Document 2RLDrm84KGQ0GDj0b2ndbZBVg

ROBERT F. M SCREA 1015-1076 DAVID S . M SCREA EDWARD F .M S C R E A ELLEN A. LLOYD COUNSEL MEMORANDUM MSCrea & M^Crea ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS l ie 5CU TH WALNUT ST R E E T P. O . BOX 1310 BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA -17402 i hECEIVED jul 1 0 1989 TELEPHONE 3 3 6 - 4 0 4 0 AREA CO D E BIS Vw ]' I1 Q9 tA TO: FROM: DATE: Interested Persons David McCrea June 6,1989 b i. I I S pO-S-S. la(y ^ y i)5 M SUBJECT: Malignant Melanomas in Bloomington Westinghouse Workers Caused by PCBs The Bloomington Herald-Times published a front-page story on Friday, May 26, 1989, and a second front-page story on Sunday, May 28, 1989, describing the increased incidence of malignant melanomas in Bloomington Westinghouse workers who were exposed to PCBs from 1958 to 1976. The Westinghouse plant was opened in 1958. Westinghouse quit using PCBs in 1976. (See Exhibits A and B) From 1958 to 1986, my information indicates.that there were nine deaths caused by malignant melanomas and only one death was expected. The mortality study of the Bloomington Westinghouse workers is expected to corroborate and amplify the study by Dr. Anita K. Bahn, M.D., Sc.D., and others, entitled "Melanoma After Exposure to PCBs", published in 295 New England Journal of Medicine 450 (1976). (See Exhibit C) The 1976 study by Dr. Anita Bahn ended with the following recommendations: "Further study of this possible carcinogenic association is warranted. Because early detection of malignant melanoma may markedly affect survival rates, surveillance for melanoma among those exposed should be considered. The experience with this small study demonstrates the value of incidence as well as mortality rates in historical prospective studies designed to search for occupational cancers." To my knowledge, no workers a t the Bloomington Westinghouse plant were monitored for possible malignant melanomas by Westinghouse. Many died. As the second newspaper story indicates, between 1970 and 1980 five of the nine deaths (white males) in Monroe County were Westinghouse workers. In 1970 Monroe County had a population of 84,849, and the number of hourly workers a t the Bloomington plant totalled approximately 700. The mortality study of the Bloomington Westinghouse workers will be published in a few weeks. The Herald-Times, Friday, May 2 6, 1 9 8 9 i Westinghouse cancer rate studied ByJulU Creak HTStaff Writer Between 1970 and 1979, nine of the 18 people who died of malignant melanoma in Monroe County had worked at Westinghouse Electric Corp., an Indiana State Board of Health ofTicial said Thursday night Exposure to high concentrations of PCBs has previously been impli cated in an increased incidence of malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, in humans. Westinghouse used PCBs as an insulating fluid from 19S8 until the compound was banned by the fed eral government In the mid-1970s. PCBs have also been associated with liver, skin and reproductive disorders, and have been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals. State health board epidemiologist Gregory Steele said the statistic will be included in a study of the disease and death rates among Westinghouse workers to be released in July. Steele spoke at a public meeting sponsored by the U.S. Environmen tal Protection Agency and attended by about 60 people. ' In a general study of death rates of all people who worked at1the plant for at least six months from 1958 to 1975, 170 people have died. Steele said, about 80 percent of the ' number that would be expected In j the general population. j Three weeks ago, Steele an- i nounced that prellihinary results of blood tests of 1,000 Monroe County * see Cancer, page A ll ; Westinghouse cancer rate studied safe faythe EPA. The ditch is about ditches. But tlie site was not in C an cer, from page A1 30 yards east of the Ellettsville Fire cluded among those to be cleaned residents reveal high concentra Station, and neighbors say children who live in the area frequently play up as part of the federally super vised cleanup agreement negotiated tions of PCBs -- between 50048)0 nearby. Westinghouse workers last among the city, Monroe County, the parts per billion -- in the blood of week completed a fence around the state,, the EPA and Westinghouse. those workers who handled PCBs at the plant from 1958 to the mid-1970s. Area residents with no known direct exposure to PCBs had con centrations between 2-9 parts per billion in their blood. Nationally, the average concentration for the general population is 2-7 parts per billion. contaminated field. EPA Remedial Project Manager Dan Hopkins said a soil test taken two weeks ago at the E. and N. Trailer Park revealed non-detectable amounts of PCBs. Tests of wells northwest of the Westinghouse plant also contained no PCBs, Hop kins said. More soil and sediment The EPA blames constantly chang ing federal regulations for the nineyear delay in ordering the cleanup. The EPA issued the order under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Lia bility Action, commonly called the MSuperfund law." The order requires the company The meeting was punctuated by test results are to be released later, to immediately contain any surface angry exchanges between EPA offi Hopkins said. water runoff from the site, build a cials and local residents worried EPA officials told residents there fence around the field, post warning about possible exposure to PCB was no need for concern about signs around the site and begin contamination at the Westinghouse exposure to PCBs in either trailer monitoring the air. plant and a nearby field. The field park. They rejected a request by borders two mobile home parks. some members of the audience that The company also must present a On May 3, the EPA ordered West the EPA relocate anyone living in workplan for removal of soil and inghouse to clean up the property the trailer park who wished to other contaminated materials form and the field northwest of the plant move. the site. Because the contamination Testing of soil near a drainage Several people criticized EPA offi is near a residential area, the order ditch that runs through the field cials for delays in ordering the requires the .company to dean up revealed PCB concentrations as cleanup. the site to a level of 10 parts per high as 34,000 parts per million in The EPA first tested the company million. some areas. Residential areas property in October 1961 and found After three weeks of negotation should contain no more than 10. high levels of PCBs on the property between the company and the EPA. parts per million to be considered and in surrounding drainage the order will take effect May 28. Sunday Herald-Times, May 2 8 t 1 9 8 9 Conclusion delayed on cancer findings By Jull* Creek Sunday Herald-Times An Indiana State Board of Health epidemiologist said Friday he is not yet ready to draw any conclusions from preliminary findings which indicate an increased incidence of deaths from malignant melanoma among Westinghouse Electric Corp. workers. However, epidemiologist Gregory Steele said the health board will draw conclusions and make recom mendations when the full report on disease and deaths among Westinghouse Electric Corp. workers is released in July. Exposure to high concentrations of PCBs has previously been impli cated in an increased incidence of malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, in humans. On Thursday night Steele told about 60 people at a public meeting on PCB contamination that between 1970 and 1979, five of the nine white males in Monroe County who died of malignant melanoma had worked at Westinghouse. He said he hasn't yet been able to determine if all those workers had direct exposure to PCBs. Westinghouse used PCBs as an insulating fluid in the manufacture of electrical capacitors from 1958 to the mid-1970s, when the chemical was banned after concerns were raised about safety. PCBs have also been associated with liver, skin and reproductive disorders, and have been found to cause cancer in labo ratory animals. "All I can really say here is that whatever the biological mechanism is at work is unknown and it needs to be investigated," said Steele. Steele, said a 1975 study of work- se e PCBs, page A8 Conclusion delayed on cancer findings PCBs, from page A1 linked to PCB exposure, Steele said,! no epidemiological study of humans l ers exposed to PCBs at a Mobil Oil plant in Pennsylvania also reported can determine if PCBs actually! cause disease. "One thing people don't under-| an increased incidence of malignant stand is that epidemiologists can't melanoma. However, Steele said, some researchers raised questions determine cause and efTect," said Steele. "People ask me if PCBs about the role of PCBs in that study actually cause disease. And the because workers were also exposed answer is no. All that epidemiology to significant quantities of other can show is that if you are exposed, volatile chemicals. ' Though the Bloomington West your risk of getting a disease might be two times or three times or inghouse plant used other volatile organic chemicals at the plant, whatever greater. "The only way we could deter Steele said the blood tests indicate mine if PCBs actually cause cancer that the workers had minimal expo would be to take two groups of sure to them compared with their exposure to PCBs. people and expose one group to PCBs and measure cancer rates," In a general study of death rates he added. "That's not ethical. That's qf all people who worked at the what they do in animal studies, but plant for at least six months from 1958 to 1975, 170 people have died, you can't do that with humans." about 80 percent of the number that .would be expected among the gen eral population. Three weeks ago, Steele an nounced that preliminary results of blood tests of 1,000 Monroe County residents in 1986 indicated an aver age of 500-800 parts per billion concentration of PCBs in the blood of Westinghouse workers who worked directly with PCBs. Other workers in the plant had average levels of around 80 parts per billion. Area residents with no known direct exposure to PCBs have be tween 2-9 parts per billion PCB concentration in the blood. Nation ally, the average concentration for i file general population is 2-7 parts i per billion. ; Steele said he also compared the number of reports of birth defects, bone and joint pains and other problems between those workers who had been exposed to PCBs and people who worked in other areas of the p la n t He found no greater Incidence of reports among those 1 who were exposed to PCBs and those workers who weren't. However, Steele said he did find that exposure to PCBs caused changes in liver function and a rise i In the cholesterol levels at concen trations between 20 and 50 parts per billion. : Though the study will determine jlisease patterns that might be MELANOM ^FTEREXPOSURE TO FOB'S C. .L To the Editor: We wish to report a possible new carcinogenic haz ard. Arochlor 1254, one of the polychlorinated biphenyls {PCB's), was used by a petrochemical plant in the Northeast in certain pro cesses during a nine-year period ending in the late 1950's. A pre liminary analysis of the incidence of malignant neoplasms among workers who handled this compound, based upon information pro vided by the medical director of the plant, has been made (this pre liminary report would not have been possible without the prompt attention to this potential problem and the research co-operation given by the company). Of a total of 31 men believed to have been heavily exposed to this agent, two malignant melanomas arc known. On the basis of a person-year analysis and with use of the Third National Cancer Survey incidence rates as the standard1only 0.04 malignant mela nomas'would be expected. These data are significant at the 0.001 level, given the assumptions of our statistical model. An additional malignant melanoma is also known for one of 41 employees in an other group believed to have had less exposure. Although the data arc based on small numbers and the study is' still in progress, there are biologic grounds for assuming an associa tion between PCB and malignant melanoma: chloracne dermatitis upon industrial exposure to PCB1*1; and acneform eruptions ofJap anese women and pigmentation of the skin of these women and their offspring due to accidental ingestion of rice oil contaminated with a PCB compound (Kanechlor 400).* PCB's have had widespread industrial use in the manufacture of capacitors and transformers. PCB's have been used in industry in fluids for hydraulic and heat transfer systems, fire retardants, plas- ; ticizers, wax additives for investment castings, electrical compo nents, adhesives and food-packaging materials. They are a known pollutant of certain water-supply systems, and their persistence in the environment is of widespread concern.*-4 | Further study of this possible carcinogenic association is war- ] ranted. Because early detection of malignant melanoma may mark edly affect survival rates, surveillance for melanoma among those exposed should be considered. The experience with this small study demonstrates the value of incidence as well as mortality rates in his- toricaI prospective studies designed to search for occupational can cers. Philadelphia, PA Anita K. Bahn, M.D., Sc.D. I ra R osenwaike, M.A. N ira H errmann, Ph.D. Prakash G rover, Ph.D. J eanne Stellman, Ph.DKathleen O 'Leary, M.S. University of Pennsylvania ; t. National Cancer Institute: Third National Cancer Survey, Incidence Data. March. 1975 2. Schwartz L: Dermatitis from synthetic resins and waxes. Am J Public Health 26:586-592, 1936 3. Bureau of National AfTairs: General Electric reports 65 workers affected by PCB's over 15-year period. Current Report. November 13, 1975, p 833 4. Kuratsune M, Yoshimura T, Maisuzaka J, ct al: Yusho. a poisoning caused by rice oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls. Health Services and Mental Health Administration. Health Reports 86:10831091. 1971 5. Environmental Protection Agency (Office of Toxic Substances): PCBs in the United States: Industrial Use and Environmental Distribution. Washington. DC, February, 1976 6. Interdepartmental Task Force on PCBs: Polychlorinated Biphenyls and the Environment. March, 1972 ; The New England Journal of Medicine Aug. 19, 1976, Vol. 295, Pg. 450 1 C