USDA wants to ban PCB containing equipment
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Feb. 29 TheU.S. Department
of Agriculture has proposed
that federally-inspected
meat, poultry and egg
products plants be
prohibited from installing
new or replacement
equipment that contains
polychlorinated biphenyl.
Carol Tucker Foreman,
assistant secretary for food
and consumer services, said
the proposal is in response to
an industrial accident last
summer, in which PCB from
a ruptured transformer
leaked into the drainage
system of a slaughtering
plant in Billings, Mont.
Animal feed produced from
the waste in that system
contaminated meat and
poultry products in 19 states.
“This proposal is one in a
series of actions we are
taking to protect the public
from accidental chemical
contamination of the food
supply,” Foreman said.
“USDA is working to reduce
the incidence of industrial
NO.l REASON FOR NO-TILL
No matter how you slice it, No-Till
age farming is more economical
than conventional farming and
every bit as productive. The secret
is a super-efficient herbicide called
ORTHO Paraquat CL. It kills on
contact with extraordinary speed
and destroys an exceptionally
broad spectrum of unwanted weeds
and grasses.
After spray
ing with Para
quat and your
recommended
residual herbi
cide, you sim
ply plant com
or soybeans
'4^
accidents and to provide
quick and effective
cooperation among involved
government agencies and
industry when con
tamination emergencies do
occur.”
The Food and Drug Ad
ministration and the En
vironmental Protection
Agency have indicated their
intention to propose similar
regulations for other food
processing plants, Foreman
said. Earlier this month,
USDA, in cooperation with
FDA and EPA, asked food
manufacturers and related
industries to voluntarily
remove PCB-conU'imng
equipment from their plants.
Other actions under
consideration by USDA
include a request for
legislative authority to
require owner identification
of all animals sent to
slaughter and authority to
quarantine animals on the
farm, a new system to
establish coordinated
communication early m a
i MM s i
/Pffe L :
contamination emergency
and regulations to require
food processors to remove
equipment containing PCB
from their facilities.
PCB is a class of highly
toxic industrial chemicals
which have been widely used
since 1929 in transformers,
heat transfer equipment and
capacitors for their stability,
and fire and heat resistance.
The manufacture and
distribution of PCB was
Farm labor force
HARRISBURG - Tht
Labor force on Pennsylvams
farms during the survej
week of January 6-12, 198 C
was estimated at 106,000, an
increase of seven percent
over the same week in 1979,
according to the Penn
sylvania Crop Reporting
Service.
Farm family workers
remained the same at 83,000
but hired workers numbers
jumped 43 percent to 23,000
workers. The Crop Repor
right into the stubble of a proceed
ing crop. There is no tillage in
volved. You save time, labor, and
since No-Till is a once across the
field operation, significant fuel
costs. For best results, apply Para
quat with ORTHO X-77" Spreader.
DANGER: Paraquat is highly
toxic if swallowed and should be
kept out of the reach of children.
To prevent accidental ingestion,
never transfer to food, drink or
other containers. Read the label
carefully and follow all directions,
danger statements and worker
safety rules. Restricted Use Pesti
cide. Use all chemicals only as
directed.
Chevron
s Ortho
PARAQUATCL
TMi ORTHO CHEVRON CHEVRON DESIGN REG US
PAT ATM OFF X 77 REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF
KALO LABORATORIES INC
banned after July 2,1979, by
the EPA. However, the EPA
rule allows limited continued
use of PCB in totally
enclosed systems such as
capacitors and tran
sformers, and this equip
ment is present in many food
processing plants.
USDA’s Food Safety and
Quality Service has
responsibility, under federal
meat, poultry and egg
products inspection acts, to
ting Service has accounted
for the increase as due
mainly to the snowy, rainy
and very cold weather
during the comparable 1979
survey, which did not allow
farmwork to progress as
usual.
Farm family workers
includes farm operators
working on farm one hour or
more, plus other family
members working 15 hours
or more without receiving
cash wages during the week.
Lancaster farming, Saturday, March 15,1980—D25
assure that these food
products do not contain any
adulterants. Because PCB is
highly toxic, its presence in
food processing plants
represents a substantial
hazard to human health and
the environment.
The proposal to ban the
installation of PCB
containing equipment was
published in the February 29
Federal Register. Copies are
also available from the Meat
up seven
Hired workers includes all
persons working one hour or
more for cash wages.
The average workweek for
Pennsylvania farm
operators was 35.0 hours, 5.1
hours more than during the
1979 survey week. Penn
sylvania’s hired farm
workers averaged 33.8 hours
during the week, and other
family members working on
farms averaged 29.8 hours.
Sale Reports
A Public Sale of farm
equipment was held March 6
by Mrs. Elmer B. Zimmer
man Vz mile south of
Lebanon, Lebanon Co., Pa.
Registered buyers attending
numbered 411.
Some prices included:
J.D. 4020 Tractor $12,500,
J.D. 400 Tractor w/loader
$BOOO, J.D. 630 Tractor $2lOO,
J.D. 300 Riding Mower $2450,
J.D. LA Tractor w/plow
$950, J.D. Transport Disc
$3300, Brilhon 9 tooth Chisel
Plow $l2OO, J.D. 416 Auto.
Reset Plow $l9OO, Transport
Cultipacker $lO5O, Gebl
Blower $llOO, N.H. 1469
Haybme $2200, J.D. 38
Harvester $1950 and Har
vester Pickup $675.
Auctioneers were Nevm Z.
Martin and Lewis B. Groff.
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tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers year
round!!
Growers are needed in your area to
become owner/operators in this
fascinating money making business.
We provide complete training and
technical assistance. Investments from
$ll,OOO-$lB,OOO. Gross annual income
$14,000-$20,000.
Investigate this opportunity through
personal inspection of our proven
system by visiting a greenhouse in full
production.
Write or Call:
EARL CURTIS NICHOLS
Hygro Production, Inc.
Distributor for Hygroponics, Inc.
21 Meadows Lane
Haverford, PA 19041
and Poultry Inspection
Program, FSQS, USDA,
Washington, D.C., 20250.
Comments on the proposal
should be submitted by April
30 in duplicate to: ezcecutive
secretariat, attention: Annie
Johnson, room 3807-S, FSQS,
USDA, Washington, D.C.
20250. All comments will be
available at the same ad
dress during regular
business hours.
percent
Nationally, the total
number of farm workers
increased by one percent to
3,021,000 during the survey
week.
Pennsyslvania farm
workers averaged $3.45 per
hour, with field workers
receiving $3.62 per hour and
livestock workers receiving
$2.80. The wage rate figures
do not take room and board
into consideration.
A Public Sale of farm
machinery was held March 1
by the Amos B. Stauffer
Estate, east of Ephrata on
Diamond Station Rd., Lan
caster Co., Pa.
Items sold were: Papec
Forage Wagon on running
gear $1045, Gehl Wagon on
running gear $750, J.D. Trac
tor $4OO, 28’ Elevator $l9O,
Int. Tractor $360, Com
Planter $l5O, J£x4o’ Wood
Silo $4OO, Generator $4OO,
Walking Plow $5O, Lathe
$195, Tobacco loathe $2.10
cwt, Truckbed- $l7O, 20
Gauge Pump Gnu $205, 2
piles Scrap IronslBs & $215.
Auctoneers were Robert
E. Martin & Son and Frank
L. Steller.