CFCs until 2006. According to Justice De partment figures, CFCs can be purchased for $2 per lb in Mexico and sold to users in the U.S. for about $20 per lb. Because these are illicit purchases, buyers evade the $5.80-per-lb excise tax the U.S. charg es on CFC sales. Other nations that may be sources of the smuggled CFCs include In dia, China, and Russia. In addition to Justice and EPA, the oth er federal agencies taking part in the CFC enforcement initiative are the U.S. Cus toms Service, the Internal Revenue Ser vice, the State Department, and the Feder al Bureau of Investigation. William Brooks, a Justice Department spokesman, says the group will vigorously pursue smugglers as long as the problem persists. David Hanson Reno: shutting down CFC black market
vows, "We will shut down this black market, and we will not let [smugglers] endanger our ecosystem and our chil dren for a few dollars." In 1987, the U.S. and 159 other nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substanc es That Deplete the Ozone Layer, agreeing to phase out production of ozone-deplet ing substances. One result of that agree ment is the provisions in the 1990 Clean Air Act that prohibit shipment of CFCs into the U.S. after Jan. 1, 1996. Invoking that law, the government has brought charges against more than a dozen individuals and companies and has arrested the individuals. The biggest case involved an attempt to smuggle 28 1-ton cylinders of CFCs into the U.S. through the Port of Los Angeles. In another case, a Pennsylvania company netted more than $ 1 million in ill-gotten gains from its smuggling of 1.5 million lb of CFC refrig erant during 1994 and 1995. Prior to these charges, U.S. enforce ment actions had resulted in the seizure of only about 1.5 million lb of illegal CFCs over the past three years. However, officials estimate that 20 million lb of CFCs entered the U.S. illegally last year. Most of the gas is smuggled in 30-lb cyl inders that are sold to unsuspecting auto mobile dealers and service stations that use it to recharge the air-conditioning systems in cars. It is still legal for licensed distributors to sell CFCs in the U.S. The U.S. has stockpiled an approximately two-year supply of the chemicals. Mexico is a prime source for these compounds because the Montreal proto col allows some developing countries, such as Mexico, to continue to produce
Endocrine disrupter screens on the way New findings reported last week may con tribute substantially to the creation of tests for detecting chemicals that disrupt hor mone systems. These chemicals have the potential to shape the development of the fetal reproductive system, and the Envi ronmental Protection Agency, by law, must develop a screening and testing pro gram for them by August 1998. Scientists led by toxicologist Michael D. Shelby at the National Institute of Environ mental Healtli Sciences report that a set of three existing tests, when used in combina tion, provides a rapid assessment of a chem ical's potential to mimic the hormone es trogen [Environ. Health Perspect, 104, 1296 (1996)]. When the three tests are run at the same time, results can be obtained in three to five weeks at a cost of about $15,000, Shelby says. Conventional cancer bioassays using animals can take one to two years and cost $1 million to $2 million. "Shelby's tests are on target," says Gary E. Timm, senior technical adviser in EPA's Chemical Control Division, and they could help speed the development of a testing regime for endocrine disrupters. In the trio of tests, one determines whether a chemical can bind to an estro gen receptor site. Another detects wheth er a chemical activates estrogen-respon sive genes in a cell line. And the third ex amines whether the chemical causes the proliferation of estrogen-responsive uter ine tissue in female lab mice. Shelby and colleagues used this com bination of assays on 10 chemicals that have known or suspected estrogenic ac
tivity, including 17P-estradiol, diethylstilbestrol (DES), tamoxifen, methoxychlor, nonylphenol, ο,ρ-ΌΌΎ, and kepone. "The results are consistent with what is known about the estrogenic activities of the chemicals studied," says Shelby. Although Shelby's set of tests may turn out to be useful, it would probably consti tute only one component of a screening regime, Timm explains. EPA and its adviso ry committee have decided that in addi tion to estrogens, tests need to be devel oped to detect chemicals that act as antiestrogens, androgens, antiandrogens, and thyroid hormones. EPA and its advisers have also decided that these tests need to be able to screen for effects in both humans and wildlife. Shelby's battery of tests would probably detect chemicals that have estrogen-like activity in mammals, but might miss some estrogen mimics in birds and fish, Timm cautions. Another research group, headed by John A. McLachlan of Tulane-Xavier Cen ter for Bioenvironmental Research, New Orleans, has found that some combina tions of hormone-dismpting chemicals act synergistically [Environ. Health Perspect, 104, 1318 (1996)]. This may mean that any testing program that is developed will need to account for such interactions. The Tulane researchers base their con clusion on lab studies on how chemi cals—alone and in combination—interfere with alligators' sex hormones. These stud ies show how DDT and dicofol caused major reproductive problems among alli gators in Florida's Lake Apopaka (C&EN, May 13, 1996, page 28). Bette Hileman
Tagging explosives: Safety and cost dominate debate The National Research Council committee organized to evaluate the value of tagging explosives as a counterterrorism measure held its first public healing last week in Washington, D.C. The panel heard from in dustrial and special interest groups, compa nies with commercial or potential tagging technologies, and law enforcement agents. The breadth of interest in the hearings underscores the complexity of the com mittee's task. "The issues are complicated at many levels," said committee chair woman Marye Anne Fox, vice president for research and chemistry professor at JANUARY 20, 1997 C&EN 9
n e w s of t h e w e e k the University of Texas, Austin. "We have to deal with safety, compatibility, detectability, costs, and benefits." Representatives from the National Min ing Association, the Institute of Makers of Explosives, the Sporting Arms & Ammuni tion Manufacturers' Institute, the National Rifle Association, the American Pyrotech nics Association, and the International So ciety of Explosives Engineers voiced a uni versal position: Adding foreign materials to explosives to identify the source after a blast is unacceptable unless 100% safe. Safety could be the easiest issue to re solve, said William J. Kerns, vice president for sales and marketing at Microtrace Inc., the Minneapolis-based producer of Microtaggant. These plastic particles, he said, have been added without incident to ex plosives produced in Switzerland since the early 1980s. If further proof of safety is re quired, testing is all that needs be done, he added. Questions about safety are based in part on the assumption that particles such as Microtaggant are the only tagging option avail able. Producers and users of explosives be lieve that the taggants represent gritty im purities that could destabilize explosives. But the panel heard that other methods of tagging are available. For example, tags could consist of isotopically labeled natu ral components of explosive ingredients, as described by representatives from Cam bridge Isotope Laboratories, in Andover, Mass., and Isotag LLC, in Houston. Given that technologies exist to detect analytes at zeptomole (10~21 mole) levels, tags can be added at part-per-billion lev els—and purity and safety become nonissues, said physicist Andy K. Drukier. Drukier, founder and principal scientist at Biotraces Inc., a Fairfax, Va.-based company that is developing supersensitive detectors for biomedical and explosives applica tions, echoed the unanimous opinion of current and potential producers of the tags that technology exists for safe tagging of explosives. Even if tagging is totally safe, represen tatives of makers and users of explosives were extremely skeptical that the benefit conveyed by deterring terrorism could counterbalance the overwhelming costs that they think a nationwide tagging pro gram would entail. The Chemical Manu facturers Association also weighed in because of its concern that tagging com modity chemicals used by producers of explosives will impose an enormous regu latory burden on the chemical industry. Determining whether the benefits of taggants outweigh their costs may be the 10 JANUARY 20, 1997 C&EN
most difficult issue facing the committee. Two members of the bomb squad at the Los Angeles Comity Sheriffs Department pointed out that tags won't prevent bombs from exploding and that what they need most is help in detecting bombs be fore they go off. To help clarify the costbenefit equation, Fox said her panel will be studying the experience of countries that use taggants as a crime deterrent. Maureen Rouhi
Science adviser Gibbons staying put for now Rampant rumors that President Clinton's science adviser John H. Gibbons was set to leave soon and that others, including Deputy Commerce Secretary Mary L. Good, were waiting in the wings to take his place can be put to rest. At last week's meeting of the Presi dent's Committee of Advisers on Science & Technology, Gibbons told C&EN that he had no intention of staying the full four years of Clinton's second term, but Clin ton's "bridge to the 21st century" agenda was so full and exciting that he virtually had no choice but to stay around, at least for a while. Initially, the betting was that Gibbons would depart soon after the fiscal 1998 federal budget was sent to Capitol Hill, an event scheduled for Feb. 6. Now, an Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) source close to Gibbons confirms, the best bets are being placed on Gibbons' staying for about a year. Rumors of Gibbons' leave-taking have been fueled by the unhappiness of the c col
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science and technology communities with what many of them perceive as his detachment and neglect. The general feeling is that in these times of budget stress, Gibbons has not been seen or heard enough beating the drums for sci ence and technology. A further aggravation is that OSTP is short of staff. Two of its four associate directors—for environment and for na tional security and international affairsfunction in an acting capacity. Another, for technology, has left and has yet to be replaced. And the fourth, for science, is leaving by the end of the month. Gib bons' press assistant also has left and so far hasn't been replaced. And there are several other open staff positions. At the moment, OSTP seems poised for either oblivion or glory, depending on how well Gibbons orchestrates his agency's interaction with the rest of the White House and Clinton's larger agen da, as well as how willing, or able, he is to mount the so-called bully pulpit on science and technology issues. Gibbons' main job for now is to build the new "bipartisan coalition" between Congress and the White House, OSTP staff members tell C&EN. They say he is a fully accepted and functional cog in the White House policy mechanism. And, points out one staffer in response to criticism of Gib bons' alleged lack of visibility, "Most other science advisers in the past gave a lot more speeches than [Gibbons]. But that means they had a lot more time on their hands to give them." Wil Lepkowski
Dow Corning bankruptcy plan countered Recipients of Dow Corning silicone gel breast implants and the company's com mercial creditors maintain that Dow Cor ning has not been negotiating with them in good faith. So they have devised their own plan for the company's emergence from bankruptcy and are asking a federal court judge to consider it in place of Dow Coming's plan. The two groups are seek ing an April hearing on their request. Although they have not released many details, the implant recipients and commer cial creditors say their plan calls for 30 sep arate trials on disease claims around the country. It could require Dow Chemical and Corning Inc.—Dow Coming's parents—to sell almost all of their stock in Dow Corning to pay women's claims.
