Document v6R0wX3p8kVQ0ZJNgogzLZag8

GE Says PCB ~ It Discharges Is Biodegradable ' By LSIuEnCWOrLiUErMAN warning! about eating fish taken (ram the Hudaon River, especially striped ' HUDSON FALLS-Lucil bast and other long-lffed ; P. Hart, general manager of (Iah. ' the General Electric Meats Ia the Sept. I issue of in Hudson FaUs smf Fort Sports Illustrated, the Edward said news nodes magasine's lead story by corning GE's discharge Robert H. Boyle, entitled rPCBs into the Hudson "Poisoned Fish, Troubled * River nave failed,lo mentioWnaters," discussed the the type of PCB. ....., PCBs problem noting that . PCBs or polychlorinated General Electric haa boon biphenyts Is a group of dumping an average at SO chemical compounds used pounds of PCBa Into the in the manufacture of Hudaon per day since 1171. ' cnHnaucRrTorss.rtd the - PC-B Boyle claimed this was "the largest nonaccidental General Electric now uses release of these poisons yet and diacharget at the rate at discovered in the U S. and about lire aalhma per day possibly the world." into the Hudson le described Hart, in answer to Ihe bp the number 101*. statements noted that GE Ho explained that reduced discharges Kit ia tt per c m something like JO biodegradable and haa nds per day earlier liftbe 1 been Uie type of PCBa (i ir to loss than five gallons in the striped baea and day now. - (iah taken (ram the Hi lart's major points were , River. : GE has used this PCB GE has changed to a [sine* October, IIN, HM (Haase tun to PCB, pegs!) mM. Before that, wbea the vH; t environmental threat ef [PCBs was not known, a PCB I fef(a' baboouutt i9s1 per 'bent' {ModegradabllHy was GLENS FALLS, It t POST-STAR D.1&NQ ' Other- types .of PCBa - and Hart said there were many - have extremely large concentrations of the non-Modegradable elements In them and remain in the environment a very long time. Monsanto Is the only maker of PCBs, he said. The state Department of `Environmental Con* servation (EoCbn), In reviewing recent findings of the Environmental Protection Agency, noted * that certain species of long* lifed Hudson River Tish in SEP 6 1975 fij the Glens Falls area showed higher than allowed levels of PCBs. EnCon Commissioner Qgden Reid ` m- ''*-- HONS 033448 PCB Biodegradable (CoaUmmd from tags I) manufacture of capacitors. Prior to 1970, when PCBs ' t^t of more biodegradable The Hudson Falls GE wore not considered a threat plant depends on PCBs for to the environment, Hart -- The PCB discharge both capacitor manufacture said that Monsanto was from GB into the Hudson and sometime transformer using PCBa in paint, heat has been lowered and the manufacture. ' exchangers and the so company is trying to even PCBs -- a clear, wateriike jcalled ^carbonless" carbon decrease this five gallon per liquid -- is presently the day discharge from both most 'desirable type or plants. compound for use in soaking the chemical _gjsimufiSt -- GE technicians and ' capacitors because of its however, and now It Is used scientists are. constantly "high stress levels and non- ahhokf piifmiiinly Tff looking for an eo* flamible nature. In order to CDC lore and Irwafanatr vironmentally (100 per cent) have capacitors that are manufacture, he said. sound replacement ior fire-proof, PCBs are needed, * THi Spdrts Illustrated PCBs as it is used in the he said. atory noted that "when ' ingested in large doses, Illnesses Studied . (KJBs) cause miscarriages and stillbirths..." Hart said that he feltxhe type of PCBs GE is now . The Kite Health rriSnyDepartment In Alban aaM that health departmapt peraonael are la the ' mint of making atadlei of Ulnaaaaa due to PCB* in Uia . Hudaon Falla-rert Bdward area. Sinct the stata haa iaaued r warnings not to aat Hudson JUver fish, especially long* Bfod flsi Ilka striped bam, Um Health Dapartmant has bean conducting a cancer study aimed at parsons , employed at Um General Blactric plants In Fort Bdward and Hudson Falla. PCBa or polychlorinated dtschargihg into the Hudson biphenyls In tha * were not endangering the manufacture of capacitors. environment. He added that Dr. William Burnett of the Health Department's cancer bureau, is in charge of the occupational cancer study that la expected to be finished sometime this week. The health department Is also making a water sample he admitted that it would take time for the PCBs residue now in the river to disappear. He said it is the older, more nonbiodegradable PCBs that EPA and EnCon are finding in higher than allowed levels in Hudson River fish in the Fort Edward-Hudson Fall* study in the Hudson Rivor. area. Testa have shown that PCBs cause cancer in rets and illnesses in humans when ingested in large Hart said GE objective in the PCBs situation is to "obtain a practical minimum" in the amount it .- Bath of tha GE plants use quantities. MGNS 033449 A'eic : Machine --v .. . 1M> Beetle, of Greenwich, ram the General Electric Ompeny'i new PCBe injector mechlne loctrted in III* Hudmn Feb plant. (Wvm nlfldalilnBcetothe new pcroceee eOowe much leee PCBe -- e i net-d In the menufecture ot capacitor* like thoee In the pic-are. ._ > HONS 033450