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t CS t-v i," Et h y l Ga s o l i n e Co r po r a t i o n Ch r y sl er Bu il ding 405 I.e x in c t o k Av e n u e 5SA I T T V C O M M I T 'l 'ISIS O. U. LIANTS CHAIRMAN N e w Yo r k Boveaber 2 , 1938 Socony Vacu.ua O il Company 26 Broadway, Saw *ork C ity . rl Bear Sir* Ws a r e w r itin g t h i s l e t t e r i n a cc o rd a n ce w ith y c X ^ Y eq u e st t h a t we rev iew th e d is c u s s io n w hich we h a d ^ k n ^ p u r o f f i c e , p o in tin g o u t th e v a r io u s argum en ts u sed t o gupioprt o u r $W p la n o f p la c in g a m etal ta g on tan k s which have been fo r b^M ding concentrated f lu id . I t has come to our a t t e n ^ ^ k thpdj*^ th e p ast se v e r a l y ea rs th a t d e s p ite hho e f f o r t s o f o i l cam paftfadyseveral c a se s o f sic k n e ss and even death, have r e su lte d in conne ctXdk w ith th e clea n in g o f tan k s. The h is to r y o f th e se t a n k a th a tN c a n c e n tra te d f l u i d e ith e r through a re g u la r b len d ip i^ p lan r o^\through\soffie p a st "spiking" opera t i o n had been u s e d . We/Kave no e v i ^ n c e a t t h i s tim e o f any r e g u la r leaded storage tank haying given anj| tro u b le as the r e s u lt of le ad b e in g u s e d i n th e g a s o l\i n' e . T h is would s e e d s ^ ts - ia ^ p ffte t h a t a s an im m ediate program , we should carefully~ S IX tanks where co ncentrated f lu id had been used .//G e n e ra lly speaking, th e S afe ty Departm ents o f o i l companies a r e n o t ffU jtllia r w ith t h i s ty p e o f h a z a rd , and we b e lie v e i f s a f e t o say. t h a t fcfiey have n o t f f e a l i z e d th e f u l l e x te n t o f t h i s d a n g e r. ij& ssibly a d A co in cid en ce, the reco rd shows th a t a l l poison in g s have o d c u rre d ^ ffth in companies o f th e so -c allo d "Standard" group. These com panies, we f e e l , a r e th o s e m ost l i k e l y t o have a d e q u a te S a fe ty D epartm ents* P o s s ib ly pome l e s s e r e x p o su re s have been e n co u n te re d by th e sm aller companies, but nothing o f a serio u s n atu re has been re p o r te d to u s . So i t would a p p e a r t h a t some a d d i t i o n a l p r e c a u tio n should be tak en even by w ell managed companies in th e hope th a t fu tu re a c c i d e n ts may be a v o id e d . We have no o b je c tio n t o a company ta g g in g a l l i t s le a d e d g a so lin e sto rag e tan k s i f i t so d e s ire s but t q f e e l in view o f our p a st experience th a t th e p a r tic u la r tanks mentioned should d e f in ite ly Mr. C. C. B enedict November S, 19?G contain s sign as described to you. I" an in d iv id u al is careless a fte r having f i r s t had your s a fe ty engineers* in s tr u c tio n s , o r i f be ig n o re s th e n e c e ssity fo r such in s tru c tio n s a f te r having been compelled to see th e w arning sig n on th e ta n k , your company would seen to have nade every e f f o r t to p r o te c t him , ana co u ld n o t be charged w ith n e g lig e n c e . On th e o th e r hand y o u r f a i l u r e to comply w ith h a t i s to be made g e n e r a l p ra c t i c e i n r e l a t i o n to b le n d in g ta n k s may p la c e you i n a a u n fa v o ra b le p o si tio n i f d if f ic u ltie s should occur. e q u ite ag ree w ith your argument th a t dependence upon sig n s i s si r a t h e r poor s u b s t i t u t e f o r a d e q u a te s a f e ty m e asu re s. b e lie v e tn e s e should be used on dangerous ta n k s, however, u n t i l a com plete study o f th e m a tte r can be made a s a b a s i s f o r f i n a l a c t i o n . I a s u re o a r M edical Departm ent would ag ree to th e rem oval o f th e w arning ta g s , i f th e study in d ic a te s tiia t such tag s are unnecessary or im p ractical. In a d d itio n to th e s e t& i s ig n s , one o f which we e r e in c lu d in g , ws s u g g e s t t h a t p la c a rd s be p la c e d in th e o f f i c e o f a l l r e f i n e r i e s , t e r - a i n a l s , e t c . , where blended o r sp ik e d ta n k s may be fo u n d . Two o f th e s e a re enclosed, one w ith our sig n a tu re , the E thyl G asoline C orporation, and one b la n k , e ith e r one o f which say be u sed . .. .... A ttached h e re to i s our incom plete l i s t o f p o in ts where emer gency f ie n d s s e r e made f o r y o u r company, he b e lie v e th e r e were .sev e ra l hundred p o in ts i n a l l and ore u n d e rs ta n d from o u r d is c u s s io n th e o th e r day t h a t you a r e going to i n v e s t i g a t e t h i s m a tte r t h a t r.& may have p ro p e r in fo rm a tio n on th o s e ta n k s w hich may o f f e r some u n u su a l h a z a rd . Very tru ly y o u rs, - i'sC-GL E n c lo su re / cc: D r. R.A. Eehoev'' c c:--Mr*'. "R".C4- M urphy---' K 0022846