Document xz7OGLXpEvmzQD8oagLz53okE

1 ^wtowswa wKS. vasBAf. eaai ' in sewer , . ByXATrSE.BlHZS WnnlMtWiAr Vinyl chloride has been found i a ; sewer line leading from the S. F. Good- ' rich Co. plant on Sells Lane to the Ohio River. . The chemical was discovered alter men ' who were working on the Urge sewer line complained of fumes that banted their ; eyes and nauseated them. > F. HI Lawrence, plant manager' at . : Goodrich, said the eo%paa? has analysed i the fumes and has found ``lew concentre- j _ lions" of vinyl chloride and other chest, i *?--> icals called acryUiss. Be said tbe vinyl chloride could We ] only from the Goodrich plant, bat the acrylates could come from any one of several different plastic* plants la the; vicinity. Vinyl chloride is a substance used is mailin' some plastics.. It has been blamed for causng a rare form of liver cancer, angiosarcoma, whkh has killed at feast six former worker* fct tbe B. F. Goodrich plant here. Acrylates are * in icals used or produced In the sanaft> tart of several plastic*. M deck Wflburo, executive director of the Metropolitan Sewer District USSD)t lold tbe district's hoard of tbe problem With. tin fumes yesterday. & Work m large newer la driayed He said tbe fames bad delayed work oa tbe Southwestern Outfall sewer, a large ] storm-sewer line that leads directly to tbe Ohio River. ! Tbe sewer line, about 27 feet high and i J8 feet wide, lies about 53 feet below j fromd. Originally, it carried raw sewage i Iron the southwestern part of Lcqtoriile j directly into the Ohio River, -v-:.Several years ago. the MSD installed a j pumping station oa tbe sever Use near I Sells Las* and 41st Street. { Wilburn said this station normally pumps all of tbe MSD sewage out of the j fine and to the Morris Forman SettfgF j treatment Plant on Bells Lane.JSfct.oaly time water gets by the pwuptS;stioa,, end Into the river, be said, te vies e heavy rain dumps more wtef"fot**ihe ewers than the pumps eaa handle. Wilburn said- the B. F. Goodrich Co. has a sewer line leading into the Soctb- wettero Outfall sewer below tbe pumping j station. Tbe water from tbe Goodrich ! ewer Hows through the MSD line and; directly into the Ohio River, be said. ' < iriirr^y The * US. Environmental Protection ; Agency (EPA) is requiring the MSD to 1 Install lan floodgates in tbe South, i western Outfall line Just, downstream L from the pumping station to keep Ohio { River floodwstere from backing op inlo l!. the pumping station. - ' ; ' v.` jfj Workmen discovered the. fumes, .WR* |t burn said, when they broke through'the jt top of .the sewer line,to |>ogijj instiling {1 the gates. r 7 ^.^V` | Thomas j. McBrideran MSD en^neer, said .the sewer line normally Is dosed to tbe air. The outlet, be'said. 1* brio* the !fi lend of the Ohio Rim. He su'd there ,`r were no compiaiats of the fames until tbe j r werinm broke,into the line. . r.^. s is Fanes flow tkreegh pipe |& Even though tbe B. P. Goodrich sewe^jv- pipe ^"downstream'' fesniiferite of4h jf ;wne fries; Wilburn smiths; tomes .flow \r back through the MS&'pipe. He said the' it 35-foot shaft tbe woricmea dog to get to iv the line acts as a chimney aud drove the lr fames upward. *-: . j|r Wilburn said the fumes are net coo- it slant, .hut seem to fill tbe sewer line at i[. leari omeaday. - . {6- Be arid the wOTtaoea could see them j? -g coming as a "cloody wtute mist." : jf. Tbe Munich Engbeering Co, of Jcffer- jt M soBViOe. which is doing the work on tbe ; sewer Ism, has asked tike MSD for. per- mission to delay the scheduled completion, of the work. . . Xaeddition to tbe problem with the fumes, Wilburn arid, tbe company i* tow m ing * hard time getting tbe floodgates from tbe manufacturer. Tbe original deadline for completieg the work was February IB7& Munich Eo- gineerin* has asked the MSD.to postpone _ 3 tbe deadline to aune 197S. --a Tbe MSD board decided yestorday to investigate further before granting tbe defey. ` : - i - . Distribution: A. Vittone -'A R. D. Scott J, L. Nelson H. Waltemate B. H. G. Zwicker G_ Pow W. J. Wilcox A P. J. Weaver R. B. Downey BFG29389 E. B. Osborne K. Greene E. W. Harrington R. P. Kenney - A. L. Hatfield - C. R. Flynn -Vs-- ^i