Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 27

     
     1
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No doubt I will hear what it is and whether,
     2        in fact, HCFC-22 is the same as CFC-22, assuming it
              exists, and also whether if there was something labelled
     3        CFC-22, that was probably a CFC?
 
     4   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, OK.
 
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, I can put that away.
 
     6   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, I think so.
 
     7        If we move on from CFCs, is it true that, as far as you
              are aware, McDonald's also used pentane as a blowing agent
     8        in the United States?
              A.  Yes.
     9
         Q.   The court has heard this?
    10        A.  Yes, OK.
 
    Q.   It is accepted.  Are there problems associated with
              pentane production?
    12        A.  Well, our research identified the plastics industry
              journal article which is referred to in my statement in
    13        which they identified alternative blowing agents, and
              suggested certain problems associated with the
    14        substitution of those items.
 
    15        The issue with pentane is associated with its hazards in
              the manufacturing process, that in fact many foam plastic
    16         -- foam package producers would have difficulty switching
              to the use of pentane because of considerable up front
    17        cost associated with the electric fireproofing or
              explosion proofing, their electrical circuitry, to avoid
    18        problems associated with the flammability of pentane.
 
    19        To further elaborate that point, it is also noted that in
              other documents that I have reviewed pentane is extremely
    20        difficult to contain in the manufacturing process, and
              that is why it is necessary to explosion proof your
         electrical circuitry.  So the point is then that this
              particular substance poses workplace hazards in its usage
    22        and, in addition, these substances, when they escape from
              the manufacturing process, contribute to ground level
    23        ozone problems.  Those are issues we raised in 1987.  At
              the time McDonald's said they would no longer use the CFC
    24        blowing agents in their foam food packaging.
 
    25   Q.   So in 1987 you were also saying they should not be using
              pentane as an alternative; is that correct? 
    26        A.  In essence, we were saying McDonald's should stop 
              using foam food packaging because substituting blowing 
    27        agents was not going to solve environmental problems
              associated with the food package, but was going to
    28        transfer the problems to other levels of the stratosphere.
 
    29   Q.   Are there any other problems with pentane emissions?  You
              said about low level ozone problems; does it contribute to
    30        any other smog problems or anything else?
              A.  We identified research that noted again that pentane,