cause lung cancer and other diseases, and draw up maintenance or cleanup programs. Congress left the is sue of asbestos in other publicly used buildings to the EPA. In its report to Congress, the EPA yes terday said it would cost $51 billion-17 times the school program-if a nationwide inspection and cleanup program were re quired for some 3.6 million .commercial and public buildings. Before taking that plunge, the EPA recommended instead a three-year program of further study and beefed-up training for asbestos inspktors and removal crews. "We've got finite resources," John Moore, head of the EPA's toxic substances division, told reporters. For now, the EPA needs to keep the primary focus mi schools, be said, because children are at greater risk from the long-term effects of inhaling asbestos fibers and because schools have worse asbestos problems than other buildings. Gelman Sciences Inc.' Accused by Michigan Of Water Pollution By e Wjuj. Stssket 5osj&jim. StaffB&partsr ANN ARBOR, MeL-The Michigan At torney General's office accused Seimas Sciences Inc. of contaminating wells and a lake near Its facilities here with a can cer-causing chemical. The state is seeking penalties of more than $600,000. Gelman, a maker of hospital laboratory equipment and filtering materials, in t statement yesterday, (tented any wrongdo ing. The company's stock dosed un- While roughly one-third of U.S. schools have asbestos problems, the EPA esti mated that 20% of commercial and public buildings contain asbestos materials in a potentially hazardous form that can crum ble on touch, sending up airborne fibers. The agency estimated that asbestos in some 14% of the buildings is damagedmeaning it is more likely that fibers have been released-and in 9% is significantly damaged. The most commonly found problem was with thermal insulation, fire-retardant as bestos that was wrapped around pipes and heat ducts from roughly the 1920s through the 1960s. Since most thermal insulation is found in boiler and machinery rooms, building and service workers are more at risk than the public, Mr. Moore said. Mr. Moore stressed that the mere pres ence of asbestos isn't necessarily a health risk. It depends on its condition and the exposure levels, he said. "There's nothing to suggest there are terrible conditions out there" in tremendous numbers, he said. Some problems can be inexpensively and quickly contained, he said. He also stressed that removal, which is costly, isn't always the best alternative because it releases more fibers into the air. Congress has introduced - but not passed-bills to tackle asbestos problems in federal buildings. Democratic Rep. James Ftorio of New Jersey, who spon sored the 1SSS law mandating school as bestos inspections, promptly blasted the SPA's recommendations yesterday for "sweeping this alarming problem under the rug" and said be will consider intro ducing more aggressive legislation. The Service Employees International Union, representing more than 150,000 building-service workers, also criticized the EPA for not even requiring that build ing owners inspect for asbestos and inform workers when it is found. A group erf former makers of asbestos products also challenged the EPA's esti mates, which were based on inspections of only 231 buildings. John Welch, president of toe Safe Buildings Alliance, Briti the EPA should set health standards for as bestos. as it does for radon sad other con taminants, so that building owners and ten ants can have an objective way to measure whether removal is required or a building is rate. Farm Prices Slipped Bv 0.8% in February Wilfred liocen, director UI TC&tttIUU lUi Peters & Co., estimated Asamera's asset value at about 16 dollars a common share. "We think there's room for a higher price by Gulf or a competitor, and the market thinks that's going to happen," he said. With investors apparently expecting a higher bid, Asamem common shares soared above the offer price to close at $9,375, (fl) 13, in American Stock Exchange composite trading yesterday. More than 2.6 million shares changed hands. Gulf Canada shares closed at 113.75, up 37.5 cents, on the American Stock Exchange. Gulf said Its offer for common is condi tioned upon tender of more than 50% of the shares. Its offer for preferred and war rants Is conditioned upon more than 50% of the preferred being tendered and on the success of the offer for the common, ff Gulf acquires most of the shares under the , offer, it said it may consider ways of ac quiring the balance. The offer expires March 30 at 12:01 a.m., Ic-cal time, at any of toe offices where shares may be depos ited. Asamera declined to comment on the offer and urged holders to await its official response. A spokesman said the offer would be discussed Wednesday at a pre viously scheduled board meeting. For the tost nine months of 1987, Asa mera reported profit from continuing op erations of $22.8 million, or 55 cents a share, compared with $4.1 million, or two cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose to $101.1 million from $73.5 million. The Asamera spokesman said the com pany currently produces about 23,000 bar rels of oil a day in Indonesia and about 1,000 barrels a day in Canada. A S0%owned subsidiary holds 51% of the Cannon gold mine in Wenatchee, Wash. Last year, the mine produced 137,800 ounces of gold and 188,400 ounces of silver. As previously reported. Gulf Canada was spun off last year to hold the oil and gas assets of a predecessor company. Gulf Canada Corp. HWBUI0001132