ecologists may block puerto rico superport

1
the Environmental Protection Agency's recent rejection of AEC's draft of the environmental state- ment for the liquid-metal fast- breeder reactor program. More money urged for information research Following up earlier testimony that helped get the House to restore the budget authorization for the Na- tional Science Foundation's Office of Science Information Services (OSIS) to $8.3 million, the Ameri- can Chemical Society now has called upon a House appropriations subcommittee to provide the money. Dr. Bryce L. Crawford, Jr., chairman of the ACS Board Com- mittee on Chemical Abstracts Ser- vice, presented the ACS position to the House Subcommittee on HUD, Space, Science, and Veterans, chaired by Rep. Edward P. Boland (D.-Mass.). Among other things, ACS testi- mony last week emphasized the de- pendence of many of the federal agencies and of industry on the dis- cipline-oriented information-acces- sion systems that OSIS funding has helped develop over the years. Dr. Crawford noted that "OSIS has had a good record in stimulating important innovations," adding that there are programs now start- ing into development that depend on continued OSIS support. However, Dr. Crawford said that scientific societies do not have the resources to develop the informa- tion systems and indicated that federal support is essential. Hence, ACS asks, "on behalf of the U.S. scientific and technical communi- ty," that the budget for OSIS be identified specifically in the appro- priations bill at the $8.3 million level provided for in the authoriza- tion bill and that "NSF be in- structed to reinstate the long-es- tablished OSIS program for sup- port of the development of discipline-based information acces- sion systems for science and tech- nology." ACS further pointed out that it will take four or five years to develop these systems to "the point of operational viability" and that it can "only be accomplished with continuity of OSIS encouragement and support." Lead not culprit in catalyst poisoning? It may be ethylene dibromide—not lead—that "poisons" noble metal oxidation catalysts when leaded fuel is burned in engines equipped with catalytic converters. So says Dr. B. Maxwell Teague, chief re- search scientist at Chrysler Corp. According to Dr. Teague, test re- sults suggest that leaded gasoline— without ethylene dibromide, which, along with ethylene dichloride, is added as a "scavenger" to prevent lead deposits in the engine—could be used successfully with platinum or palladium catalysts. He empha- sizes that the data, based on engine dynamometer tests, are preliminary and must be confirmed by on-the- road vehicle tests. But "because of the social and economic issues in- volved in these findings, Chrysler is making this new knowledge imme- diately available to the various in- dustries and to the Government for further study." Dr. Teague cites the following re- sults obtained from 300-hour dyna- mometer endurance tests (equiva- lent to about 20,000 miles of vehicle operation): When fuel containing 1.5 grams of lead per gallon but no scavenger was used, the catalyst's efficiency in oxidizing hydrocarbons was comparable to that with un- leaded gasoline, even though lead deposits did build up on the cata- lyst. Similar results were obtained in other tests of catalyst efficiency with carbon monoxide. But when- ever ethylene dibromide was pres- ent—even in unleaded fuel—the catalyst's ability to oxidize hydro- carbons and carbon monoxide was severely impaired. The Chrysler scientist notes that bromine is one of the few elements that attack platinum and palladi- um. He surmises that ethylene di- bromide reacts with the noble met- als to form platinum and palladium hexabromides, and that it is these compounds that reduce catalytic activity. When fuels without ethyl- ene dibromide are used, the hexa- bromides are purged from the sys- tem and catalytic activity is re- stored. General Motors and Ford Motor say they haven't seen the Chrysler data yet. Ford calls the report "in- teresting and worthy of investiga- tion by both the automobile and petroleum industries." GM com- ments that "evidence gathered in our laboratories shows that when catalysts are poisoned, large con- centrations of lead have built up on the catalyst, and the poisoning is directly related to the lead concen- tration, not the bromide concentra- tion." Chrysler admits that its test re- sults contradict the conventional wisdom but declares that, after many rechecks, "our researchers are satisfied with our findings at this time." Ecologiste may block Puerto Rico superport The prospect that a superport, with its adjacent refineries, will be built soon on the western coast of Puerto Rico may dim if a now-embryonic environmentalist court suit goes forward. The proposed legal action would be to stop construction of the project for violation of air quality laws. The superport has been planned by the Puerto Rican gov- ernment since December 1972, with partial completion scheduled for the end of 1976. In New York City last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the New York Scientists' Com- mittee for Public Information held a briefing for other environmental groups to spark support for legal action. David Schoenbrod, attorney for NRDC, claims that although the "complex would massively de- teriorate existing air quality, the commonwealth government is seek- ing exemption of Puerto Rico from federal environmental protection laws and has failed to follow its own and . . . National Environmen- tal Protection Act requirements." Dr. Tomas Morales Cardona, pharmacology professor at the Uni- versity of Puerto Rico, argues, on the basis of respiratory health stud- ies he made near existing petro- chemical plants on Puerto Rico, that the proposed superport would emit hazardous levels of sulfur ox- ides, nitrogen oxides, and particu- lates. Dr. Morales also contends it would create few Puerto Rican jobs, would eat up thousands of acres of valuable land and eliminate many existing jobs, and would overtax the island's fresh water supply. May 13, 1974C&EN 5

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Page 1: Ecologists may block Puerto Rico superport

the Environmental Protection Agency's recent rejection of AEC's draft of the environmental state­ment for the liquid-metal fast-breeder reactor program.

More money urged for information research Following up earlier testimony that helped get the House to restore the budget authorization for the Na­tional Science Foundation's Office of Science Information Services (OSIS) to $8.3 million, the Ameri­can Chemical Society now has called upon a House appropriations subcommittee to provide the money.

Dr. Bryce L. Crawford, Jr., chairman of the ACS Board Com­mittee on Chemical Abstracts Ser­vice, presented the ACS position to the House Subcommittee on HUD, Space, Science, and Veterans, chaired by Rep. Edward P. Boland (D.-Mass.).

Among other things, ACS testi­mony last week emphasized the de­pendence of many of the federal agencies and of industry on the dis­cipline-oriented information-acces­sion systems that OSIS funding has helped develop over the years. Dr. Crawford noted that "OSIS has had a good record in stimulating important innovations," adding that there are programs now start­ing into development that depend on continued OSIS support.

However, Dr. Crawford said that scientific societies do not have the resources to develop the informa­tion systems and indicated that federal support is essential. Hence, ACS asks, "on behalf of the U.S. scientific and technical communi­ty," that the budget for OSIS be identified specifically in the appro­priations bill at the $8.3 million level provided for in the authoriza­tion bill and that "NSF be in­structed to reinstate the long-es­

tablished OSIS program for sup­port of the development of discipline-based information acces­sion systems for science and tech­nology." ACS further pointed out that it will take four or five years to develop these systems to "the point of operational viability" and that it can "only be accomplished with continuity of OSIS encouragement and support."

Lead not culprit in catalyst poisoning? It may be ethylene dibromide—not lead—that "poisons" noble metal oxidation catalysts when leaded fuel is burned in engines equipped with catalytic converters. So says Dr. B. Maxwell Teague, chief re­search scientist at Chrysler Corp.

According to Dr. Teague, test re­sults suggest that leaded gasoline— without ethylene dibromide, which, along with ethylene dichloride, is added as a "scavenger" to prevent lead deposits in the engine—could be used successfully with platinum or palladium catalysts. He empha­sizes that the data, based on engine dynamometer tests, are preliminary and must be confirmed by on-the-road vehicle tests. But "because of the social and economic issues in­volved in these findings, Chrysler is making this new knowledge imme­diately available to the various in­dustries and to the Government for further study."

Dr. Teague cites the following re­sults obtained from 300-hour dyna­mometer endurance tests (equiva­lent to about 20,000 miles of vehicle operation): When fuel containing 1.5 grams of lead per gallon but no scavenger was used, the catalyst's efficiency in oxidizing hydrocarbons was comparable to that with un­leaded gasoline, even though lead deposits did build up on the cata­lyst. Similar results were obtained in other tests of catalyst efficiency with carbon monoxide. But when­ever ethylene dibromide was pres­ent—even in unleaded fuel—the catalyst's ability to oxidize hydro­carbons and carbon monoxide was severely impaired.

The Chrysler scientist notes that bromine is one of the few elements that attack platinum and palladi­um. He surmises that ethylene di­bromide reacts with the noble met­als to form platinum and palladium hexabromides, and that it is these compounds that reduce catalytic activity. When fuels without ethyl­ene dibromide are used, the hexa­bromides are purged from the sys­

tem and catalytic activity is re­stored.

General Motors and Ford Motor say they haven't seen the Chrysler data yet. Ford calls the report "in­teresting and worthy of investiga­tion by both the automobile and petroleum industries." GM com­ments that "evidence gathered in our laboratories shows that when catalysts are poisoned, large con­centrations of lead have built up on the catalyst, and the poisoning is directly related to the lead concen­tration, not the bromide concentra­tion."

Chrysler admits that its test re­sults contradict the conventional wisdom but declares that, after many rechecks, "our researchers are satisfied with our findings at this t ime."

Ecologiste may block Puerto Rico superport The prospect that a superport, with its adjacent refineries, will be built soon on the western coast of Puerto Rico may dim if a now-embryonic environmentalist court suit goes forward. The proposed legal action would be to stop construction of the project for violation of air quality laws. The superport has been planned by the Puerto Rican gov­ernment since December 1972, with partial completion scheduled for the end of 1976.

In New York City last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the New York Scientists' Com­mittee for Public Information held a briefing for other environmental groups to spark support for legal action. David Schoenbrod, attorney for NRDC, claims that although the "complex would massively de­teriorate existing air quality, the commonwealth government is seek­ing exemption of Puerto Rico from federal environmental protection laws and has failed to follow its own and . . . National Environmen­tal Protection Act requirements."

Dr. Tomas Morales Cardona, pharmacology professor at the Uni­versity of Puerto Rico, argues, on the basis of respiratory health stud­ies he made near existing petro­chemical plants on Puerto Rico, that the proposed superport would emit hazardous levels of sulfur ox­ides, nitrogen oxides, and particu­lates. Dr. Morales also contends it would create few Puerto Rican jobs, would eat up thousands of acres of valuable land and eliminate many existing jobs, and would overtax the island's fresh water supply.

May 13, 1974C&EN 5