Oregon daily emerald., April 08, 1977, Page 11, Image 11

Plastic containers melt into capitol question
By TOM JACKSON
Of the Emerald
SALEM — Item: plastic bottles.
Plastic producers and soft drink bottlers say they’re
safe, recyclable and energy efficient. But House majority
whip Grattan Kerans, D-Eugene, is probably best de
scribed as diametrically opposed to the industry position.
At issue is HB 2008, a bill proposed by Kerans which
would place a statewide ban on the use of plastics for
carbonated beverage continers. The bill would apply to
soft drinks and beer.
Last Thursday, assisted by research intern Jay
Howe, Kerans told the House Environment and Energy
Committee that he believes evidence shows that such
containers pose potential health hazards to the public.
But a cavalcade of soft drink and plastic industry
representatives testified before the committee Tuesday,
declaring their faith in plastic bottles and refuting Kerans'
testimony.
The problem, according to Kerans, is that the plastics
used for carbonated beverage containers ‘‘migrate.” That
is, some of the molecules in the plastics are released into
the contents of the bottle.
He contends that the molecules released by ac
rylonitrile and polyethylene terephthalate plastics — the
two plastics approved by the federal Food and Drug Ad
ministration (FDA) for containing carbonated beverages
— are “known to cause birth defects," and are suspected
to cause cancer.
Kerans said the “toxicity of the chemicals which mig
rate from plastic bottles has been inadequately re
searched.”
The FDA relied heavily on a 1947 study of acrylonit
rile in setting a limit on allowable concentrations of the
substance. But Kerans cites an FDA finding that “the
study is inadequate to define accurately a no-effect level
for acrylonitrile." He believes further research into the
matter should be done before the plastics are allowed on
the market.
Kerans said that the study showed birth defects in
test animals and the possibility of cancerous tumors. The
study, he said, concluded that “the toxic effects of ac
rylonitrile are cumulative following repeated administra
tion.”
Another problem with the containers, Kerans said, is
that they “emit poisonous gases (including hydrogen
cyanide) when incinerated. “Although not necessarily
posing a serious threat to the quality of our air, the dis
charge of poisonous gases could prove hazardous in a
variety of situations,” his report stated.
Also, “they probably cannot be recycled into new
generations of beverage containers,” he said, pointing
out that the bottles may “create a significant new source
of solid waste.” He added that the bottles are “wasteful of
limited petrochemical supplies.”
In February of this year, the FDA announced that it
would halt the use of such plastic containers, but is pres
ently involved in a lawsuit with the Monsanto Corp., one of
the largest producers of plastic bottles. The outcome of
the case may well decide the fate of plastic bottles in
Oregon as well as the nation.
Soft drink bottlers had hoped to begin using the con
tainers in the state this month, but are apparently holding
back pending the outcome of the court case and the
decision on HB 2008.
“The only fact that could be entered in defense (of
plastic bottles) is a claim for slightly increased energy
efficiency and the basis for that is tenuous at best,” said
Kerans.
Calling the acceptance of plastic bottles “reckless in
the extreme,” Kerans said, “I do not believe this commit
tee or this legislative assembly is prepared to run such
enormous risks for such pitifully small returns.”
On the other side of the fence, equally vehement and
equally sure of their facts are the plastic industry and the
bottling industry.
Percy Stone of the Continental Co. plastic container
program, said his company “is examining the plastic bot
tles to the best of our abilities and it still appears to us to be
a good idea.”
“No public corporation with major development over
decades is going to introduce deliberately a carcinogenic
threat,” he said. “If we find there is such a threat, we
won’t proceed.”
He added that plastic bottles will “probably make a
better container,” and may be refutable in the future. He
explained that a method for making the bottles refillable
has not yet been developed.
Representatives of the New York-based Society of
the Plastics Industry, Inc., (SPI), also appeared at the
hearing. E.S. Nuspliger, director of public affairs, said
plastic bottles “can be recycled, and are the safest type of
container the public could use.”
Nuspliger said the burning of plastic bottles results in
a possible safety hazard “only in the most extreme condi
tions." He said gases cause “no problems” if the bottles
are burned in “an efficiently operated incinerator, with
modern air pollution control equipment and properly con
trolled combustion.”
Another SPI report states that plastic bottles “save
energy in daily commerce because of their light weight,
which makes them cheaper and more convenient to
transport.”
One industry spokesperson said recent studies by
the DuPont Corp. and Monsanto have shown that plastic
bottles are safe.
Representatives of bottling companies felt that the
bill discriminates against soft drink producers. “Singling
out the soft drink industry in this bill is totally discriminat
ory based on the multitude of plastics used in both foods
and non-food items,” said George Rouches, president of
the Oregon Soft Drink Association.
Douglas LeFevre, a Pepsi bottler, wheeled two
shopping carts laden with plastic packaged “competitive
products" into the hearing room to demonstrate the point.
The debate will continue in the committee meeting
next week, which is as yet unscheduled. Kerans, who
said Wednesday he believes he has an “ironclad case” in
the controversy, indicated that he will again testify in order
to rebutt the industry testimony.
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