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Monsanto PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL R B is h o p - A3NB-- a m e --l o c a t i o n --p h o n e D DATE February 11, 1983 S U B JE C T 7 0 J. T. Nolan M. C. Throdahl W. D. Carpenter - G3WG G. F. Fort - G3WG J. F. Hussey - A3NB X*^ ROUS!*:-G2WG < J. H. Senger - G2WE D. L. Spitzer - A3NA J. D. Wilson - G3WG I trust you've seen the makeup of Governor Bond's nine-member "citizens task force," charged with "studying the dioxin issue and recommending permanent solutions to the problems." In case you missed the announcement, it's buried in the attached article. While this is clearly an opportunity to bring some reasoned thinking and sanity to this overblown issue, it's equally clear that Dr. Roush is going to have his work cut out for him, i.e., it's hardly a "Blue Ribbon Panel of Scientific Experts" a la Governor Carey's Love Canal approach. Garth Fort and I have discussed a plan to work with Dr. Roush, up front, to develop a strategy and some achievable objectives for this task force. It will be interesting to see if good science can prevail over the emotions and political pressures of the moment. We'll keep you posted on any significant developments. DRB:ec Enclosure 7 /k /V Dir R. Bishop SUBJECT TO PROTEC ilVt ORDER. IN - IO I REV. 8 *77 f t. o u te (B lobH km ocnu Wed., Feb. 9, 1983 . Times Beach residents pass 1st dioxin tests By MARK EDGAR Globe-Democrat Jeffereen City Bureau J E F F E R S O N CITY -- No "immediate, acute" health problems have been found in initial medical tests on about 100 residents in dioxin-plagued Times Beach and at two contaminated sites in Jefferson County, state officials said Tuesday. "We've seen nothing to alarm us or to make us believe Missourians are feeling acute health effects," said Dr. Robert Hotchkiss, director of the state Division of Health. It was the first time a state official has said examinations so far show no immediate health problems, although possible effects from long-term exposure to the toxic chemical dioxin are still being studied. In other developm ents here Tuesday: a state in-house investigation concluded that Missouri's health and environmental agencies were not at fault for not following a 1975 federal recommendation to remove contaminated soil In Jefferson County. It also said state officials should not be blamed for apparently forgetting to check about other 1976 tests on the soil samples until last year. Both instances of failure to act were disclosed in The Globe-Democrat. Results from more federal tests at confirmed contaminated spots in the St. Louis area and at 30 others suspected to be contaminated should be available by Friday or early next week. Gov. Christopher S. Bond named Continued on Page 4A Residents pass dioxin tests Continued from Page 1A a nine-member citizens task force to study the dioxin issue and to recommend "permanent solutions to the problem." He requested an interim acted in good faith and with the best scientific advice available at the time," department Director Fred A. Lafser said. Lafser and Barrett A. Toan, social report on Times Beach by July 1. services director, said (hat because the Hotchkiss said the division plans CDC first indicated dioxins would decay more tests but said it was "unlikely" over time, the state worked to .try to acute health problems would be clean up large quantities of dioxin found uncovered based on tests so far. at a defunct chemical plant near HE SAID 6M people have filled out Springfield, medical questionnaires, S3 have K was later teamed that dioxin did received medical exams and 54 have not break down that quickly, but'Lafser had skin tests to check for chloracn, an blamed the health agency for not outbreak of pimply skin that is the one notifying the state about that until last of the most easily detectable results of y31- and said, " Had CDC responded dioxin exposure. with this .information earlier, the The investigation on the state's department, may have readjusted handling of the dioxin problem was priorities/' ordered by Bond after The GlobeDemocrat reported in January that Missouri officials had the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta run tests DESPITE THE conclusions of the investigation, some legislators are pressing for a separate legislative inquiry. on dioxin-contaminaled soil in 1976, but state officials apparently forgot about the results until 1962. The CDC said it had reminded the state but got no Bond's task force is scheduled to meet twice monthly. Us chairman is retired Missouri Supreme Court Judge James Finch and the St. Louis area res-52ns^ . . . `members re Ferry King, director of The Globe-Democrat also reported quality assurance-chem icals for that the Department of Natural Mallinckrodt Inc.; Robert L. Powell, Resources did not carry out a 1975 assistant professor of chemical recommendation by the CDC that the soil be removed and dumped at a "remote, deep landfill." Bond said Tuesday that the state's investigation -- by the natural resources agency and social services department -- found "there was no engineering at Washington University and president of the Coalition for the Environment; Sharon Rogers, a member of Warren Countians Against Hazardous Waste; Betty Wilson, environmental quality chairperson of Women Voters, St. Lr*1-- shortfall" in the duties by state employees. Roush, director of of medicine I believe that all DNR employees Ihealth of Monsanto ( > X