Document 2jp0maLnQkamG0KKM8dY4da4a

**0**0213 UNIROYAL. Inc. August 21, 1974 OXFORD (Location) TO: A. J. Fontana FROM: J. D. Forbes, M.D. SUBJECT: VINYL CHLORIDE - BIRTH DEFECT ARTICLE IN TODAY'S CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER This morning Mr. R. Douglas, Industrial Relations Manager at our Painesville Plant, alerted us to a small headline in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Rate Abnormalities High in Three Ohio Cities - Vinyl Chloride Birth Defects Ties Feared". The article states that abnormally high rates of birth defects have been recorded in the northern communities of Painesville, Avon Lake and Ashtabula. The Ohio Department of Health reports that the average for Ohio is 11.4 birth defects per 1,000 live births. The following were reported: URL- Painesville - 20 birth defects per 1,000 live births Avon Lake - 22 birth defects per 1,000 live births 13 Ashtabula - 18 birth defects per 1,000 live births o > O' ) The article goes on to state that Dr. Peter F. Infante of the Ohio Department of Health, Department of Chronic Diseases said that no definite link between the above rates and vinyl chloride can be proven. He went on to say that his department is just beginning to look into the matter and at this time there seem to be more malformations at birth. He called the data crude data. Among the things to be further studied will be the occupational backgrounds of the parents involved. We discussed with Mr. Douglas an appropriate response and the following state ment has been drafted. We have read the article in today's Plain Dealer but have not seen the report on the Ohio Department of Health investigation referred to in that article. The plant will be in touch with the Ohio Department of Health to obtain more information on this report so it can be studied by our Medical Department. Based on the fact we have not seen the Ohio Department of Health report and Dr. Infante's comment in today's article that "there was no definite link between the high number of defects and vinyl chloride", we have no further comment at this time. JDF/mab cc: C. A. Anderson J. Crim R. J. Dowling D. E. Dudrow W. D. Harrisi/ R. E. Lowell rnMVTDENT1AL DOCUMENT PRODUCED PURSUANT TO protective order INTERCOMPANY CORRESPONDENCE