Document 443Qq9jx2dX6N9mx81bKjjx8V

nX *-j FRC A/C Pipe Producers Association Public Affairs Committee International Affairs Committee trtfe&A.___ ___ J. F. Welch, Director, Public Affairs SUBJECT: News Article - Asbestos in Drinking Water ACTION REQUIRED: Review for information PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT Interna! Correspondence date: October 22, 1981 ..* *. -* - /-*v<. ~~l leSl in Enclosed is a news article forwarded by Winner/Wagner & Associates, Inc., AACPP's special counsel in California. It describes the finding of high levels of asbestos in the drinking water in Humboldt County. The article reports the asbestos levels in parts per million so Staff does not know if the reporter or the engineering firm has its facts confused. Staff Recommendations 1. That the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District be contacted and provided the latest information on asbestos in drinking water. Staff is not aware whether the District uses A/C pipe, but there is always the liability of spill over into surrounding municipalities which may use A/C pipe. 2. That Member Companies obtain a copy of the Winzler and Kelly report and forward same to AACPP. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call. JFW/ajb Enclosure cc: A. Kahn, Esq. N. Rahn, Esq. B. Garcia (Winner/Wagner) w/o enclosures copies to: Public Affairs Committee International Affairs Committee HEGA/6 Chrono H. Olson I. Adams W. Perrell J. Woods J. Baker T. Dougherty D. Stinson W. McCallie B. Collier R. Dorner B. Giboin C. Walters R. Hobbs A. Saoulis R. Jalan V. Pattabhi H. Hudson C. Barton S. Al-Tarkait E. van der Rest J CAP CO JEN 0012682 .T' \ A20 The Sacramento Be* Friday, Octobers, 1931* .rc Officials Not Panicked,'Await More Studies And Federal Money By'Pat Murkland ;Bee Correspondent sons but show marked Increase during winter months, the study said. The firm recommended that county EUREKA -- Water used for drinking health officials ask the California De by more than 70,000 Humboldt County partment of Health Services to Include ' residents contains one of the highest Humboldt County in current state and . concentrations of asbestos fibers found federally funded research pf Bay area In water supplies across the United drinking water. States, according to an engineering firm But the district board of directors - study made public Thursday. voted Thursday to hold back on any deci The asbestos, a fiber suspected to sion until more Is known about the health . cause cancer, enters water through erod- effects of asbestos. ; tag serpentine rock along the Mad River, "Our board financially Is not In the according to the study by the Eureka position to be a trailblazer in this," said engineering firm of Winder & Kelly. board chairman Herbert Urban. The river Is the main source of water1 "It takes millions nnd millions (of dol . for municipalities served by the Hum lars) to first ascertain what the problems boldt Bay Municipal Water District The are and to design filtering plants'to take district requested the engineering study care of them and this Is being done all last year after a University of California through the country. We would prefer to researcher found a correlation between wait for the federal government or the gastrointestinal types of cancer and state government or other larger agen asbestos in San.Francisco Bay area cies to do something on this.' -drinking water. The federal Environmental Protec Levels of asbestos eroding naturally tion Agency has established water quali into Humboldt water reservoirs far ex ty criteria for toxic pollutants. But feder ceed levels of asbestos found in the Bay al standards for asbestos apply to waste area supplies and In drinking water discharges and not to drinking water across the country studied by the U.S. standards.' Environmental Protection Agency In Urban said that federal and state In : 1978, the engineering firm concluded. formation will probably become avall- The average rate of asbestos In the able within the next two years. . Humboldt Bay district was 70 parts per . "Possibly they'll mandate that we million, while the Bay area averaged 25 bring it down to certain levels and If they parts per million, according to.the engi ' do. then possibly we'll receive financial neering firm. support on the mandate,' Urban said. `' . Asbestos levels vary during the sea "We know that our native Americans have been drinking It since time Imme morial. We know that the city of Eureka has used Mad River water since the 1930s, nnd we're not prone to feel It's a panic problem." But the engineering report said It Is difficult to assess health risks from as bestos because In many Instances, long periods of time elapse before trouble Is detected. "Nobody has defined asbestos fibers In water as truly being a health problem," engineer John Wlnzlersald. WInzIer said sophisticated filtration systems probably are the only wuy to solve the problem. "But,agaln, nobody has mandated that this be done yet," he said. "Neither the state or the EPA has enough knowledge that there Is a health problem or that you should do anything about it." The EPA recommends, however, that for maximum protection, people should avoid exposure to asbestos-contaminated water. The EPA estimates concentra tions of asbestos results tn additional life time cancer risks for one person in 100,- 000. > When the engineering firm compared EPA's criteria with concentrations of asbestos fibers in the Humboldt water supply, It estimated there Is a lifetime cancer risk for approximately one per son in 500. The firm added, however, that a statistical review of health records was needed to support Its estimate. CAP CO JEN 0012683