The Chemical World This week
POLLUTION CLEANUP COSTS NAILED DOWN The time has apparently arrived for some hard numbers on the environment in this country—numbers to measure progress in cleaning it up and numbers on how much the cleanup will cost. The just published third annual report of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has come up with some new numerical indexes of environmental conditions. They show a general decrease in air pollution in some major urban areas but they show no significant improvement in water quality. The report also comes up with a new estimate—$287 billion—of the amount of private and public money that will be spent from 1971 to 1980 to clean up the nation's environment and keep it clean—$93 billion for capital investment, $194 billion for operating costs. And the report sticks to the Government's earlier position that such environmental control costs will have very little adverse effect on the U.S. economy. And in yet another statistical input, the Manufacturing Chemists Association claims that its 137 member companies—representing the bulk of the basic chemical industry—will invest $1.34 billion in capital equipment for pollution control between 1972 and 1975. This will essentially double the $1.37 billion that these companies had invested through 1971. Two of the air quality indexes described in the CEQ report were developed by Mitre Corp., a Virginiabased think tank. And another was developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The first of the Mitre indexes combines indexes for individual pollutants at a site. Each pollutant index relates measured levels of pollution to the national secondary air quality standards promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency. An individual pollutant
index greater than one means the standard has been exceeded. This index was calculated for three pollutants—sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and total suspended particulates—at 82 sites throughout the nation. The overall average fell by 23% between 1968 and 1970, from 3.77 to 2.91. The second Mitre index measures the extent of very high levels of pollution for short periods of time. Again it combines individual pollutant indexes and, again, it shows a substantial reduction (43%) between 1968 and 1970 for the national sample of 82 sites. Surprisingly, this index averages almost as high for small cities as it does for large ones. The Oak Ridge index is based on EPA secondary standards and it is adjusted so that a value of 10 represents essentially unpolluted air and a value of 100 represents all pollutants at the EPA standards. This index generally confirms the air quality improvements indicated by the Mitre indexes. For eight major cities it averaged 96 in 1970, down from an average of 140 in 1968. The CEQ report points out that the development of water quality indexes similar to those for air pollution is very difficult. For instance, the number of water pollutants measured is larger, there are no uniform national standards for water quality, and water is used for more purposes than is air. However, EPA has developed a "PDI Index" that indicates the prevalence, duration, and intensity of water pollution. It is based on deviations from federal-state water quality standards, which vary themselves from place to place. CEQ considers this index to be of some value for managing water resources. But CEQ feels the index's value is limited—it is hard to replicate as it is based heavily on the judgment of regional EPA personnel. The index also does not identify types of polEmissions of most major air pollutants have risen significantly over past 30 years lutants. For these reasons CEQ contracted with ParticSulfur Carbon HydroNitrogen Enviro Control, Inc., a oxides monoxide ulates oxides carbons Rockville, Md., consulting (Millions of tons) firm, to analyze data from 1940 22 27 7 85 19 a nationwide sample of 24 1950 103 26 10 26 140 water quality stations. 1960 23 14 25 32 128 Enviro Control concludes 21 1968 31 150 26 35 from its study that the 34 154 27 22 1969 35 34 1970 147 25 35 23 problem of nutrient polSource: Environmental Protection Agency lution is worsening dra4
C&EN August 14, 1972
Expenditures will total $287 billion in 1971-80
aCumulative requirements for pollution control, 1971-80. Source: Council on Environmental Quality
matically, that oxygen-demanding wastes are also increasing, but that the problem of suspended solids seems to be getting better. The new CEQ estimate of $287 billion for pollution control costs is almost three times as large as the $105 billion preliminary estimate made by the council in its report a year ago. However, the new figure covers a longer period—10 years instead of six. Also, it includes some new areas of environmental control including radiation controls and strip mine reclamation. To put these costs in perspective, CEQ points out that the $287 billion will represent 2.2% of the total gross national product for the 10-year period. These costs will affect the average annual rate of gross national product growth very little, shaving it from 4.8% to 4.7%. The new MCA data on pollution control spending by the basic chemical industry can be put into similar perspective. The $1.34 billion that the MCA member companies will invest in pollution control equipment in this country between 1972 and 1976 will probably represent about 1.3% of their domestic sales. However, it will likely represent a substantial 10 to 12% of their total domestic capital spending. MCA puts 1972 operating costs for pollution control at $235 million.
in Passing:
in Brief: Two recent reports pin some hard numbers on the U.S. environment. Figures from the Council on Environmental Quality and from the Manufacturing Chemists Association measure progress in cleaning up the environment and indicate how much the cleanup will cost. (See facing page) Rubber producers are looking at a variety of ways to recycle scrap tires and to put them to use directly. The major problem is not technology, but the cost of collecting and transporting scrap tires. (See page 8)
$10.5 billion by 1980, forecasts Battelle Columbus Laboratories. (See page 18) Scientists are on the verge of a major breakthrough in hepatitis research that could lead to isolation and characterization of the virus that causes serum hepatitis and ultimately to development of a hepatitis vaccine. (See page 24) The ACS Council will be faced with a large volume of petitions at the New York meeting. The petitions range from changes in election methods to husbandwife dues. (See page 33)
Chemical industry sales, earnings, shipments, and production ACS is launching its drive for $1 all registered sharp gains in the million for the Professional Enhancement Program (PEP) at first half of this year, available the New York meeting. (See data show. However, employpage 34) ment hasn't increased, and the industry's foreign trade balance The present number of Ph.D. has weakened. (See page 10) programs is too large to remain The public is disenchanted with viable, according to a report entitled "Doctoral Education in chemistry and with science in general, with respect to pollution Chemistry." Graduate departments must assess their and many of society's other ills. programs in view of the realities But "the biggest problem we face of supply and demand in the is that of Institutionalization,' " 1970's. (See page 35) Armak president Jim Gardner tells C&EN. (Seepage 10) Chemical & Engineering News Poland is strengthening its chemAugust 14, 1972 ical industry so that it may beVolume 50, Number 33 come largely self-sufficient by the end of the decade. The 3 Editorial country is striving to establish 4 The Chemical World This Week In Brief: In Passing: itself on the international scene as a factor to be reckoned with Concentrates in chemical trade. (Seepage 12) 6 Industry/Government/International Enactment of a new pesticide control law in this Congress is threatened by a sharp dispute between two Senate committees over several provisions of new pesticide control legislation. (See page 17) U.S. pharmaceutical sales should grow from about $6 billion annually now to about
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The Departments Industry/Business C&EN Talks With. . . International Government
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New Products ACS News/People Newscripts Letters Cover design: Norman Favin Cover photos: Dr. John Gerin, NI H
More on airships U.S. visitors to the Olympic games in Munich this month may catch a familiar sight, an airship hovering overhead with "Goodyear" written along its length. The Europa, a sister ship of Goodyear's America, Columbia, and Mayflower in the U.S., may, if details are worked out in time, be on hand to telecast the open-air events. Europa, built in England, is Goodyear's 300th lighter-than-air craft since the company undertook their construction in 1917, and the first that it built in Europe. Of the total, 244 were made for the U.S. Army and Navy; 56 have been commercial airships, used for public service and public relations and for experimental studies. Europa is 192 feet long, has a helium capacity of 202,700 cu. ft., and is propelled by two, six-cylinder, 210-hp. engines mounted behind the seven-man gondola. Cruising speed is 35 m.p.h. at altitudes up to 3000 feet. It is made of twoply, neoprene-coated Dacron with a surface area of 2400 square yards. But apart from novelty uses, airships may well stage a strong comeback in the commercial realm. That is the contention of Roger Munk, who, with his associate, John Wood, formed Aerospace Developments outside London, England, a few years ago. Mr. Munk's group has several ideas on the drawing boards. One of the most intriguing is a study being undertaken for Royal Dutch/Shell for transporting natural gas in the gaseous state, thereby circumventing the expensive and time-consuming task of liquefying the gas and regasifying it at delivery points. Compared with Europa, a commercial airship would be very much larger. Mr. Munk envisions a craft with a total capacity of 100 million cu. ft., measuring some 1800 feet long and 300 feet in diameter. Such a vessel could transport about 75 million cu. ft. of natural gas. A naval design engineer by profession, Mr. Munk points out that there is a much closer relationship between naval architecture and aeronautical engineering than most people realize, particularly in airship design and construction. He admits that one big hurdle to overcome is the negative attitude people have adopted about lighter-than-air craft (see t^indenburg Society, C&EN, May 29, page 3). August 14, 1972 C&EN 5
