Document 0qrE3Z9eokKNE339aKNxKQkk

FILENAME: Flintkote (FLK) DATE: 1968 May 2 DOC#: FLK122 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Mr. Albert H. Fay from J. A. Main, Flinknote Mines Lmtd. RE Environmental Health Hazards Hr- Albert E. Pay Vice President Marketing national Gypeua Company Buffalo, Sew York 14202 Dear All This is with reference to our telephone conversation the other day, and in acknowledgement of your draft letter to Chief Ex ecutive Officers of all Asbestos Cement producers, dated April 25, 1968. The Q.A.X.A. has dene a considerable amount of work and has spent a greet deal of aoney on the subject of ssbestoe fiber and health. The first industrial Health Clinic was established in Asbestos, Quebec by Dr. Lanra in the late twenties and operated cantinuously since that time, keeping and following up health records for all the f u l l iss in the area. The interest was chiefly in . tbs pulmonary field and the industry kept ahrest of the work being done at the tine at hospitals in the Laurentiana, at the Saranac Laboratory and Trudeau roundstion in the Adirondack, in tbs late 1940'a, a similar Industrial clinic was established for the six cine a located at Thetfcrd Kiaea, Quebec. The industry through these clinics has been is close touch with sill the authori ties working in the field of respiratory physiology, not only in this continent but throughout the world. As a result of this work, protective and preventative engineering has taken place in the odLnso end mill a. and the importance of keeping the working atmosphere free of asbestos dust has been stressed. Dust counts axe conducted periodically at all nine* and mills by the Q.A.M.A. As you nay be aware, as recently as 1955 Dr, Daniel Braun, formerly of the Industrial Hygiene roundstion (Mellon institute) Pittsburgh con ducted and published an epidemiological survey in the Thetfcrd Mines area on the incidence of cancer with the Quebec asbestos workers. This survey concludes that the cancer incidenca la not any higher with such workers than with other population groups of .the area where no asbestos industry ia present. I am citing this TIBBS PL JJt yx Albert h . m y 2 - Kay 2, 1968 t * ooe isolated study, not to indicate that the industry haa no problems b c * u M I think it ha, but rather to indicate the danger of drawing conclusions on any on* particular atudy. 2 would say the same bolda true of Dr. Irving J. Selikcff's atudy. published Sovescber 1964 at the Hew York Acadeny of Medicine, tasteting in Hew York. While Dr. Braun's atudy covered workers i n a controlled envicrtsaexrt awara of a health problem, Dr. Selikoff'a atudy covered ingelation workers, working for tha coat part under uncontrolled conditions with little protactiva engineering of the exzvionuaental working conditions. Tha Q d J U k . ia so such aware of tha problem of health is the uaa of-asbestos, that it has sponaorsd the Institute o f Occupational and Environmental Health with offices is Montreal. T o date, this body rsceivee its financial support free the Q.A.M.A., and as you assy know, the budget thla year ia around $300,000. .The Institute ccnalsts of an Executive Cocaalttea and a Scientific Cfraaittee of doctor a. The first meeting of the Scientific Crxsaittce was held in July of 1966. The Scientific Committee is cocposed o f Dr. George Wright. Director of the Cossaittee and Head of Research a t St. Lukm's Hospital. Cleveland, Ohio} Dr. Paul Kotin. Director o f U.S. Cantor of Environmental Sciences and of Center of Etiology o f Careerr Dr. Karvin Caahaer, Professor of New York University and Bellevue Hospital} Dr. Fernand Gregoire. Physiologist and Heard of Lavoisier Clinic. Montreal} Dr. John Beattie, Professor at Queen's College. Cambridge, England} Dr. Daniel Braun, former Direct o r of the Industrial Hygiene Foundation and. Dr. P. Pelnar. Secretary of the Committee and formerly engaged in medical research at St, Luke's Boepital,' Cleveland, Ohio.' The Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health has attended confer etc* a on the subject in the U.S.S.R., in Copenhagen, Tokyo and Dresden. It has sent its representatives throughout the world to interview doctors conducting research in ths field, it has assembled all available literature on the subject for evaluation and study. It has conducted two conferences in Antigua} the first in 1965 and the second in 1967, with some 40 scientists and research experts assembled from all over the world. The second Antigua conference covered the following agenda: 1) intersection between asbestos and biological systetas. 2) Characteristics and control of enviornsental ex po sure. . Albert H. ray tif 3 - Kay 2. 1963 3) Diaeasea related to asbestos In an, epidemiological studies- ybe Institute 1 also sponsoring the following projects at the present time* D Epidemiological, study of asbestos workers in Canada. 2) Dr. Vigliani'a study of mill and inaulation workers in lt*ly. 3j Dx. Pelnar'a study on the biological aspects of asbestos. 4} Drs. McDonald and Gibbs, chemical and mineralogical 'studies of Chrysotile fiber. 5} Dr. J. C. McDonald's study of biological effects of asbestos. 6) Studies of Dr. Horo and Dr. Dumont. As a result of research work which has been done, as wall as w o r k that is now being carried on in Canada, in the U. S. and through out the world, we are beginning to believe* 1} That there is s definite linkage between asbestos snd lung health, which becomes manifest after long exposure (20 years). 2} That with insttlatiaa workers the effect of asbestos dust on diseases of tha lungs is worse when the worker is a smoker. 3} That the effect is more severe in some industries than in others, particularly insulation workers and textile workers. 4) That the effect is greater with some types of asbestos fiber than with others, e.g., Crocidolite and Amphibols appear to he worse than Chrysotile. 5) That workers can be protected against exposure with beneficial results. What we do not know is* 1) How effective protection is and where and when it is needed. 2) What is the allowable maximum consentration that can be tolerated & . Alberv S. Pay <1 - Hay 2, i5oS 3) What 1 there about asbestos that injures th cells and how *x tixiy Injured. 4) Bow to best engineer to prevent injury. 5) Eow to evaluat and awaiuix c s o m and effect. y*, in the Q.A.M.A., feel that vs should continue car wor k with all dlligncm to 1earn cor about th problem, to fi nd the answer* to quastioas which ax unknown to u t th present time. T o do this affectively will require extensive tndis *t considerable co*t. TO pread thi* cost over the largest possible base, w e would like to see th effort* of the asbestos producers sapplecacated b y help from the asbestos users and governmental agencies, if possible. for an agenda for youx proposed meeting of aabestem cement producers to be sponsored by th Kla*ral fiber Products Eureea, I w ould suggest * simple agenda with on introduction by you as Presddeat of the Bureau, to be followed by a statement of the problem. Including past history, present work, what has been done by others in this country and in Caacda, and throughout the world In. studying the problem, what is being done by the Q.A.M.A. and other agencies and what should be done in the future. X would suggest two speakers! 1} Karl Lindll, Chairman of the Executive Ccaaittee of the Institute of Occupational & Xsviroaaeatal Health and Chairman of the Board of Canadian Johas-Kanville. 2) Dr. Georg Wright, Director of the Scientific crasaittee of the Institut of Occupational Eavionssental Health and Head of Research at St. Luka*a Eoepital, Cleveland, Ohio. These men should divide the subjects between them, and prepare the detailed agenda. If you have tine to go further into steps being taken to control th baxsard in asbestos ceaent plants, it might be desirable to expand the agenda and include someone familiar with the pip* plant and asbestos cement plant at Kanvilie, K. J. Sine your nesting is being held in the Johns-Manville offices, and sines they are doing more and spending more than anyone else in the industry co the problem. Hr. Burnett may have some helpful suggestions a* to an agenda and as to clearing his men to cover pacific subjects. Albert H. Fay 5 Kay 2, 1366 X will be oat of the country from Key 15 to June 15. Pleas t tae know if I can be of any further help to you before I go, or after 1 return. Sincerely, rLIHTXOTE MUTES LIMITED jAH;hl J. hr. Main cct Kr. M. C. Carpenter - Rutherford Mr. J. D. Koran - Sew York