Document 0qqeY0kBEM0NpK88NmNrr69vV

PATTON BOBGSllp minus u i** * 2550 M Straat. NW Washington. DC 20037-1350 202-457-6000 facsmula 20Z-457-S31S W. Caffey Normaa, m (202) 457-5270 October 20,1998 PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATION MEMORANDUM FOR VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH COMMITTEE Re: Response Statement Attached is a draft media response statement which we will review on the conference tomorrow. This reflects last Friday's discussion. WCN/vsa Attachment cc: Wendy K. Sherman W. Caffey Norman, HI CMA 172245 BALTIMORE DALLAS DENVER GREENSBORO RALEIGH SEATTLE WASHINGTON. OC Overall Messages Discussion Draft These are draft studies The vinyl industry employee studies are prelhninaiy and must first go through a dual draft by their authors and then a rigorous peer review process before being finalized and accepted by the scientific community. While initial drafts have been sent to the EPA, it is vital to the integrity of the studies to allow the authors to complete their work and submit It for peer review. As soon as the peer review is complete, final copies will be submitted to the EPA and to any interested party. CMA has extensively followed the health of vinyl employees We have aggressively followed the health of vinyl chloride plant employees in the U.S. for nearly 30 years - making diem one of the single largest and longest-studied manufacturing groups m the world. From our earliest health review through these most recent studies, we have shared our results extensively and published them in peer-reviewed journals. The draft studies axe encouraging concerning the overall health of vinyl employees Two recent draft studies of vinyl chloride employees here clarified scone of the outstanding questions involving these employees and health effects. These studies confirm the overall cancer excess is angiosarcoma of title liver, while strongly arguing that there is no relation between vinyl chloride exposure and lung cancer, emphysema, leukemias or lymphomas These health study results are extremely encouraging in terms of the beneficial effects of exposure reductions that occurred in the 60s and early 70s. These draft studies reported some subgroups had a somewhat higher than expected rate of connective soft tissue cancers and increase in cancers of the peritoneum and other digestive organs, but the authors did not attribute the increase to vinyl chloride and the findings were not consistent across exposure groups. We have notified regulatory agencies of these initial findings and are notifying our employees. We are also planning to publish the results in peer-reviewed journals when file studies are completed. Finally, and most important, we will continue to monitor this group of workers and provide periodic updates. CMA members care about their employees We take seriously any potential health effects raised as a result of these studies and we will continue to investigate and closely monitor the health of these employees. Current safety guidelines protect employee health It is important to remember that these draft studies involve a historical employee exposure issue not a currsit plant exposure issue. There are no registered cases of angiosarcoma of the liver since the OSHA standard was put in place. Privileged and Confidential - Attorney Work Product 10/15/98 CMA 172257