Document 4J4mXzX03qK424KwDrXY8wyMR

Briefed on research Chemical firms knew of cancer link in 73 t/> By DONALD W, SJm*itfTO 2d DKNM5 POUTS comment tad the Goodrich spokesman said he did rt know what, if say, *rti** bad been taken within the company *s a k Several cberhictl firms, including the remit of any reports .McCormick mirht Be F. Goo-Triib Co , ken* of preliminary have made on the confidential MCA meet* but d*ti linking exposure to log) rinyMiJoriJe to a rare ljrer ranrer, The MCA spokesman said today fhdt bat tbe irk nssUca was not made public the Jan. SO mooting apparently wa* the Iof row* tasa *> ear. firs! at which chemical firms in this coun While acknowledging that the eoo- trovemsl srkr-.sific information hinting at link t-erreen U>* chemical and can cer was t;*rucsed at a meeting of in dustry represcBUfirei on Jan. 3<J, 1973. a spokesman i<<? the Mtnsfacturing Chem ists Assoi-mTM <HCA) said the Eu try learned of the European research into a posable liver cancer pressures! by ex posure to vinyf chioride. He also claimed that tbe European research was reported as being of "high quality" and com parable to ccfenlific research work done in American laboratories. ropean firwj that provided the informa Asked about this point today, the puV tion i(lasted (tod it be ktvi confidential. lic-reJalions spokesman for Goodrich And a spokesman for Goodrich ovoid again stressed tbe firm's position that ia adtaewWge wily Gut a representative of early 1873. the Maltoni research was `'not the company attended one or mere rOfr.pkt*" sod the researchers /iodines meetings" at which tbe adentilk findings ert incooriasjve.'' He said he was not were discussed. aware that the nmidect of the chemical Earlier this nveeth the president of the division of his firm had said be was una Goodrich chemical division. Anion Vit- ware of MalU-his work until this yew. fone. said the first be knew of a study , Tbe public-relations man at MCA said establishing u apparent link between there had bee* "great reiamjiee" by Eu fissure to the chemical and the iirer can* ropean firms to share their scientific data cer, angiosarcoma was in February of this until they were guaranteed it would bo year. when an Italian who did the re* kept In coaftdefiee. search testified in Washington. And Vit* He said tbe MCA committee agreed t* tone said be fiewr beard the word ~angi> kreV the data under wraps Dec. 29 and sarcoma" until December of last year. the Jan. 39 meeting was then scheduled. The European firms were identified as Death d 3 mwanrsS here Montedison, which initiated the MaltoJri study: Imperial Chemical laduariea: SoL In January, Goodrich announced that ray. snd Rbene-Prosai. At least one of three of its Louisville employes had died those firms, Imperial Chemical, has roc* of anciesarceroa after years of exposure reported that at least one of its worker* to vinyl chloride. and that some of its died of angiosarcoma. employer here were shoving liver b- MCA is now preparing a timetable it nornulitk* on medical tests. Nearty a tbe requeue* of events leading up to tbe month liter tbe work of the Italian re association's final public snaouncenscat searcher. Dr. Cesar* ilaitom of Bologna, of the European research this February* was reported publicly by the MCA. It experts to issue this information later However, notes of the Jan. 30. 1973. this week. meeting show- that William E. Meanwhile* a spokesman for the No McCormick, rr.anaccr of environmental tional Industrial Institute for Occupation cceiiroU for Goodrich, represented the al Safety <N10SH> said the federal egrts* | I cbemirel division at the MCA meeting. cy ia still tzytog to determine who with!a < McCormick retired * year to 18 months aso." according to the Goodrich GBZOBCAL spokesman. He could not he located for pagfc ML I. fids i& 23300001f k$ Chemical firms knew of cancer link in 73 f CiuUwi Page Oee damage after that date wttbowt pebikty Dr. Mahoni'i work, bet he wm *t Mesh-! disrksong the tact. find by caste in V/ttao*'* taattaaeey at a 1 the taatbat* was told last anrtacer by Dr. #*"** ri the reefcarcber1* fladnig*. Maltonl, who made a partial report on bis findings to in international sym posium on cancer detection in April list year. has declined to ssy whom be warned in the institute. The XIOSH spokesman acknowledged tbe continuing ccmiuMon in reeonsirjrt- At Goodrich, earlier lestlmcerr by Vit- tose. the head of tbe firm`a Cleveland, Ohio, based cfsmkal division, Inciesto that a possible medical problem with vinyl chloride may have been suspected in 1954, when several Louistnii* workers began having a rare hand disease, hat this was later cleared up after cleaning procedures were changed. bearing tn Washinatas this year ow tbe i visyWMoride probtesn. Than, Vittone noted, tbe MCA btgaa as i animal ted last September and *a in- j dustrywitje study in December. Goodrich i itself resnaed liver test* in iw*3M;wr after its 1/misviGe pixel otjysicsan oo- tooted liver problems among worsen ro . late spring. Those lest* were wapieied ; in December and, together with the un- : ing who told who what and when about tb* possible dangers of exposure to vinyl Then, in May 1970, Dr. V. L. Viola of Rome. Italy, began reporting tumors in rtit exposed to vinyl chloride, and tn covering of the death* from ansiosar- < coma, led to the January annosacemem i by Goodrich that kicked off the public ; chloride. Then he added his own opmioo industry committee put together by MCA controversy about vinyl chloride. that tbe Jan. SIX 1073 MCA meeting to "learned of similar animal rcsc-arch Expaysre to rtaji chloride, a key cheat- : daenat the European research raise* tbe poadhOhy that the chemical industry iioj have been looking for liver cancer which had been initiated by tots* i>* mpesn . . . manufacturers some time after Dr, Viola's rtBt,,, sownting t Vittone. Hu* was apparently a reference to >rl to much of the plastics hKtiutry. has > now been linked with the deaths ef 13 : American chemical worker* and at* wort- i m overseas. U & td 23300002 T'BFGnodricIi j FOR YOUR APPROVAL 3 PER YOUR REQUEST FOR YOUR SIGNATURE TAKE APPPQPR! 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