Tobacco Documents Online

970 ~grrr.s~ M~DICA~ JO~P.NXL VOLU.~ 28~ 21 ~.ARC~ 1981 Pollution and People Perspectivesand priorities DAPHNE GLOAG At the end of a series of articles catalogoing ha2ax~ and disasters, it is time to look' at pollution in a wider co~text. Longevi~ is increasing and dear& rotes are decreasing in most age. groups; while among deaths from cancer smoking accounts for as many as a third, according to a recent review of cancer rates in the United States.~ This is r~ot to say that we need not worry, and in any case cancer rates and death rates axe not the only criteria; but this perspective does say something about priorities--there are often much gxcater hazazcls to take action on--and it does help to moderate panic. Similarly, the increased " monitoring now undertaken and the improved technologies for reducing pollutants ~re things "to set against the "doom and gloom" approach to ~he sul~ject. Some gen~ral problems and pitfalls' ' " : " Pesticides and other chemicals well illnstrate some of the general concerns and. also confusions surrounding many pollutants. Most promlnendy,, there, is the question of.~low concentrations. Five hundred or'so active ingredients are used in the pesticides registered in the'.Unlted. States~ of. which a substantial number' are appreciably .toxic .or ~ntmigenic and carcinogenic." 1,, As with other substance~ sensitive anal)~ical methods show some of them to be ubiquhous in very low concentrations; but does it matter? Usually there is uo direct information about safe levels. Extrapolations--in the case of carcinogenicity---can often be made from data on high doses or effects in animals, which may or may not be reassuring; know- ledge" of biochemical mechanisms may suggest thresholds for, say~ neurotoxicity~ at leas~ experimentally~but doubts may remain about the effects of a substance in practice, and efforts must be made to limit exposure or find ahernativesJ In the case of pestlcides~ for example, understanding of mechanisms can lead to the design of safer alternatives.~ With many pollutants there is a particular la~k of infom~adon about the possibility of effects on the fetus and infant~ who would be expected to be the most vuinerable2 * In the case of the persistent organochlorine pesticides (which include DDT and dieldrin) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs--indnstr~al pollutants widespread in the environment"), xesldues build up in animal and human fatty tissue.* The breast-fed ~infanr~ it has been said, is right at the end of the food chain as such residues become concenu'ated in milk fat*; and even less widely used pesticides are found in breast milk. Nevertheless~ levels are usually very low and although-experimental evidence has proliferated we have nothing really clear cut to go on. Persistence in the environment-is a "worry with many pol- lutants~notably the long-lived radionuciides. The s=biliry that has made halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons such a~ DDT and PGBs so attractive to agriculture and i~dnstry makes them BrlCl,h Medieval Journal, London WCI~ JJ'R. 1"8" '~. ~ DAPHIqE GLOAO, m~ ~t~Jf cd~mc .' ... " - " a menace biologically.' For this reason the use of DDT has ceased in many developed counrxies, which ca~ afford to do without its economic advantages, and been replaced by others such as organophosphor~s compounds (which include mala- ddon); these, though requiring great care, are far less stable and degrade rapidly. DDT residues have diminlsbed in borJa food and human fat,~ * but pollution by some persistent com- pounds, such as the PCBs, can be'an intractable ~mblem that is dlscovcred too late.' Accidents resulting in disease and death on a large scale have occurred with man2¢ pollutants that normally appear to do no harm. Halogenared aromatic hydrocarbons have produced scveral~notably the outbreak of "yusho" or "'oil disease" in Japan in 1968 traced to rice oil contaminated with PCBs and other toxic chemicals; the /~ichigan milk disaster caused by polybrominared biphenyis accidentally put into cattle feed in 1973; and the explosion that dispersed dioxin at Seveso in 1976J. Such catastrophes are reminders of the ddvastadng effects of powerful toxins when some carelebs slip is made; but they also help to create an atmosphere of ~hysteria about the more usual levels of the pollutants to which we are exposed~ any effects of which must pale beside the roll taken by smoking and road accidents, for example. : -~ Finally, low-level effec~ of a pollutant are not clarified by citing sporadic cases of disease or other damage~ at least without further evidence, as has often been done ("asbestos" cancers are an example). Among. chemicals a topical example is the herbicide 2,4~5-T, which is contaminated with the potent dioxin known as TCDD but at ex~emely low concentrations, quite unlike those in the notorious "Agent Orange" used as a herbicide in the Vicmam war. Alleged cases of birth defects, abortions, and disease associated with exposure to the herbicide led to suspicions about 2,4,5-T itself and attempts ~o get it banned; but the examination of the cases, and of other evidence, by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides illustrates the fallacy of argding cause and effect in this way?e Nevertheless, the fact that such substances--and many others that become pollutants --are mishandled, or used and disposed of wlthont su~icienz precautions, is something to be ~6ncc~nd/fabour.~'- Cancer rates and environmental carcinogens Trends in cancer rates and their relation to ~e environment arc a current subject of conu-ovct'sy,x ~t-~, Epstein has argued that cancer rates in the United States are increasing and refle~ the increasing production of a wide range of chcm;cals, to which both the world'orce and the general population arc cxposecL~' Doll and Pcto, however, show. r.ha¢ in middle age (when dam arc more reliable than for the elderly and when rates say more about fairly rccen[ conditions) the death rate from non-respiratory cancers is failing? t]~c only major increases ~n mortality and ineldcnce bare been in lung cancer, and rlds ~hey show is hrgdy due to smoldng~tomach cancer and cancer of the cervix kave g~dy dimi .n~shecL The common cancers, moreover~ have been" con'm~n fo¢ a lon~ t~n¢. Ti04230959

_BRITI~HJ~.D~C~LJ0~AL voLu~m282 21 ~c~ 1981 This review suggests a ~ fi~e o~ 2% ~s ~e p~ou o~ ~ ~c~ ~ ~c U~ted S~ due ~ po~u~on~y a~ted for by ~e ~ce~ effc~ of ~e ~mbns~on pmdu~ of fossil fue~ in urban ~ ~ arbi~ upp~ ~it of 5%. But h mentions ~c possible f~e h~rd of ~oro~uo~ cat~ used as aerosol propc~ and refHg~ since if ~e ev~a~y r~ ~e s~to~here ~d reduce ~e con- cen~don of ozone ~s would ~se us to more ul~a~o]et ~dia6on," wi~ a ~eater Hsk of melanoma ~d o~er s~ C~C~. 0n pes~ddes, Doll and Pcto po~t out ~at no ~c~ evid~co of c~cinoge~ci~ has been fo~d in man d~phe h~ e~s~c in some ~cupafional ~oups; ~d ~at ~ere has been no gener~ incr~se ~ liver ~ncer in devdoped co~es (it acco~ for only 1% of aft mmou~) since long-lasting pesfiddes w~c ~duced, even ~ough ~s is ~e ~ cancer ~ey induce in anlmalsJ In 1968-78 in ~e U~ted Sta~es ~ere was a non- si~ficant in~se in d~s from fiver ~cer ~ ~d~e-aged wom~ and a non-si~ifi~nt decrease ~ mid~e-aged m~. Their conclusion is ~¢ pesficid~ as ~e~ ~llu~ts are ~impo~t wi~ re~rd to ~ent ~ncer mo~H~ ~ou~ we shoed avoid expos~e to ~ whenever ~s ~ be done wi~out ~t cost~for ~smnce, by chang or H~fing ~e use of p~lar pesticides or by us~g ~temafivc me~ods of con~ol.~ ..... Protection and policy We sometimes reassure ourselves with the thought that fife cannot be frcc from risk, that in many spheres of life people accept the chances of disease and accident with nonchalance-- and without even wondering what the risks ate. Why is it so different for many environmental pollutants, even when the hazards seem to be minuscule or speculative? Risk, of course~ is more properly accepted for oneself than for othem (by the individual climber than by the mountain guide), and in public health matters the people "at risk" have litile choice and little knowledge. "The authorities" have to make the scientific and policy decisions on their behalf. Thu~ many aspects of pollution have becomd deeply pofitical issues---, political in a bad sense, in that opposing "sides" may emerge,, with considerable acrimony, and indivldual cases of possible or alleged ill effect may be bandied about with little regard to science; but po|itical also in the good sense that individuals matter and must be protected from harm a~d exploitation. Though the risks from pollutants ate insignificant beside the huge risks of smoking any cases of cancer, say, caused by. a pollutant are an offence in human terms-and it is often the more deprived who are more exposed to pollution, the privileged who escape. But as we do not have the best of all possible worlds and resources are limited we cannot usually--in the short term--eliminate one possible risk without neglecting or introducing another: g~eady reducing pollution from various forms of energy production, it is sometimes said, would make electricity too expensive for some people and so increase risks of hypothermia (besides making public services, and much else, more cosily); while banning pesticides would make food less plentiful and more expensive. In each case therefore the cost-benefit rclationship has tu be considered and compared with others, which means trying to quantify the "costs.'',~ Clearly, however, at low levels of many pollutants risk assessments are to say the least uncertain~and the health benefits of further rcducLug or removing them may seem slight, while the expense may bc considerable. But because whole populations may be exposed to thorn for a fife- time and a small percentage--many individuals in toml~nmy be specially scndtive wc cannot be complacent about low concentrations of powerful cardnogens and toxins. In some cases knowledge of a toxin's biochendst~y and mecb~misms of action will absolve it from suspicion at low concentrations; but many cardnogens--and potential carcinogens picked up in 9/1 animal ~:Id laboratory tests---c~mnot be absolved beyond doubu '~ ~ doubt ~t it ou~" is a ~sm of do~g ~s~ or ~e ~m of not do~g it~ ~nsid~cd t~. A recent ~ ~ on p~ddc z~don zeco~ ~ approach ~r ~ a ~d~ v~: ~sm~ should cover not o~y ~c ~s~ to public h~ ~d ~c ~R- m~ from using a ~ p~de but ~tcmafive relations on ~ose ~= ~d ~so ~e ~ ~d econo~c benefits produced by i~ ~e ~d ~c ~g~ ~ ~esc ~t wo~d r~t f~m ~te~fivc re~fio~but nme~ ~fi~t~ shoed not be ~vm ~s rel~ble ~m ~e ava~able.~ To sho~-~st o~ wo~ ~m ~ few ~ou~d to a few doz~ ~umn~, when qu~dmdve Hsk ass~sment is not possible~ Doll and Peto pro~sc ~c app~ of M~6plying ~e poten~ of ~ous chc~ as ~udged by ~ch ~e o~ la~mt6~ t~t by a ~u~ ~6~tc of ~e ~t of h~ ex~s~e to ~em is ~dy to reset wi~ a few ~e~Is s~ out beyond ~ r~L A few r~ons of such e~ (~d. o~ ~y more moderate expos~es ~ar ~n ~ ~mply con~ed)~ ~ey su~est~ ~ ne~ly as effc~ve ~ rcdu~g ~c ~ of h~ res~g ~ a~ve ~s, howler ~or. It wo~d least produce a p~[ ~d ~y acc~mb[e basis for a~on ~er ~ complete pa~lysis. ~ ~e wider world, o~ ~e~ as ~s~ from ~e la~to~ ~uum~ do not a~ in ~so~o~ple ~e ~d to m~y s~mul~udy ~d some ag~ ~t~ .o~er em~ or ~te~ f~o~~ ~* (sev~ "~ pr~t at ~e same ~e~ smo~g ~ses l~g ~cer ~uscd by io~s~g ~a~on ~d as~tos mong ~ssibly ~a~o~ ~t~ ~ h~a~fis B ~s ~d ~e~ ~o~). A ~umt my or my not ~ ~y~ for ~s~ce~ a~ as a ~c~ p~mot~ ~er ~ ~aror)s ~d it ~y eider add to or m~ply ~e eff~ of o~ fa~o~ ~s m~ ~t ~ ~y ~ ~ter ~pp~ but it ~so m~ ~t ~te~g o~y one favor a ~mpl~ ~y reduce ~e ~d. ~s ~ wh~ epid~olo~ is so v~mble ~or ~e r~ world--it s~ for e~pl~ not ~ ~e vas~ n~r of ~s ~Hu~g a p~ but wi~ ~c a~ d~ ~ ~t d~ a~p~g to id~ ~dr ma~or ~us~.~ But mo~o~g p~ m~ ~d ~e ~~ ~ ~t~ ~d .~y need ~g ~ sus~ed "hot s~m" ~d ~sslbly ~erable p~plc. : Polluflon~ welibeing, and the ~otml environment • "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social vJell-being," the World Health O~'ztdsation has sa~d, "and not merely an absence of disease or infirmly/"; and indeed to concentrate 0nly on death and dire disease {s to take too n~,ow a view of pollution. The WHO definition is quoted in a report on noise~'; and certainly noise, from that point of view~ is one of the most certainly damaging environmental polluta~ts~ whatever scientific dispute there is about its physiological effects at moderate levels it affec~ the wellbeing, sometimes seriously, of many people. Our wdlbeing, too, is bound up with the total environment, which undoubtedly has suffered from chemical pollution; ~tud indeed in controlling ~ polluumt the whole ecosystem should be considered." At the beginning of Silent Spring Rachel Ca~on quotes Keats--", .. the sedge is wither'd from the lake,] And no birds sing:"---and Albert Schweltzer---"Man has lost the capacity ~o foresee and to forestall He will end by destroying the earth." Even when we are satisfied that a pollutant has no damaging eiTec~ on man we should not necessarily be happy to leave it in the environment; and we do need, for example, more efforts to find biologic~l methods of pest control. But activities and products that at present necess~-ily give rlse to pollutants are often sources of great good in the world and we need a Ti04230960

972 persp~-~ive to rake in all these things. I ~o~d l~e ~ +&pt to ~s contm ~+'s +~o~ but mm~ ,,~m of fl~ . . 2" ~nd '+~'d fo~, w~ rest ~¢ m~ into world ~d of o~ ~g ~d ~e n~d ~ p~t~ ~ ~d ~c ~ ~m ~g~o~s process. References t Doll P.,-Peto I%. The mu~es of cancer: quau~imdve e~/nmte~ of risks of c~ncer in the United Star= today.~7 Na~ Can~-]n~ ~May 1981); also to be publ~hed by Oxford U'nlver~y ~ "Holdgate MW. A perspectlv¢ of cnvLr~nmental pollution. Cambridge: Cambridge Unlver~iry Press, 1979. ~ Longo LD. Environmental pollution and pregnancy: Hsk~ cermintles for the fetus and i~ffant. Am J Obsccr Cr~nu¢ol 162-73. " 4 Barnes JM. Asscsslng hazar&s from prolonged and repeated low doses of xoxic substances. Bz .Med Bu/! 1975~ ~1:196-200. s Ald~dg¢ W/4. Insectiddc~ pas% pre~nt and future: practi~e and th~ • "ondecstand/ng o~ mechanisms. An~ Oc.¢u~o H.~ 19~9;22:407-9. • Rogan WJ~ Bagn|ewska A~ Dam.ma T. Pollutanm in b~ milk. Bngl.~ Med 1980 ~:1450-5. BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL VOLUME 282 21 ~L~CH 1981 ~aWorld Health Organ~sa6on. Em;fronmcnml heah~ ¢ffre~= ~ P~ s~cider M-J. P~r polos: ~¢mfcal pollu~an~ fn ~cw Yo~: ~ York A~d~y of S~enc~, 1979. Egan H, Hubb~ AW. ~yti~ su~c~ of f~. Be Med Bull 1975; 31 ~01-8. Repor~ of ~ G~menr Ch~ 2~7~. ~ndon: ~SO, 1979: 94-112. Ad~so~ ~hte~ on P~d~d~. F~zh~ r~ of ~he safety for ~ fn the UK of zh¢ ~bicide 2~4~-T. ~ndon: Mini~ of Fisheries ~d Food ~es6cides B~), 1980. pcto ~ Distoning ~¢ cpide~olo~ of ~: ~e need fo~ a more b~n~d ove~iew. ~a~ur¢ 19~:297-3~. Epstein SS, Swa~ JB. F~ci~ of lffe~[e ~cer 1981 ~:127-30. ~ims ]. ~e o~n ofhu~ ~. NaZure 1981 ~on~o~. Two views of ~e ~uses of~. Nature 1981 ~9:431-2. P~in EE. ~¢ acc~ of Hs~ Br Med Bull 1975~1:18~90. ~R~ on Proto~e E~Hdt ~yses for Pes6dd~. R~laH~ penid~. Washin~n: Nafion~ A~d~y of Sdenc~, 1980:1-17. ~ewbeme PM. ~ronmen~ ~fiers of suscepfibi~ genesis. Caner Dete¢ff~ a~ Pr~mtf~ 1976;1:129-73. ~m~R¢e on ~e Problem of Hoi~ N~se. Pin~ R~. HMSO, t96~. (Wilson ~on ~ Sil~t sp~. ~ston: Houghton Mi~ ~mp~y, 1962. B~e W. Y~ manage of he~ a~ ~IL c 1790. ~ndon: O~o~d Univ~siW Pr~s]P~s: Triton Pres% 19~5: phte 15. Dealing with the Disa,dvantaged Amputees NORMAN CROUCHER Amputations of the arm and hand are uncon~mon. Most amputeea have suffered the loss of part o~ the whole of one or both limbs, and moat leg amputees are approaching age or older. Many ar~ d~be~ for this and other reasons amputees are often in poor health, M~ny leg amputees are older and are therefore new to handicap compared with some- ,one with a congenital hand;cap or one acquired earlier in life. Amputees are therefore often adjusting to t~gamt lma and lesrning to cope with ~he psychological and practical implica- tions. Practical considerations Hardly any special allowance need be ma~de for ambulant leg amputees or for arm amputees. A few points are, however, worth mentioning. (1) For leg amputees non-sllp floor sin-faces a~d tes.~mably high, stable chaks with armrests are desirable. (2) Many arm and leg amputees will not know what thesis" means, so us~ the term "'artificial limb~" ,,art/ficitl arm," or "artificitl leg" instead. (3) Loss of one o~ both legs may make k dlfficuIt for • patient to visit the surgery~ particularly in wet or icy conditio~r~ and especially if the patient is elderly. The sprighdys det~mlncd old I~ndon W~ ~ NORMAH CROUCHEP~ advise~ m Disabled Sports lady progressing well on her new limbs in September may be virtually housebound if it snows later. Similarly, no matter how determined the pafien% when a stump hur~ badly he or she can b¢ ahnost completely robbed of mob/l~y, unless crutches or a wheelchai~ are available. Those who do not have a ear may be pardc~arly resu-ictecL (4) Advice given at the limb centre may be misunderstood or forgotten, or certain topics may not be discussed, so do not neglect an opportunity to make sure that th~ patient is as comfortable as possible. The following advice may help. (a) Soft-soled shoes may make walking more comfortable~ but cfepo soles are slippery on wet pavements. (b) lqylon sheaths obtainable from the limb centre xeduce the skin damage brought on by perspiration in hot weather, though some patients do not like wearing nylon next to the skin. (c) It is wise to have a pair of crutches ors in some cases, a wheelchair in reser¢c at home~ even if their regular use has beam discontinued, (d) Men wearing thigh corset attachments may find that the leather corset rubs the scrotum painfuRy in hot weather; unde~- pants which give better support are the solution. (e) With the thigh corset leg, rubbing of the buttock may be a pro. blem if stump socks are too short to protect this region. One somtion is to cut off about 25 cm from the top of an old stump sock to wear at the top of the thigh. Psychological considerations Several common reactions and attitude~ m amputation may be se~, and, though the genet-al practitionc~ i~ proba]51y aware of most of these, the followlng obsevrations may help. {1) The reaction to the •cquirement of • handicap varies a Ti04230961

• A St. Paul, Minn., wom~ who was fg~l as a financial cssewo~k~ 'with the Anolm Coudty Sochl Ser- i about smoko f~om her ¢o-wo~kes' ~a~ttes ~ been awarded T!04230962

The .~aws of Death Snuff, Chewing Tobdc¢o Linked to Cancer By Vk~o~ Coh~ ~ wara~ is ~ ~n a lX~ t~t la~ num..of lr I'm] ~ostio,ns,'well into tho Slot coatury.* 18217 T104230963

Bush Lists Regulations For Scrutiny Targels Include Bias, Heallh, Safely Rules By Caroline E. Mayer Washington Star Sl~ff Writer The Reagan administration, con- tinuing its drive to reduce the gov- ernment's interference in business, is undertaking a major review of ex: isting and proposed regulations that could bring sweeping changes in the way the nation enforces its environ- mental, health and safety and anti- discrimination laws. The review, announced yesterday by Vice President George Bush as part of the administration's reg- ulatory reform campaign, will in- volve 63 rules, of which 27 are already on the books - some for sev- eral decades. Among other things, they set rights for the handicapped and mi- norities, minimum wage.levels for many workers, prices for fruits and vegetables, requirements for dis- posing of hazardous waste and limits for exposing workers to cancer. causing chemicals. More than half the rules involved - 36 - were issued in the last days of the Carter administration and were frozen shortly after President Reagan assumed office to give the new administration a chance to re- view them. These rules - as well as those al- ready on the books - may ultimately be withdrawn, repealed, or substan- tially changed after the administra- tion conducts detailed cost studies on the need for each of them. , This scrutiny, which in some cases may take months to complete, is just the beginning of a continuing review of regulations that the ad- ministration intends to make over the next four years, said Bush, who is chairman of the President's Task Force on Regulatory Relief. Another list of regulations to be reviewed will be released shortly when the administration unveils its proposals to aid the ailing auto- mobile industry, Bush said. These regulations will include environ- mental and safety rules set down over the past decade. See REGULATIONS, A-10 ,Also slated for review is the gamut of equal opportunity rules estab- lished over the past 20 years, Rea- gan's regulatory advisers said. "Our mandate," Bush said, "is to achieve the regulatory relief that this economy desperately needs - to reduce costs, tO reduce inflation, to increase production and to provide more jobs, while at the same time maintaining proper concern for the environment and for the health and safety of our citizens." In seeking that goal, Bush has written to the heads of the indepen- dent agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission, asking them to adhere voluntarily to the re- cent presidential order that no rules be issued unless they are truly need- ed - and then only if they are the least costly way of achievin g a goal. At the same time, Bush announced that 136 proposed rules, also frozen during the first two months of the administration, will have gone into effect by the end of the month. But administration officials say these rules were very minor and noncon- troversial. Bush's actions were immediately hailed by business groups. "I think the. administration is moving along right on target, doing all the things they promised lhey would do," said Jeffrey Joseph, who heads the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Regulatory Action Center. "The adminis.tration really hasn't tried to rape the regulatory system," Joseph said. "They are trying to es- tablish some balance," he said, by making government carry out the same cost-benefit analysis business has to do every day. The reaction was much the same at the Nalional Association of Man- ufacturers - which had suggested for review many of the rules that the administration has targeted. Consumer and enviromenlal groups, not having seen the target list, declined to comment. However, Maudine Cooper, vice president of the National Urban League's Wash- ington office, criticized the admin- istration's move to relax the rules requiring all contractors doing busi- ness with the government to adopt affirmative action programs to elim. inate discrimination in employ- ment. "It's not the time to throw the entire process out," she said. Yet the review process was ap- plauded by some of former President Carter's economic advisers. "To a point, my hat is off to them," said Charles Schultze, chairman of Car- ter's Council of Economic Advisers. "I may not necessarily agree with how they will come out, but I don't see any problem with reviewing ,hen" However, George Eads, who also served on the CEA under Carter, said that the Reagan administration may have problems reforming many of the rules they have targeted. For one thing, Eads noted, many of the same rules were scrutinized by Carter but were not changed because support for the rules - from business or la- bor groups - was too strong to over- come. Additionally, Eads and other economists pointed out, many of the rules are required by law, and al- though it may be possible to relax them somewhat, their burden will remain unless and until Congress enacts new legislation. Among the rules targeted for re- view are: ~The Department of Labor's rule that construction workers and con- tractors working on a government project must be paid the prevailing wage in the area. • Department of Education reg- ulations' to guarantee each handi- capped child equal educational opportunities. Similarly, Depart- .ment of Transport.ation rules requir- ing any transportation system receiving federal funds Io make bus- es, subways and airports and other public'places accessible to the han- dicapped. ; • The Environmental Protection. Agency's hazardous waste program, which details how dangerous chem- icals should be used and disposed of. • The Food and Drug Administra- tion's testing requirements for. new drugs. Industry complains that the requirements delay effectiv.e new drugs from being marketed, but fed- eral health officials have argued that the tests keep ineffective or dan- gerous drugs off the market. • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's rules re- quiring employers to reduce the lev- el of noise and exposure of cancer.causing chemicals in the workplace. • Department of Energy rules order- ing electric utilities and large indus- trial fuel users toswitch from oil and gas to coal or some alternative fuel. • Department of Agriculture mar- keting orders for fruits and vegeta- bles that limit the quantities of produce to be shipped to market, to protect farmers' income from ex- treme fluctuations in the market- place as well as to insure stable supplies. • Department of Interior rules ..-,r, how land mined for coal should reclaimed. T!04230964

White House Targets 27 More -Regulations for Review By Peter Behr and Jeanne Omang W~ln|~n P~t S~ff Wrl~r~ The Reagan administration yester- day named 27 more federal regula- tions it intends to review and presum- ably change, including the affirmative action requirements for all federal contractors and some of the govern- ment's most controvemial environ- mental and job safety regulations af- fecting business. Vice President Bush said the 27 regulations would be reviewed in the next two or three months to see whether they comply with the admin- istration's regulatory objective, which is to eliminate regulations that are not "cost-effective." Bush, who heads the Reagan dereg- ulation task force, said the adminis- tration is keeping its promise "to achieve the regulatory relief our econ- omy desperately needs ~ to reduce costs, to reduce inflation, to increase productivity and to provide for more jobs; The administration also is main- tsining a freeze on 8~ regulations that were issued in the closing days of the Carter administration but suspended in an initial 60-day freeze imp<~-~l by President Reagan on Jan. 29. Another 41 regulations caught in the freeze have been allowed to take effe~ and 100 more will be released on March 30, when the 60-day freeze ends. The administration already had in- dicated its intent to change some major environmental and health rules, such as the Interior Department's sur- face mining reguhtions and~the Labor. Departm.ent's general rules gover~ng chemice carcinoge.m.~.t These are among the 27 regulations that will be reviewed. The list aho includes the Agricul- ture Department's marketing orders for fruits and vegetables that give growem control over supply, the De- partment of Education regulations quiring special educational programs for handicapped children in public schools, and the Labor Department's method for determIning the wages that government contractors must pay under the Davis-Bacon and Service Contract acts. The administration's decision to re- view the federal contract compliance requirements -- the basis of the gov- ernmant's affirmative action program since the Kennedy administration-- could signal a major reversal of equal employment opportunity policy, said Donald Elisburg, who w~s assistant secretary. of labor for employment standards in the Carter administra- tion. A 1965 presidential executit~e order, on which the affirmative action pro- grams are based, forbids job discrimi- nation and requires employers receiv- ing federal contracts to develop specif- ic plans for recrulL2ng and hiring mi- nority group members and women, These requirements "should be re- viewed to see /f broad performance standards could replace the t/ght spee. /f/cations," the administration saM. See REGS, AIS, Col. 1 18219 T!04230965

More Regulations Target Of Administration Review REGS, From A1 El~burg said the administration ~oking at ~ p~ j~ s~ ~ a ~ of ~t's ~t ~ ~ ~d. ~ ~ ~ of f~erM ~ for m~ or ~m A q~t ~ ~ k~p ~e~- ~ m~m on ~d ~n~ ~ ~ ~ pmb- le~ ~ ~~ ~n ~o~y one ~ly tion ~t ~h~ m~ pro~e for ~I ~ ~ ~nmm~ ~t f~vrM ~ for ~ p~ ~ad~" ~e B~ ~~ent ~d. ~ "~um~on ~ ~ve ~n de~t- ~ ~ madm of ~ :~w ~ ~umfi~ for ~e ~- '~p~ w~ ~ ~ 1975. P~- q~ ~t ~mp~ yo~m ~ ~ much m ~ible, s~ ~ pu~ de~ ~for i~ ~ ~ ~e: ~m n~ ~ ~ o~n ' m~ ~p~e p~ S~ly, ~ ~ • ~ pm~e ~ ~ ~e ~di~p~ • ~ ~ t~de~ ~ no~ ~d' New York CiW ~e wo~d ~ve • s~ ~ ~ $1.6 ~on ~ ~ buy :~ ~pm~ ~ W~n, ~e ~e ~n~ ~ 197e when d~ ~ ~ ~pm~t for~ • e ~~ ~ ~e o~- .~ ~ ~ ~eW P~ ~y ~-. ~o~ ~ ~om n~ ~ for m- fiew ~I~: "~n~n p~, ~ ~ ~n- • ~ ~ ~ a ~h by ~ ~d ~ ~ ~ ~ ~e de~ent's e~ a~f pr~ of flora ~ p~ ~d ~o~ H~ ~' p~ ~t ~ of ~ ~ ~d m~ ~Con~ ~m &e pu~, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~m~ a~ut del~ ~n the existing process and its, costs justifies a thorough review," the adminlstmtion saiA • Federal certification and surveys of hmpitals, nursing homes and other " .~. "eonal health care facilitie~ Occupational Safety and: Health Administration's past prefer- enos, in a number of rulings, for engi. noering changes in plants to control noise and airborne hazarc~ The employers the flext'bility to use respi- ratom and other personal prbtective equipment when pessil~ • • The vast network of Fales govern- mg the dispesal of toxic chemical' wastes. Issued during the past two years, the regulations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act apply to all hazardous wastes from all the nation's industries. Industry has at- tacked the rules as too stringent. The Environmental Protection Agency timatsd that bnsinesses might spend • up to $2 billion a year complying. All the regulations g.ovemmg strip mining have also been targeted for re- view, particularly the reqtfirement that land be reclaimed to its "approximate o'nginal contour." Thase rules now "could render some areas uneconomic- al to mine at all," the Bush announce- ment said. Among the '36 rt~dations that will be held up indefinitely is a collection of rules affecting 30 major industries. that discharge wastes into municipal sc~ge system~ The roles require greater pretreatment by industry to prevent damage to mun/cipal plants. The EPA estimated that this would cost $23 million next year. A less sweeping target of the ordem, but one guaranteed to be controver- sial, is the lifting of tim ban on oil and gas exploration in two California ma- rine wildlife sanctuaries," the Channel the Point Reyes-Farallon Islands area north of San Francisco. Rare Pomarance of the Friends of the Earth said yesterday's action on those islands .was "outrageous and un- necessarf since many other drilling areas are available. "It's [Interior Sec- retary James G.] Watt versus the whales," he said. A list of regulatory actions affecting automobiles is being prepared, Bush T104230966