Regulatory warnings about open-bucket solvent use preceded a drum’s burial

Evidence

The warning had stated that TCE “is especially hazardous in ‘open bucket use,’ in which parts are brushed and dipped in the bucket of solvent.” Inhaling vapor from the solvent could cause eye irritation, cardiovascular and nervous ailments, and damage to liver and other body organs, said the warning. The institute planned to adopt a more rigorous standard for plants where TCE was used, one requiring formal inspections, emergency showers, and periodic medical examinations of employees. — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 964

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the book’s earlier Woburn leukemia geography — the warning arrives in 1973 and the wells close in 1979.