bring a variety of groups into discussions of R&D programs, the AAAS report is concerned with increasing discussion within the scientific community. Communication of scientific information among scientists must be improved, the AAAS report says, to strengthen the integrity of science, which has been undermined by undue secrecy and poor interdisciplinary communication. Synthetic detergents, pesticides, and nuclear testing in the atmosphere are cited as examples of technical efforts undertaken without full knowledge of the consequences. Says the report, "It is a major responsibility of science to provide society with a proper guide to its interaction with nature. Apparently, in modern circumstances, science has not adequately met this responsibility, and it becomes important to inquire into the possible reasons for this defect." Secrecy, AAAS says, is partly to blame for this defect. Also, "social agencies which are responsible for the pattern of research support—especially Congress—do not yet appreciate the hazards involved in developing support for science on the basis of immediate demands for particular results." Scientists Blamed. The AAAS report also points to the scientist himself as being partly responsible for the erosion of the integrity of science. "The scientist now often finds himself, by virtue of being a scientist, in a powerful position to influence social decisions which are not solely a matter of science. For example, most major policy decisions about the space program require social judgments. Although scientists, as a group, have no greater competence or rights than other citizens in such matters, their close association with the space program has afforded them opportunities to exert disproportionate influence on these decisions." To strengthen the integrity of science, AAAS proposes that large-scale experiments "be exposed to open consideration by the scientific community before they are undertaken." The AAAS report recognizes the difficulties which may inhibit open discussion of these programs. "Nevertheless, we see no way to ensure that these activities can be carried out without jeopardizing their ultimate value to government or to industry, and to society generally, unless they are subject to the corrective effects of open discussion," it concludes.
Congress to Back LBJ on Drug Controls But struggle likely on proposals for pretesting cosmetics and hazardous substances labeling Congress is expected to go along with many of President Johnson's recommendations for tighter federal reins on nonprescription drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and food. But a number of his proposals still will face pretty tough sledding in Congress. The President, in his health message to Congress, sketched a fourpoint legislative program to correct what he calls "serious gaps in our ability to protect the consumer" in these areas. Specifically, he called on Congress to enact legislation: • Bringing production and distribution of barbiturates, amphetamines, and other psychotoxic drugs under "more effective control." • Requiring "adequate" labeling of hazardous substances. • Forcing makers of cosmetics and therapeutic devices to get safety approval from the Food and Drug Administration before they are permitted to market their products. • Giving FDA authority to seize counterfeit drugs at their source. The President's legislative package contained no surprises. Similar proposals to give FDA new or broader power in such areas as cosmetic pretesting, factory inspection, and regulation of nonprescription drugs have been made for a number of years now. But previously introduced legislation, in response to such proposals, has failed to get off the ground. Legislation dealing with at least one of the President's proposals already has been introduced. H.R. 2, introduced on the opening day of the new Congress by Rep. Oren Harris (D.-Ark.), would require better record keeping by all concerned on production and distribution of psychotoxic drugs. Rep. Harris, chairman of the House Commerce Committee, has promised speedy action on the bill by the committee. A similar measure sponsored by Sen. Thomas J. Dodd (D.-Conn.) was approved by the Senate last fall but died in Rep. Harris' committee. Curb. These proposals are aimed at curbing the heavy illegal traffic in barbiturates and amphetamines and, now to an increasing degree, in other
psychotoxic drugs such as tranquilizers. Government officials estimate that as many as half of the roughly $10 billion worth of barbiturate and amphetamine tablets produced in 1963 were diverted from normal drug marketing channels into illicit traffic. The Harris proposal would enable federal officials to keep track of these drugs from the time of manufacture to the time of use. But a bitter fight looms over the President's cosmetic pretesting proposal. President Johnson wants the same safety requirements to apply to the marketing of cosmetics and therapeutic devices as do apply now to the marketing of new prescription drugs, food additives, and pesticides. All such items would have to be approved for safety by FDA before they could be put on the market. In the case of therapeutic devices, claims of their usefulness would have to be substantiated as well. So far, all attempts along this line have failed to make any headway in Congress. Shortcomings. President Johnson's concern over hazardous substances labeling brings into focus what FDA officials have long felt are certain shortcomings in existing laws. For example, the Hazardous Substances Labeling Act does not apply to food, drug, and cosmetic preparations, many of which, they say, pose as much of a hazard as many household chemicals covered by the law. Under the act, an aerosol furniture wax must bear a label warning the user about the explosive characteristics of the container. But a pressurized whipped cream need not. Moreover, the Hazardous Substances Labeling Act applies only to packaged items for home use. However, some unpackaged items used in the home can be as deadly as packaged ones, FDA officials point out. President Johnson wants existing laws to be extended to correct these and other inconsistencies. The counterfeit drug seizure proposal would aid federal officials in their attack on this nagging problem. As things now stand, FDA can seize bogus drugs only when they are found to be in interstate traffic. JAN.
18, 1965
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NEW FACILITIES Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., is building a 25 million cubic-foot-perday hydrogen purification unit at Commonwealth Petrochemicals, Inc.'s S41 million petrochemical complex at Guayanilla Bay, Puerto Rico (C&EX, Jan. 4, page 2 2 ) . APCTs division,
Houdry Process & Chemical Co., will also provide a DETOL unit which can produce 6.000 barrels per stream day of high-purity benzene.
Union Carbide Corp. will build a liquid oxygen plant in Minnesota's Mesabi Range. The company's Linde division will operate the plant, which is scheduled for completion in early 1966. According to the company, the plant is designed to meet increased oxygen demands for stepped-up taconite mining activity stemming from passage of the "taconite amendment" in Minnesota (C&EX, Xov. 16, 1964, page 2 9 ) .
Du Pont will expand ammonia capacity by 2or/( at its Belle works, Charleston, W.Va. A 1000 ton-perday plant will replace the existing multiple unit and supply other operations at the site with hydrogen and carbon monoxide, as does the present unit. A 20,000 ton refrigerated tank for low-pressure storage of ammonia is included in the expansion. M. W. Kellogg Co. is the principal contractor for the expansion. Dn Pont is also expanding chlorosulfonic acid capacity. The present facility at the Crasselli plant in Linden. X.J., will be expanded and a new unit will be put up at the company's plant in East Chicago, Ind.
Completed Magnesia Recovery Unit Improves Pulp Plant Stroms Bruk, A.B.'s magnesia base pulping and recovery system—the largest outside the U.S.—has begun operation at Strbmsbruk, Sweden. The Magnetite recovery system, supplied by Babcock & Wilcox Co. (U.S.A.), serves two pulping processes which simultaneously produce 125 tons per day each of paper and dissolving-grade pulp. The Magnetite pulping-recovery system is a joint development of Dominion Tar & Chemical Co., Weyerhaeuser Co. and B & W. B & W is the exclusive licensing agent for the system. There are 11 units now operating—two in Sweden, three in Canada, and six in the U.S. The process now accounts for more than 1 million tons of pulp annually.
phates annually. The phosphates will be used as fertilizer and will be shipped to the cooperative's members.
MARKETS Monsanto Co. has started production at its adhesive resins and formaldehyde plant in Eugene. Ore. The plant can produce 60 million tons of formaldehyde annually.
Gulf
Design
&
Engineering
Corp.,
Lakeland, Fla., is completing plans for a $20 million phosphate processing plant in Lakeland. The plant is for the Consumer Cooperative Association which has headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. When completed in October, 1966, the plant will have a capacity for 430,000 tons of phos28
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Booz, Allen Applied
pound, starting Jan. 20. This is the Chicago, 111., company's first price increase for tallow-derived amines in more than a decade. The change does not affect any amines derived from soybean, coconut or cottonseed oils.
Research, Inc.
has acquired Foster D. Snell, Inc. The Snell organization will operate under its present name as a subsidiary of Booz-Allen, and will continue to provide services in research, development, engineering, testing, and analysis in chemistry, biology, and other life sciences.
Armour Industrial Chemical Co. will increase prices on tallow-based amines and other nitrogen derivatives of tallow by as much as three cents a
Chas. Pfizer & Co., Inc. has acquired the Gibsonburg Lime Products Co.
of Gibsonburg, Ohio, in a stock transfer. It has also purchased for cash the Dolite Co., also of Gibsonburg. Gibsonburg Lime Products, with sales of S3.7 million in fiscal year ending March 31, 1964, produces lime products for the building and glass industries. The Dolite Co. makes principally dead-burned dolomite for the steel industry, and had sales in 1964 of $3.5 million.
