Document 0JBk6rjjE5nVGqeobvy15v7Xx

A/C Pipe Producers Association Internal Correspondence ToPublic Affairs Committee Iaternattonal Affairs Commitl-- r. Welch, Director, Public Affairs date; December 2, 1980 SUBJECT' Environmental Protection Agency - Region 6 Letter on A/C Pipe REF: JFW correspondence, "Field Problem - San Antonio, Texas," November 12, 1980 ACTION REQUIRED: Review for information and dissemination Enclosed is additional correspondence from the Water Supply Branch of Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 explaining its position on A/C pipe. This letter, provided to Staff by the San Antonio Water Board, appears to be written to a concerned citizen. This second letter is, in Staff? judgment, even more positive in tone than the letter to the San Antonio Water Board. Not only does the author reaffirm the nonsubstitutability of asbestos in A/C pipe, but also states: No conclusive scientific evidence has yet linked gastrointestinal cancer incidence with ingestion of asbestos through drinking water. Staff recommends that the Region 6 letter be disseminated to field sales personnel for use in counter-acting field problems. JFW/ajb Enelosures cc: A. Kahn, Esq. N. Rahn, Esq. N. Battle Q.&G) copies to: Public Affairs Committee International Affairs Committee H. Olson I. Adams B^/Cook Mf. Perrell J. Woods 0. Baker T. Dougherty D. Stinson W. McCallie HEGA/1 Chrono R. Dorner E. Van Der Rest B. Giboin C. Walters R. Hobbs A. Saoulis R. Jalari V. Pattabhi H. Hudson C. Barton S. Al-Tarkait Vv- RECFiVLiJ VT' DEC 4 1930 /C >>. viTiV'V- CAPCO JEN 0010086 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION VI 1201 ElM MMtET ` DALLAS. TEXAS /S270 ; October 30, 1980. . . Marilyn Rife 101 Arcadia Place,; #310 ' San Antonio, TX 78209 - Dear Ms. Rife:. . . Thank you for your letter of October 2, 1980. We share your concern with . w reports of asbestos in drinking water. The Environnental Protection'Agency (EPA),, Region 6 office, has been in commu nication with the Texas Department of Health, the Edwards Underground Water District, and the City Water Board of San Antonio since, reports of asbestos in-San Antonio's water began. We have also consulted with our own EPA re-. '* search and health effects laboratories and our technical support division. Based upon our findings, we do not believe the citizens of San Antonio are . subject to any measurable health risk from asbestos in their drinking water. There are two possible sources of asbestos"in'San Antonio's water. These are from naturally occurring sources in the ground via ter, and asbestos fibers from the asbestos-cement water pipe. In our communications, the Edwards Underground Water District has -confirmed that portion's of the Edwards Aquifer have asbestos-bearing rock formations which yield small amounts of asbestos to the ground water. Present scientif ic information does not indicate that these levels represent a significant- .. health risk. However, water "samples of the source ground water in the San Antonio municipal water supply do riot indicate the presence of asbestos. f The second possible source is asbestos-cement pipe. Asbestos-cement pipe has been widely used throughout the United States for over 40 years. Its advantages are high strength, relative low cost compared to other materials, and resistance to soil corrosion. This high strength results from asbestos fibers mixed in the cement which act as reinforcing agents in the hardened ..concrete. Despite extensive research, no satisfactory substitute for the . asbestos in the compound has been discovered. When asbestos-cement pipe is used to transmit highly corrosive waters, .deterioration of the concrete can occur, releasing some of the asbestos fibers. Asbestos-cement pipe has been the subject of extensive studies, and *' these indicate that noncorrosive source waters such as found in San Antonio, do not attack asbestos-cement pipe, and no fibers are released. CAPCO JEN 0010087 2 San-^ntBnt^recently conducted tests to determine if a commonly used method ofidrflllnq and tapping for new connections released asbestos particles into the'-wate^^ Samples taken during this testing confirmed the release of fiberpand-the method of drilling and tapping ' >s been changed so that these paCicifes-are prevented from getting into the water. Subsequent tests show nq:/dete`ctable levels of asbestos in the water. .. Because of the.acknowledged health problans related to .asbestos inhaled and/or ingested by ..workers in occupational exposure,, it is natural for. people to extend this concern to other exposures. EPA and the scientific 'community have felt, that extensive-study is .justified to determine if there is a level at which asbestos in drinking water might represent a measurable risk to public health. No conclusive scientific evidence has yet linked gastrointestinal cancerincidence with ingestion of asbestos through drink ing water... . ^ ... . -.-j.j. ' . . I appreciate your concern for public- health protection. Please be assured that we will continue to stay in touch with the agencies involved in maintaining the quality of water in the San Antonio area,,, and we will advise them of the continuing research findings both in our own agency and the scientific community at large. .* * Sincerely. Mac A.- Weaver,. Acting Chief Water Supply Branch (6AWS) cc: C. K. Foster, P.E. G. H. Scherwitz, Jr., P.E. ' Thomas P. Fox / *; Robert P. Van Dyke 1/ U.S. Environmental Protection /Vgency Washington, D.C. 20460 Water Supply Staff CAPCO JEN 0010088