Document zQ2g9GJ1NqrxRp487KLyVb9aa

STATEMENT BT WESTINGHOUSE MANAGEMENT OFFICIAI, 0. M. SAUTER, AT EPA ICETIR6 ' ON PCB' S - January 14, 1976 - ' - . : -. Westinghouse very much appreciates the opportunity to make these comments a t th is conference. I t 1s the hope o f Westinghouse th a t th is m e tin g w il l be devoted to the sa fe ty aspects o f e le c tric a l equipment, Westinghouse recognizes th a t environmental e ffe c ts are one o f the many el cents th a t a ffe c t human sa fe ty. The production. use and operation o f e le c tric a l equipment must not Increase the danger to humans. Since the e a rly 1970's, when s c ie n t if ic studies indicated th a t polychlorinated biphenyl m ixtures presented some hazard 1n the environment Westinghouse has expended considerable money and e f f o r t to reduce the amount o f A roclor 1016 and 1242 th a t might escape In to the environment. Measures th a t have been employed are: Sealing drains 1n manufacturing areas where Inerteen 1s used; (note - Westinghouse uses the tens Inerteen fo r Aroclor 1016 and 1242); u t iliz in g s p e c ia lly designed In c in e ra tio n f a c i l it ie s fo r the d e struction o f scrap Inerteen and special s c ie n t if ic la n d f ills fo r the disposal o f Inerteen contaminated m a te ria !; In s tru c tin g operating personnel and our customers regarding the need fo r care and th a t special waste disposal 1s required; and reducing the number o f pounds of Inerteen fo r each ra tin g o f transformers and ca p a cito rs. Host o f these measures were Implemented p rio r to the enactment o f the Federal Water P o llu tio n Control Act Amendments o f 1972. Westinghouse recognized th a t these measures could not prevent . the to ta l e lim ination o f Inerteen escaping in to the environment. Therefore, concurrent w ith the above measures, we have conducted extensive evaluation programs designed to u t i l iz e those mixtures o f p olychlorinated biphenyls l; m .- 901036 V: r . h ivin g low persistence and high blodegradabHlty 1u the environnent. By February 1968 Westinghouse determined th a t i mixture o f polychlorinated biphenyls sold by Monsanto as A roclor 1242 would be s a tis fa c to ry as I nerteen fo r transform ers. A roclor 1242 contains about 912 o f the lower Isomers (containing 4 chlorines or less) th a t more re a d ily biodegrade 1n * the environment. This m aterial has been used by Westinghouse since th a t * time w ith the understanding th a t over 902 o f any small amounts th a t d id enter In to the environment would have re la tiv e ly low persistence. Monsanto subsequently developed a new m aterial from A roclor 1242 . which contained more o f the lower ch lorinated isomers and marketed th is m aterial as A roclor 1016. By the f i r s t quarter o f 1972 th is m a te ria l was Introduced by Westlnghouse In to the manufacture o f a l l capacitors. This m aterial contains 992 o f the more biodegradable Isomers (4 chlorines o r less) so th a t less than 12 o f th is m aterial th a t might escape In to the environment might be more re s is ta n t to biodegradation. The industry Monsanto our own research o f the s c ie n tific lite r a tu r e and most o f the papers presented a t the EPA Conference 1n Chicago have Indicated th a t the lower chlorinated mixtures o f polychlorinated biphenyls are more biodegradable and do not present the same long term to x ic environmental problems as those which contain the higher ch lorinated Is o m e r. I t 1s In te re s tin g to note 1n th is regard th a t not only have Environmental P rotection Agency researchers found a s ig n ific a n t d iffe re n c e between the e ffe c ts o f A ro clo r 1242 and A roclor 1016 on ra ts , but also Or. Robert W. Rlseborough and Or. Ian Nlsbet concluded th a t there were s ig n ific a n t d ifferences between ** **H R L v .v z i 901037 the various mixtures and th a t comments concerning the higher chlorinated mixture should not be associated w ith the lower chlorinated m ixtures. Because o f the long term nature o f biodegradable and to x ic ity tests lim ite d data 1s a va ila b le on A roclor 1016 and A roclor 1242. Ve hope the government 1s gathering te s t data on b1odegradab1Htyt to x ic it y and flarsaabiH ty o f 1016 and 1242. Otherwise, Industry as 1 t develops a lte rn a te flu id s w il l have no sound basis fo r comparison. To gather data to evaluate a lte rn a te flu id s Westinghouse a fte r 40 years o f experience has found these steps necessary: 1. Check the f lu id fo r possible harmful e ffe c ts to the environment. 2. Check the e le c tric a l c h a ra c te ris tic s . 3. Check fo r safe handling. :^ 4. Check fo r a v a ila b ility wide use and economic f e a s ib ilit y . 5. Hake small model capacitors and transformers and check fo r system c o m p a tib ility . 6. Perform accelerated l i f e te sts on small model capacitors and tra n sfo rm e rs. ~ I f a f l u i d passes step one th ru s ix i t becomes a candidate fo r f u l l scale te sts. Westinghouse in s titu te d development programs to evaluate various flu id s as possible Inpregnants fo r high voltage power capacitors and transformers using these s ix steps over fiv e years ago. These programs were f i r s t aimed a t v :r . * 901038 consideration and te s tin g o f several known e x is tin g Impregnating flu id s and secondly to seek out and te s t new flu id s as possible Im prgnants/ This e f f o r t has been ca rrie d out a t b o th 'Research and Development Laboratory levels and p la n t engineering le v e ls . j | In the f i r s t phase o f th is program 1t was determined th a t none o f the known a va ila b le capacitor Imprgnants were a s a tis fa c to ry replacement fo r A ro clo r 1016 e ith e r due to poor e le c tric a l performance a t the high voltage stresses required or due to poor fla m m a b ility c h a ra c te ris tic s . S im ila r re s u lts were found when te s tin g fo r su b stitu te s f o r 1242 which 1s used in p o *tr transform ers. [ j In the search fo r new flu id s a large number o f raw m aterial su ppliers o f chemicals and petrochemicals have been contacted. Among these have been Dupont Dow Chemical Dow Coming Monsanto Sunoco Exxon P ilo t Chemical Union Carbide Nippon 011 Prodelec. P ittsb u rg h Chemical and USS* Chemicals. Many te sts have been ca rrie d out w ith m a te ria ls supplied by most j o f the above suppliers some te s ts on the flu id s themselves and others using the more promising flu id s 1n both small model capacitors and 1n f u ll- s iz e capacitor u n its . Although none c f these flu id s have fla m m a b ility c h a ra cte ristics equal to th a t o f 1016 f l u i d , some have adequate e le c tric a l performance s u ffic ie n t to consider then as possible replacements fo r A ro clo r 1016 should th is action become necessary. In the transform er area, no economical s u b s titu te fo r - A roclor 1242 could be found w ith adequate fla m m a b ility c h a ra c te ris tic s e ith e r. The e le c tric a l c h a ra c te ris tic s o f mineral o i l obviously are s u ita b le fo r power transformers 1f fla n rn a b illty could be Ignored. .i 901039 I JL P re cip ito us action to replace e le c tric a l eoulpcent ouId re sw lt 1n b illio n s o f d o lla rs spent by u t ilit ie s In d u stria l plants and ccanercial In s ta lla tio n s . While th is could increase orders fo r e le c tric a l manufacturers 1t would be a d is a s te r fo r customers who would have to replace equipment J prem aturely and re b u ild th e ir e le c tric a l systems. Ths government 1s meeting w ith u t i l i t i e s and w il l learn o f capacitor replacement proviens. In d u s tria l i and cocnerclal customers are the p rlra ry users o f apteral power transform ers. They should be Included In government meetings since they w ill be faced w ith unreasonable costs fo r replacements also. In conclusion Westinghouse believes the U.S.*government and i, : i vf . V. * iv s c ie n tific community should determine the blodegradabW ty to x ic it y and fla n w a b lU ty o f A ro clo r 1016 and 1242. The tests and re su lts f o r these two esterais can then serve the e le c tric a l Industry as standards th a t should be Improved upon. By p u ttin g fo rth s c ie n tific data and performing s u ita b le te s ts on a lte rn a te flu id s the U.S. government can a ssist the e le c tric a l In d u stry / In selecting a lte rn a te flu id s which p o te n tia lly are less dangerous to man and h1s environment. L 901040