OTHER NEWS - Jan. 17, 1996

Witco to Close Plants: The Greenwich, Conn.-based maker of specialty chemical and petroleum products said it will close five facilities, including one in Santa Fe Springs, and take a pretax charge of $58.7 million in the fourth quarter to pay for the closings and an environmental cleanup program. Witco Corp. said that after the plants are closed and the previously announced sale of its lubricants business is completed, it will have 41 plants worldwide.