NEWS OF THE WEEK
POLLUTION PREVENTION Study says chemical industry lags
D
espite dramatic decreases in the amount of toxic chemicals released to the environment, the chemical industry still continues to generate an ever-increasing amount of toxic waste. This is one conclusion of a new, 816-page study, "Toxics Watch 1995," based on an analysis of government data. The study finds that the chemical industry is better managing its toxic wastes in such ways as recycling and so releases less toxic contamination to the environment. But there is very little indication that the industry is reducing waste at the source—the prime goal of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. "There's no question that what we are seeing suggests that a serious approach to pollution prevention—source reduction—isn't instilled in the chemical industry/ , says Joanna D. Underwood, president of Inform, the New York City-based nonprofit environmental research organization that published the study. She contends that a serious, innovative approach would "have facilities that contain waste at the source and that do full cost accounting and full auditing of waste streams." Warren R. Muir, president of Hampshire Research Institute of Alexandria, Va., the firm that analyzed the data, explains further. "The data available nationally don't provide a direct measurement of industry's source reduction accomplishments. But to the extent that such activities are going on, they are not decreasing toxic waste generation in this country, nor are they projected to do so in the next two years." However, Morton L. Mullins, vice president for regulatory affairs at the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA), says emphasizing only source reduction "denigrates the progress made in reducing releases and transfers," especially through increased re6
MARCH 20,1995 C&EN
picture of U.S. chemical production and use and of toxic chemicals present in waste and the environment. The numerous data gaps are, in part, the result of industry's claims of confidentiality, which are allowed under the law. What is clear, however, is that the number and volume of chemicals used in commerce are very large—more than 72,000 chemicals accounting for almost 6 trillion lb in 1989. More than 99% of this production is composed of chemicals that have not been characterized for toxicity and that are marketed with few restrictions because they were brought into commerce before 1979, when EPA began to review new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Data from another source, the Toxics Underwood: broadest analysis of data Release Inventory, which covers only 320 chemicals or chemical categories, cycling of toxic material. It does "a dis- show no overall reduction in toxic service to those [companies that] have waste generation by the 24,000 reportinvested heavily in all forms of pollu- ing plants. In 1992, these plants generated 37.3 billion lb of chemical waste, tion prevention." The Inform study analyzes the flow up from 36.6 billion lb in 1991. of toxic chemicals through the economy, using data that industry reports to the Environmental Protection Agency on the production and use of toxic chemicals and on the generation and management of toxic waste. The twoyear, $450,000 effort was sponsored by EPA and seven philanthropies. Underwood describes the report as "the broadest analysis so far of national data." And Muir adds, "It was not designed as an advocacy piece and it doesn't contain recommendations." CMA's Mullins tells C&EN that "It is a very useful report that gives the public a glimpse of the massive amount of data available that EPA never looks at. . . . Based on a superficial review of the report, the data are good but we have considerable concerns about the conclusions drawn from the data." Among the report's key findings: Muir: toxics in products understudied Publicly available data paint a blurred
However, a recent CMA survey of member companies found that toxic releases to the environment decreased about 49% from 1987 to 1993. CMA's Mullins notes that this reduction— mainly through waste management, not source reduction—occurred during a seven-year "period when industry production increased over 18%." A significant and growing, but largely unaddressed, source of environmental contamination is the dispersal of toxic chemicals found in commercial products. Almost no data are available on the extent of environmental contam-
ination caused by the use or disposal of such products, but these sources "are potentially quite large in comparison to industrial sources, where we have good data," Muir says. Underwood adds, "We need to know more about what is going into products to be able to target more efficiently [for management] the types of products and product uses of greatest concern." The paucity of data on such products, she argues, makes it very difficult to track product stewardship efforts by companies.
W.R. Grace seeks to reassure investors
Events continue to swirl around the precipitous departure of W.R. Grace's president and chief executive officer, J. P. Bolduc. Grace's stock rose sharply March 8-10, as speculative investors took the view that the worst was over. But the stock turned back down after an attempt by Thomas A. Holmes, the outside diLois Ember rector who was elected by Grace's board to serve as interim president and CEO (C&EN, March 13, page 7), to reassure shareholders that the company remains committed to its strategic plan. "The paramount issues for the Grace lished tolerance levels for chemicals of concern, including those that bioaccu- board of directors are addressing the mulate, such as dioxins and mercury. concerns of the company's shareholders However, the final guidance is less and ensuring the continued successful stringent than the proposal in the con- operation of the company's businesses," trol of chemicals, particularly those that Holmes said in a statement on March 13. do not bioaccumulate, such as cadmiHolmes's apparently futile attempt to um and methylene chloride, says James comfort investors came several days afA. Hanlon, deputy director of EPA's ter a March 8 meeting in New York City Office of Science & Technology. with institutional shareholders. Large The guidance allows each state to de- stakeholders, including the College Recide for itself how those tolerance lev- tirement Equities Fund (CREF), had els are to be met. They have the flexibil- questioned the abrupt resignation of ity to tailor local solutions to local con- Bolduc, as well as subsequent discloditions. "They may choose to improve sures of certain controversial transacwater quality by reducing air emissions tions and perquisites afforded to Chairor cleaning up contaminated sediments man J. Peter Grace and his son, J. Peter rather than imposing additional re- Grace IE. "[W.R. Grace] will make full discloquirements on wastewater dischargers/' says Browner. Plans are to be in sure of all material information concerning the company, consistent with replace within two years. However, governors of the affected quirements of the federal securities states except Indiana say they will not endorse the program before an evaluation. "If it meets our goals," they write Events at Grace put in a letter to Browner, "we will move stock in state of flux quickly to adopt it; if it does not, then Stock price, $ we must reserve the right to seek 501 changes." In addition, they stress that the initiative "should be considered 'guidance' not 'rule.'" Although the final plan is less stringent than the original proposal, National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes regional executive Cameron Davis says his organization still expects the guidance to be "a great step forward for the Great Lakes." But, he says, the "proof will be in the implementation. A lot is 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 incumbent on agencies and environMarch mental organizations to make sure it is Note: Closing price of W.R. Grace stock on the New York Stock Exchange. enforced properly."
EPAfinalizesplan for Great Lakes cleanup Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol M. Browner has unveiled the final version of the agency's initiative for cleaning up pollution in the Great Lakes Basin. Browner says the final Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance issued last week is more flexible and cost-effective than the version proposed nearly two years ago (C&EN, April 12,1993, page 22). The ecosystemwide guidance is intended to remove toxic chemicals that have contaminated the Great Lakes Basin. The plan creates a consistent policy for the eight states that surround the lakes—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. More than 40 million people live in the basin, and more than 23 million depend on the lakes for drinking water. One-quarter of U.S. industry is located in the basin. The proposed guidance drew comments from more than 6,000 individuals, companies, and organizations. Taking those comments into account, EPA has sharply reduced the cost of implementing the initiative from between $300 million to $640 million annually to its current estimate of less than $100 million a year for the entire basin. EPA says the earlier plan would have cut pollution entering the lakes from between 8.4 million and 10.1 million "pound equivalents,/ of pollution per year. (A pound equivalent equals the toxicity of a pound of copper.) The final plan is expected to cut 5.8 million to 7.6 million pound equivalents. Discharges currently are running about 35 million pound equivalents per year. In the final guidance, EPA estab-
Elisabeth Kirschner MARCH 20,1995 C&EN
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