Document 0gX0BvgoBbaDQV5rmdEKYZ9Rx
Barry Castleman, 5c.D. Environmental Consultant
April 27, 2000
Dr. James Thomas Daimler-Chrysler Corporation (fax 248-512-1755)
Dear Dr. Thomas: I am one of the organizers of an international conference on asbestos to be held in
Brazil this September, and am writing to obtain current information on Daimler-Chrysler's policy on the use of asbestos. As you probably know, asbestos has been banned in all the leading European countries for original equipment and after-market parts, and the European Union has adopted a policy that all E.U. countries will ban asbestos by 2005. Germany, of course, has been among the leaders in this effort.
Unfortunately, asbestos continues to be used by some auto makers in other countries. I investigated this two years ago with a colleague in Brazil and was unable to confirm whether any of the major auto makers had a global policy of phasing out the use of asbestos. An editorial was published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (attached). I am writing to you now to ask whether Daimler-Chrysler has a global policy for phasing out asbestos in its products, and if so what that policy is.
I would also like to know the extent to which asbestos is used in automotive friction materials and gaskets in products marketed today by Daimler-Chrysler in the regions of the world where asbestos has not been banned (North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia).
As Brazil moves to join the countries that have banned asbestos, it is obvious that the time for leadership by the top auto makers has come. I hope that the merger of Chrysler with a leading German company has been accompanied by a recognition that international "double standards'' in occupational and environmental health are unacceptable generally, and with asbestos in particular.I
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Enclosure: "Globally Asbestos-Free Automobiles" IJOEH 4: 277-278 (1998)
2412 PICKWICK ROAD BALTIMORE, MD 21207-6631 tel. 410-446-2643 fax 410-446-2366
bcastle@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us
DaimlerChrysler
April 28, 2000
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
James [. Thomas
Director Health & Safet/ arc Legislative Affairs
Barry Castleman, Sc.D. Environmental Consultant 2412 Pickwick Road Baltimore MD 21207-6631
Dear Mr. Castleman:
Your letter of April 27 references information regarding asbestos in our products, which is an issue outside the purview of this office. I have sent your letter to the appropriate people in Product Engineering for review and consideration for response.
Sincerely,
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Michael J. Sullivan
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June 16, 2000
Barry Castleman Environmental Consultant 2412 Pickwick Road Baltimore, Maryland 21207
Re: Your Letter to DaimlerChrysler
Dear Mr. Castleman:
We represent DaimlerChrysler and I am writing in response to your letter to Dr. James Thomas of DaimlerChrysler Corporation requesting information about products, sales, policies, and more. It is well known in the community of those involved in asbestos litigation that you have worked for some time as a proponent of plaintiffs' counsel helping them develop claims against a variety of corporations. Plaintiff's lawyers have also sponsored much of your research. Moreover, the book you authored, "Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects," misrepresents facts regarding certain company's use of asbestos-containing products. We are aware of no evidence of your attempting an objective treatment of how asbestos has been used in this country, what was known about the dangers of particular products, when that information was known, and how governments, unions, companies and individual workers responded to that knowledge.
As a result, we do not view your inquiry to DaimlerChrysler as a legitimate scientific inquiry but rather a further effort to assist personal injury lawyers in asbestos litigation. Thus, as its counsel, we respectfully decline your invitation to provide information and request that you not contact DaimlerChrysler again. We hope you understand that I do not mean this response to be disrespectful to you in any way, but simply an acknowledgment that youu ;Cl litigation.
MJS/kal
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