Document rv7j6G8YkQa3Oy06eZ6n99xG

i High PCB Levels Recorded m state; Region is Uncoiuaimiiiucu by Beth Burgeson Hartford - Dangerous levels of the toxic chem ical competed PCB have been found in striped base all along die Connecticut shore recently, but so far the Mystic area seems to be safe. PCBs - polychlorinated biphenyls - are heatresistant industrialchem icals that have been linked with cancer, skin dis orders and reproductive failure. They have been found throughout the state In varying concentrationa. The highest readings came from Fairfield's Black Rock Harbor with results of 5.7 parts per million (ppm). The ocher readings which exceeded the federal limit were from the Connecticut River at Sayhrook, where six fish tested together showed levels of $.1 ppm. The temporary federal Hxnlt is five ppm, but the US. government is con sidering lowering that standard to only two ppm, which is the current level in Canada. Most of me fish tested would exceed the lower level, and could result in warnings to tbeprilic "or even dosing that area to fishing," according to Robert Cosgrove of the Department of Health (DOW. Striped bass from the Mystic - Groton area mi grate mainly from the Chesapeake Bay and are relatively mcontamin-. ated, although there are no recent DOH test re sults, said Robert Jones, the biologist who collects the test samples. Fish that have turned up with high readings elsewhere migrate through the Sound from the Hudson River in New York, but have only been known to swim as far east as the Connecticut River, not reaching fills area. MYSTIC, CONN. COMPASS C0I4CNT APR 8 1976 New York officials ban ned striped bass from the Hudson last fall because discharges from a Gen eral Electric plant at Qens Falls, N. Y. were producing levels of up to . 100 ppm per fish. The Mystic area has aiw* been relatively free from industries that have used PCBs in the past, according to DEP aur- veys. The state Department of Environmental Pro tection (DEP) reports that the PCB levels have al ready "peaked and dissi pated" since Monsanto, the nation's only producer of the substance, volun tarily restricted its sales in 1971 when the dangers became known, and many ocher industries discon tinued uses hi file past 40 years, however, die company baa produced over 400,000 tons of the chemical that was widely used in such products as plastic, epoxy glue, lubricants and inks and in electrical products. Uses are now restricted to closedsystem transformers. The compound is prac tically - indestructible, which means chat the ma jority of all PCBs ever used remain in the envir onment from past dis charges, or when the products are disposed of. A bill that would ban the sale, use and manufacture of PCBs suffered an un expected setback in the House of Representatives last week. The measure that was slated to receive unani mous approval ana sent to the Appropriations Com mittee when the Depart- meat of Environmental Protection (DEP) deman ded $50,000 in state fold ing which they said they would need to enforce the bill. The bill would provide for immediate prohibition of sale and manufacture of the substance, and would place progressive restrictions on file con centrations allowed in products over file next four years. The measure would also require highly controlled systems to contain and dispose of the product. Fredette claimed that the measure would require extensive moni toring of state industries, and said the Department would need additional equipment and staff that would amount to $50,000 the first year and $30,000 every additional year that the program was inexist ence. The bill is being tem porarily halt*** until the DEP and the legislature can come to an agreement on the "overall intent," according to Rep. Thom Serrani (D - Stamford), who Introduced the mea sure. . _ HONS 0 3 6 6 9 5