Document 933K3pv6gzbbgGGBwD8eY6m7L

Draft 1/26/81 POSITION STATEMENT--PCBs IN NEW YORK CITY AREA NATURAL GAS LINES QUEST1ONS_ AND JlNSWERS TO BE USED ONLY BY MIC^ PR 1N_RESPONDING TO DIRECT MEDIA INQUIRIES QI. What does Monsanto know about the source of PCBS In gas supplies in four utilities in the New York City area. Al. Monsanto has talked to and assisted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, utility and~gas line producers, but we have not pinpointed the source of the PCBs. Q2. Do you recommend an emergency health declaration, or evacua tion, or special precautions? A2. Ne've suggested to the EPA and the utilities that taking air samples near gas combustion in these contaminated areas would allow comparison with known safe levels of PCB in the air. The government has set safe levels for people working around PCBs that provide a broad margin of safety over any known health effects on test animals. 03. Has Monsanto ever produced any PCB product that goes into natural gas? A3. Before 1971 we produced a fire-resistant lubricant used in natural gaB compressors that contained PCBs. Since then, phosphate ester or petroleum oil lubricants have been used. 04. The EPA (utility or gas transmission company) says Turbinol 153 1b the cause of the contamination. A4. We've discussed the formulations that contained PCBs with various people. Turbinol 1S3, a fire-resistant lubricant, was old from 1958-1971 to the gas transmission customers. Ne don't know if Turbinol 153 was the source of the. contamination. It did contain Aroclor 1242, a common form of PCB. -more- HONS 002338 Page 2 05. What are the safe limits of PCB in the air? A5. Let's take Aroclor 1242, a fairly typical PCB; OSHA has set a maximum limit of one microgram per cubic meter averaging over eight hours. That maximum limit has a wide margin built in to protect people working around PCB (100 times the smallest amount known to cause health effects in animals). 06. How dangerous are PCBs in the natural gas lines? A6. The only human exposure is after the natural gas has burned. PCBs are best destroyed by incineration. After tests are run to determine the level of PCBs, if any, near gas stoves, furnaces, and water heaters we'll be able to answer that question. -oOo- HONS 002339