Document 2j1j98q06BM3z3Y8wZygkLVk5

February 19, 1954 M r. E. L . Shea Ethyl C orporation iOQ P a r k A v en u e B u ild in g N ew Y ork C ity 17 D ear M r. Shea: -- In r e sp o n se to you r le tte r , I r e fe r , b r ie fly , to the con trib u tion s w hich have been and are being m ade by Ethyl C orporation to the gen eral problem of the pollution of the atm osphere of our c itie s with com m unity and industrial w a stes, and give you m y opinion a s to the extent to which the C orporation should share in the fu rther expenditures o f A m erican industry tow ard the solution of the existin g p rob lem s, including th ose w hich a re now so prom inent in Southern C alifornia. The w ork which the C orporation has sponsored in the K ettering L aboratory on th is subject began in a sm all way in 1940, w as interrupted by the w ar during the y ea rs 1943 to 1949, and hag continued sin ce at a som ew hat acceleratin g pace, at a co st to Ethyl C orporation up to 1954, of approxi m a te ly ^80* 000. 00. W ithout being ex p a n siv e, I m a y sa y that'-the ex p erien ce of this l aboratory w as gained at E thyl's exp en se, was extended at Ethyl's expense w ell beyond the scope of Ethyl's own prob lem s, and is new being put to fru itfu l u s e by in d u stry , including the p etro leu m in d u stry . With no w ish to be selfish or sh o rt-sig h ted , I m ay a lso say that I b eliev e it is w ise fo r Ethyl C orporation to continue, a3 its m ain contribution to this im portant m a tter, to support the w ork of the K ettering L aboratory. A s you are w ell aw are, I have proposed that th is work be expanded in 1954 and 1935 , to som ething like tw ice the i 953 le v e l of expenditure. A goodly part of what w e propose to do w ill be of ser v ic e to industry gen erally, and to the A m eri ca n com m u n ity , g e n e r a lly , quite a s m uch a s to E th yl C orp oration . (I a n sp e a k in g h e r e , not ox to x ic o lo g ic a l w o rk w h ich b e a r s in d ir e c tly on th is su b ject, but of the field in vestigation s of the L aboratory which apply d irectly to the pollution of com m unity a tm o sp h ere.) A s you are aw are, the various lab oratories of Ethyl C orporation have contributed g rea tly to w ork in th is field , som ew hat in collaboration with th is Laboratory on sp ecific problem s, but m ore in the application o f the w ork to com m unities in which E thyl's plants a r e located . You can find out the v e ty co n sid era b le c o st of th e se in v estig a tio n s m o re rea d ily than I, and I refer to them only to indicate that Ethyl C orporation has been in the forefront of A m erican industries in the study of its own problem s of this type, and in the acquisition of gen erally u sefu l inform ation. KE n /r\ : M r . E . Lj. Shea - (2) - F ebruary 19, 1954 F o r th ese rea so n s, I am being only candid when I say that Ethyl Corporation w as a pioneer in the recognition and investigation of the problem s of com m unity a ir pollution, and that it has borne a fu ll share of the expense of stu d yin g and so lv in g th e s e p r o b le m s . It h a s m ad e p la n s to contin ue its efforts in this direction , not only to sa tisfy its own n eed s, but a lso , in so doing, to be of a ssista n ce to other ind ustries, particularly the petroleum and a u to m o tiv e in d u s tr ie s w ith %vhich its a c t iv it ie s a r e so c lo s e ly id e n tifie d . V/ita th ese m a tters in m ind, I should sa y that the contribution of Ethyl C orporation to the Southern C alifornia A ir Pollution Foundation should be ox n o m in a l p r o p o r tio n s, in to k en o f its in t e r e s t in th is lo c a lis e d situ a tio n and of its w illingness to share the com m on burdens of industry there. Sincerely yours extra conies