Clarence Klassen, technical adviser to both the Illinois Water and Air Pollution Control Boards and active in Illinois antipollution efforts since 1925, noted that in his state alone, pollution control is likely to cost the taxpayer more than $5 billion by 1980. Yet, he says, "pollution hypocrites" have repeatedly voted down bond issues to pay for water treatment facilities even as they decry the lack of such facilities. The bandwagon riders, Mr. Klassen says, add to the confused picture by using pollution as a political tool. In the case of some radicals, he notes, pollution is being used to tear down our free enterprise system. The panel discussion from which Mr. Klassen launched his remarks was called together to discuss "environmental pollution: its impact on future corporate planning and its abatement as a new business opportunity." Mr. Klassen and his copanelists—Roderick E. Eddy, Nalco Chemical's manager of commercial development; Fred Krikau, manager of environmental control at Interlake Steel Corp.; Eugene J. Nesselson, director of environmental planning for Monsanto's. Enviro-Chem Systems, Inc.; and panel moderator Kevin G. Woelflein, assistant vice president of the First National Bank of Chicago—generally concurred that pollution's effect on corporate planning is going to be severe, but that pollution control will offer real business opportunities. Mr. Eddy notes that Harvard Business Review recently estimated that $300 billion will be spent to control air and water pollution and solid waste disposal by the year 2000. But, he adds, just what such an outlay would mean in terms of equipment or processes is difficult to visualize. Antipollution codes—and the need to meet them all on a nationwide basis at a uniform deadline—have made corporate planning a nightmare, Mr. Krikau states. The Interlake Steel manager went on to detail the frustrations of pleasing up to 10 public agencies involved in pollution control. "If industry were so damned interested in the public image and in being a good neighbor then the Calumet River wouldn't be in the shape it's in," Mr. Klassen adds.
$10 Million for Eagle Environmental conferences "wouldn't have drawn flies" a few years ago, mused Dr. Philip Handler at the opening of a three-day government-industry-science gathering on the quest for a quality environment a day earlier in Washington. Cosponsored by the U.S. National Committee of the International Bio-
THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK
logical Program and the Public Affairs Council—an association of corporations with public or urban affairs programs—the conference brought together such diverse individuals as Arthur Godfrey, Health, Education, and Welfare's Robert Finch, and Frank Sebastian, senior vice president of Envirotech Corp. The objective, according to the president of the National Academy of Sciences, was to establish "a climate of mutual cooperation among science, government, and industry" in attacking short- and long-range environmental problems. Participant commentary offered a potpourri of concern and solutions to environmental problems. For instance, Dr. Handler contended that the greatest threat to the future of the human race is man's own procreation. Rep. Paul McCloskey, Jr. (R.Calif.), called for greater involvement by scientists in politics, adding, in effect, that he fears Congress will appropriate money for programs that may not be the best ways of attacking pollution problems. Perhaps the most stirring action was called for by Victor J. Yannacone, Jr., former Environmental Defense Fund attorney. He wants $10 million immediately and $200 million next January from industry to set up a National Trust for the Environment. The trust would administer and fund Project Eagle, which would develop the basic science for environmental decision making—a sort of technological assessment of the environment.
BATTERIES:
Li-Se on the Way Argonne National Laboratory's research on lithium-sulfur, -selenium, and -tellurium batteries has changed from general research to development of specific batteries for medical and vehicle propulsion uses. The three specific batteries under development are for artificial hearts, providing military vehicles with acceleration and hill-climbing power, and for autos. The batteries have a much larger capacity for storing energy than conventional batteries of the same weight, says Dr. Elton J. Cairns, Argonne's chemical engineering division section head. Also, they can be recharged in minutes, rather than hours. The cells, which operate at 500 to 800° F., have molten anodes and cathodes. The electrolytes are pastes—to keep the liquids separate—of fused lithium compounds of chlorine or iodine. Anodes are lithium, and cathodes are alloys of lithium and sulfur, selenium, or tellurium.
Assembling cell at Argonne A change from research to development
Lithium-selenium cells are being developed to power artificial heart devices. Tests thus far completed on a 3-inch-diameter cell indicate that a thermally insulated, implantable battery would weigh 1 kg. Although the cell operates at 375° C , the insulation would keep it at about body temperature. Also, a titanium shell is used to keep the battery from affecting body tissue. The implanted battery would be recharged through the skin by radio frequency power. Argonne expects to have three 10watt prototypes in operation by June. By the end of fiscal 1971, implantation tests in calves could start. Also, by then, the power will have been extended to 30 watts. A power source of 10 to 30 watts might be needed for an implanted heart, depending on its pumping efficiencies. Another lithium-selenium battery is being designed by Argonne for military vehicle propulsions. These batteries would be part of a hybrid power supply. A gas turbine would supply average power requirements, and the Li-Se battery would provide power for acceleration, hill climbing, and for silent operation. The gas turbine would recharge the batteries. It will be late in the decade before a full-scale 50-kw. battery is in operation. This will consist of 5-inch cells in three stacks with 73 cells to the stack. Endurance tests will begin shortly for the experimental cells. For autos, Argonne is designing lithium-sulfur cells. This battery would store more than 100 watt hours per pound of battery weight, power a small auto for more than 200 miles, and would be rechargeable in less than 15 minutes. M A R C H 2, 1970 C & E N
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