Document 103VdVge8XBDzvo4rd36Mnk2d

' PLAINTIFFS jr-- EXHIBIT I "j:HV= t 16 r-v*- IFM1 aDlLi-UaD QjIKJUii LuUSdJJ (Fr'n^Wj'S1--1-** -- ! . ; j ..!] Recent public discussion of the health impli- _________________ cations of asbestos dust has led to a number ){erroneous and misleading impressions about hazards associated vrith the ae of asbestos. These impressions are based on the unwarranted assump* ion that data on occupational health risks associated with heavy, king term isbestos exposure can also be applied to tire general public. The known medical facts, supported by nearly a half century of studies ind research, are that: 1. Asbestos-related health risks are basically confined to the occupational and para-occupational setting. 2. Asbestos-related diseases may develop, generally, only after the inhala tion of substantial amounts of asbestos dust for a substantial period of time. 3. There is presently no evidence of hazard to the general public from ex posure to the minute amounts of asbestos that may be present in com-' inunity air. . I Allowing are some questions commonly asked about asbestos and health, burners are based on known scientific evidence and industry experience.' Its asbestos a major air .* pollutant? !\ Dust counts taken in New York iCity and other urban areas how that asbestos levels in the ommunity air are many times ;wer than levels considered to be afe for occupational exposure, in ddition, recent evidence indicates hat small quantities of asbestos iber from natural sources may ave existed in the ambient air for erhaps thousands or even millions f years. Man thus probably evolved ito his present form in an atmophere containing some asbestos. 1 Do brake finings emit mcch as* ^bestosinto the air? 1 A United States Public Health 4 Service study shov/s that only a iny fraction of the asbestos in rake linings is released to the air i its original form when brakes re applied. The rest is converted tto fostcritc--a non-fibrous inert uterial--by the heat of friction. Does the ose of asbestos cause Vl disease in the general public? Thera is no evidence, scientific A of otherwise, that anyone in the general public has ever con tracted any disease from exposure to the minute amounts of asbes tos released into community air through the use, application, or wearing and weathering of fin ished asbestos products. - fi Can a little bit of asbestos kill li you? Long-term medical studies of A occupationally exposed workers show that low to moderate levels of exposure to asbestos do not lead to an increased rate of dis ease. In these studies, a higher than normal incidence of disease was found only among employees exposed to high concentrations of adust for tong periods of time. Once asbestos enters the lung, does all of it remain there for ever? No. The lung's normal cleans A ing mechanism quickly removes the majority of inhaled particles, including respirable sized asbestos fibers. l Should asbestos he banned CRLentil proven safe? Asbestosconcentraficnsinboth lil the workplace and in commu nity air can be satisfactorily con trolled, and there is therefore no reason to ban the use of any as bestos-containing product From a public health standpoint such bans are completely unnecessary and would serve only as meaningless gestures. To what extent is asbestos an Qoccupational health hazard? Because of the long latent A period of asbestos-related dis ease, some cases are still devel oping among long-term employees whose exposure began at a time when little was known of the amount of asbestos a human being could toleraterand when the dust control equipment in use was not as efficient or as sophisticated as it is today. With present medical knowledge and today's improved dust control measures, however, there is every reason to believe that these cases will decrease in the future and asbestos-related disease will cease to be a major occupational problem. Can asbestos'be'used safely in Qthewcrkplace? Asbestos fiber can be handled A and used on the job with com plete safety so longascertain basic precautionary measures are fol lowed. These include careful han dling of fiber begs to pievent tear ing and spilling, the use of dust control exhaust hoods at ail stages of in-plant handling where dust is unavoidably created, the wearing of respiratory protective equip ment where necessary, and got housekeeping with regard to du clean-up and disposal procedure Shouldn't sebstitstas feraske Q tos be cszd whenever possible More is known about the pote A tial health hazards of asbsstc and the proper means for the control than abaut materials th; might be used to replace asbeste It would be unwise to substitut unproven materials whose healt effects ere unknown for asbesto: which has demonstrated its usi fulness to society over the pa; century. For many essential, lift saving uses, asbestos is the oni material that can do the jab. O What'is industry doing abci v; the problem? The asbestos industry, siartin A in the late 1920's, sponsors some of th: first studies of a: bestos-relatcd disease ever unde: taken in the United States. Thes studies provided information the became the basis for dust centre programs in the industry, whtc have been unproved and expands over the years. Tens of millions c dollars in sophisticated and eff cicnt equipment and technique have been devoted to preventin the inhalation of asbestos dust b workers in the mining and millin of asbestos and in the mamrfsetur of asbestos-containing product; Through the Institute of Occupa tional and Environmental Health it Montreal, the industrial Healt! Foundation in Pittsburgh, and se lected hospitals and universities the industry is sponsoring or co operating in major epidemiologies and other research projects de signed to identify and eliminate as bestos-relatcd health risks withii the industry. anto{so for fabrics tors and applicators of finishei asbestos-containing products. - For Further Information Contact: ASBESTOS IltFOni/IATIGil ASSQCIATIOH/NCRTH AMERICA -- - 22 East 40th Street, Hew York, New York 1C016 .. G12J.6GI-8206 ": Sponsored by Atlas Asbestos Co.. Cement Ashestos Prodi'cts Co.. Certain-teed Proc ucts Coro* FlinUote Co* CAF Corp* Johos-Uanvillc Corp,, National C/aswn cc Paaacon Corp. ami Kaybcstos-UanhatUn, toe. CHEV BB J003249