Document 4abMQVbxpxaZeNp2y7L6Re8BQ

FILE NAME: RT Vanderbilt (RTV) DATE: 1925-2017 DOC#: RTV262 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: RTV Chronology <TV \ 1925 New York State 1933 1942 D re esen S c h u ltz 1942 Porro 1943 Greenberg 1948 1952 V anderbilt Saranac 1955 Schepers 1955 Kleinfeld 1959 Reddin A sb e sto s. Fib ro u s tre m o lite , o r b rittle a sb e sto s, is n o t u n co m m o n in the w alls of the talc m ines. B reath in g trem o litic talc leads to chest x-ray changes T a lc h igh in tre m o lite c o n te n t is in a sp e cia l c la ss a n d e x p o su re s sh o u ld be ke p t at lo w e r levels th a n w ith o th e r ta lc s e xa m in e d . It is a w ell kn o w n fa ct th a t w h e n e ve r ta lc is used as a d u stin g agen t, w o rkers m ay be exposed to large am ounts of dust. O gd e n sb u rg, NY, 30 m iles freom G o u ve rn e u r NY. R eports 15 cases of d isabling, p erm anent and fatal talc lung diseases. N otes the sim ilarity betw een asb esto s lung disease and talc lung disease. T a lc is fib ro u s and tre m o lite co n tain in g. A n im al e xp e rim e n ts produce little if any disease. Stu d ies of people show serio u s d isease. Fatal d ise a se in d o w n stre a m ta lc u ser. N o te s sim ila rity to a sb e sto s lun g d is e a s e . Buys G o u ve rn e u r talc m ine 3 p eo p le fro m G o u v e rn e u r Talc C o m p a n y atte n d ; a sb e sto s lu n g d isease, a sb e sto s ca n ce r and ta lc d isease all d iscu ssed . D ire c to r o f S a ra n a c Lab. A u to p s y stu d y by re se a rc h e rs in N o rth e rn N ew Y o rk State. Fibrous talc cau se s asb e sto s like d isease. A sb e sto s bodies m e a su rin g 2 0 p to 5 0 p lo n g in fa ir a b u n d a n c e in lu n g tissu e . N ew Y o rk State talc cau ses d isab lin g and fatal lung disease. B reath in g 'ale cu ases d isab ility and death. M arket pleural injury noted on x-rays. X -ray picture has close re se m b lan ce to th at o f asb esto s lung d ise a se . A sb e sto s b o d ie s are in va ria b ly p re se n t in ca se s o f ta lc lung d ise a se . P ro g re ssio n w a s se e n in all th e w o rk e rs stu d ie d . Exp o su re to N YS talc causes perm anent, p rogressive, d isab lin g and fatal disease. St. Law erence C o un ty talc dust w orse than that fro m a d iffe re n t c o u n ty . F ib ro u s ta lc is m o re p a th o g e riic th a n o th e r ta lc th a t is not fibrous. 1962 Engle "As m ay be seen under the m icroscope, the alteration o f trem o lite b egin s co m m o n ly w ith the gro w th o f fibe rs of an th o p h yllite, or of both an th o p h yllite and talc along cleavages o f the trem o lite" "Slip-fiber, and m ore rarely cross-fiber, serp en tine occurs along a few sh e ar surfaces and jo in ts." "The foliated talc and the fin e -grain e d lustrous talc are alm o st invariab ly asso ciated w ith fibe rs of both an th o p h yllite and tre m o lite ." "T h e tre m o lite in th e ta lc b e lts c o n m o n ly fo rm s e lo n g a te prism s, flatten e d blades and needles, or fine fibers, stu b b y laths, or a lm o st e q u a n t gra in s." "The a n th o p h y llite fib e rs th u s lie in th e d ire ctio n o f m axim um shear and slickensiding (the A structural co ordinate) rather than p arallel to axe s o f ro tatio n (the B stru ctu ral co o rd in ate ). "This re la tio n sh ip is fu rth e r in d icated by the fo rm a tio n o f so m e fib ro u s se rp en tine w hich form s slip-fib er asbestos along the shear surfaces." 1963 Kleinfeld 1966 V ancerbilt 1967 Kleinfeld 1967 Kleinfeld 1972 1972 1972 OSHA O SH A/ACG IH V anderbilt 1973 Jo h ns M anville 1974 Kleinfeld 1974 Rohl 1974 V anderbilt A u to p sie s o f six w o rke rs exp o sed to dust co n ta in in g talc ad m ixed w ith tre m o lite and a n to h p h yllite . D isease is p ro g re ssive , d isa b lin g and fatal. X -ra y c h a n g e s e x a c tly th e sa m e as se e n in a sb e sto s lu n g d ise a se . A sb e sto s b o d ie s fo u n d in lu n g s o f e a ch p e rso n at a u to p sy . All died o f lung and pleural disease caused by "talc" from up state N ew York. 50th an n ive rsary issue. N ote the d o m in an t sh ap es are fib e rs, rods, plates and irre gu lar nodules. C an ce r of the lung and pleural sh o w s an overall m o rtality from cancer of the lung and pleura of ap p ro xim ate ly 4 tim e s th at exp ecte d . T a lc is o f the fib ro u s va rie ty; cau se s p ro g re ssive , d isa b lin g and fatal d ise a se s; p le u ra is se v e re ly a ffe cte d ; ca n c e r o f th e lu n g and p le u ra 4x expected. O SH A standard regulates asbestos fibers Exp o su re lim it - fibro u s talc - use sam e lim it as asbestos. V an d e rb ilt no lo n ger says that its industrial talc co n tain s "fibers" In ste a d s a y s "th e tre m o lite w e fin d in o u r o re s c o n s is ts o f a m ix tu re o f notdules, rods, plates and needles." 1/25/73 - Internal JM discussion o f V an d e rb ilt talc activities. D iscussion o f th e p itfa lls an d e rro rs in V a n d e rb ilt's th in k in g . It w a s co n c lu d e d th at the attack on trem o lite vs. C hrysotile m ust be m ed ically o riented as opp o sed ot a sim ple fiber definition or redefintion. M o rtality e xp erie nce am o n g talc w o rkers, fo llo w up. C an ce r of the lung and p le u ra is a p p ro xim a te ly 4 tim e s th at e xp e cte d . A sb e sto s in T a lc. T h e ta lc d e p o s its o f th e G o u v e rn e u r D istric t o f N ew Y o rk State, talc occurs w ith the asb e sto s m in erals ch ryso tile, trem olite, and anthophyllite 1 2 /2 /7 4 A sb e sto s cau tio n w ill be used on talcs Fib er #1, Fiber #2, M o uldene, 6M fiber and PL fiber. 1874 Jo h ns M anville 1974 Jo h ns M anville 1975 V anderbilt 1975 M cCrone 1975 V anderbilt 1975 V anderbilt 1975 M cCrone 1975 V anderbilt 1976 Mt. Sinai 1976 N IO SH 1976 V anderbilt 1977 NBS 1978 V anderbilt 1978 V anderbilt 10/23/74 - TEM and SAD of 4 talcs provided by V an derb ilt. C hrysotile, trem olite asbestos and anthophyllite asbestos found. 1 1 /7/74 - M em o re V an d e rb ilt co m p lain in g to JM M that "JM 's decision to in s e rt a s b e s t o s c a u tio n la b e ls on all t a lc s h ip m e n s w ill re s u lt in "irrep arab le dam age" to V anderbilt." 3/27/75 m em o N oland to Black. N ew d e sign atio n s for fo rm e r In te rn a tio n a l T a lc p ro d u cts: IT X, IT 3X, IT 5x, IT FT, IT 325, M o u ld e n e , IT Fib er N o 1, IT Fib er N o 2, IT Fib e r 6N , IT Fib e r PL, C e ra m ita lc HDT, C eram italc 10AC, C eram italc No 1, C e ram italc 10-A. N ytal N o m en clature rem ains unchanged. V a n d e rb ilt h ires M cC ro ne to e xa m in e its talc. M cC ro n e re p o rts th a t the talc co ntains classic asbestos fibers. M SD S - H ealth Flazard D ata. A sb e stifo rm talc and asb estifo rm an th o p h yllite . H ave sam e e xp o su re lim it. V an d e rb ilt tells O SH A that M cCro ne found that the industrial talc w as free of asb esto s fibers. M cC ro ne e xam in e s 7 new sam p les of V an d e rb ilt Industrial Talc. There u n e q u iv o c a lly is a sb e sto s in th e V a n d e rb ilt ta lc s e x a m in e d . T h e a sb e sto s co n te n t in 5% to 20% . V a n d e rb ilt to N IO SH . V an d e rb ilt w an ts d etails o f p ro p o sed N IO SH visit to "our G o u n vern e u r properties." M t. Sinai scho ol o f m ed icin e e xam in e s 7 sa m p le s of V a n d e rb ilt talc. A s b e s to s fib e rs fo u n d in all 7 sa m p le s. N IO SH A n alyzes 7 sam ples of V an derb ilt Industrial Talcs, "using state of the a rt a n a lysis all 7 talcs an a lyze d d e m o n stg ra te d large q u a n titie s of asbestiform trem olite and anthophyllite to be present. Based on these an alyse s, all talcs a n alyzed sh o u ld be labeled w ith the O SH A asb e sto s w a rn in g label. V an d e rb ilt to N IO SH , accuses N IO SH of leaking info rm atio n to the press ab o u t w o rk in g co n d itio n s at G o u ve rn e u r m ine and m ill. Freedo m of info rm ation act. W orkers are entitled to know . N ational Bureau of Stan d ard s exam in e s 7 sm ap les o f V an d e rb ilt Talc. U ses O SH A m icroscope m ethod, w hich co unts fibers. Both analysts fo u n d fib e rs in all 7 sa m p le s th e first tim e th e y lo o k e d . M SD S refers only to n o n-asbestiform trem o lite and anthophyllite. No m ention o f cancer. 1/18/78 - Internal m em o, Stre itm atte r to Erdm an. Talc labeling. Talks about startin g to put a label on the bags o f product. "Caution. Co ntains ind u strial talc. Do not breathe dust. Pro longed In h alatio n m ay Cause Lung Injury." 1980 In d u s tr ia l H ygenics 1980 M cCrone 1980 NIOSH 1983 M cCrone 4 /7/8 0 - Letter from Industrial H ygenics to Intern atio n al Paint Co. The results of these- qu alitative and q u antitative analyses indicate that ap p ro xim ate ly 35% o f the N YTA L 300 w as asb esto s fib e rs (anthophyllite and trem olite) and that approxim ately 46% of N YTA L 400 w as fibrous an th o p h yllite and trem olite asbestos. A n alytically w e expect that our q u an tificatio n o f percent could be o ff by no m ore than plus or m inus 5%. 12/9/80 Report by M cCro ne re: tw o sam p les o f N ytal. (1) 10 -1 5 % tre m o lite -a c tin o lite . 90 % o f the tre m o lite -a c tin o lite is fib ro u s. (2) T re m o lite -A c tin o lite 7 -1 0 % , 10 0 % o f tre m o lite -a c tin o lite is fib ro u s. T a lc co n tain in g asb esto s. Focus on V an d e rb ilt talc. Long thin fibers of an th o p h yllite are present. Exposures are over the perm issible lim its for a sb e sto s. All m in e s and m ills in th e area h ave th e sa m e ty p e s o f fib e rs. C a n c e r o f the lu n g and p le u ra is 4x e xp e cte d . M cCro ne again analyzes V an de rb ilt talc (3X grade) R eports that that the talc co n tain s 30% to 40% asbestos. An air sam p le taken w hen the talc w as stirred up co ntained 70% to 80% o f respirable fibers. 11/11/83. 1983 1986 1987 1988 1988 1988 1988 V anderbilt V anderbilt N IO SH (G am ble) V anderbilt V anderbilt CDC V an derb ilt V an d e rb ilt plans to convince cu sto m ers that 3x talc does not contain asbestos. 12/15/83 K e lse o f V a n d e rb ilt w rite s to "D e a r Jo h n " G a m b le w h o is still at N IO SH , so licitin g G am ble's help w ith O SH A rule m aking. R etrospective study of dust exposure and m o rtality am o n g G ouverneur T a lc C o m p a n y e m p lo y e e s. C o n c lu d e s th a t th e re is n o e le v a n te d risk o f lung cancer. Kelse m e m o re: P a rk in so n (SU N Y S to n y b ro o k ) w h o is w o rk in g w ith ste e lw o rke rs union to su b m it position p ap er su p p o rtin g V an d e rb ilt position so Steelw o rkers can take active role again st O SH A. Kelse to Parkinson at SU N Y Sto n yb ro o k w ith attach m e n t re V an derb ilt position. 6/20/88. "True" asbestos should be tigh tly regulated. N on asb esto s am phibole should not be regulated, at least not as a carcino gen. Says that non asbestos trem o lite talc exposures should be m aintained below existing talc standards. N o ju stificatio n fo r any health standard to cover nonasbestiform am phiboles. Sp arks 8 /1 1 /8 8 su m m ary report re e th ical and legal in ve stigatio n of N IO SH em p lo yees (John G am ble) re V an derb ilt. A p p ro p riate disciplinary action being taken. R eco m m en d s review by N IO SH oard o f scien tific co unselors be com pleted and that the Board provide to you reco m m en d atio ns etc. Kelse to Parkinson at SU N Y Stonybrook. 8/30/88. A sks about the Board o f Scien tific C o un selo rs and expresses optim ism about a favo rab le re so lu tio n o f "the witch hunt." 1988 CDC 1988 CDC 1989 V anderbilt 1989 IBSC 1989 NYS 1990 V anderbilt 1990 NIOSH 1991 V an derb ilt 1991 V anderbilt 1993 G am ble 1993 V anderbilt 10/23/88 Ross reports G am ble's appeal o f susp en sio n and recom m ends the suspension be im posed. LettercC o w art to G am ble 10/31/88 - referen ces 8/22/88 notice su sp en din g G am ble for 10 days for "conduct unbeco m in g a Federal em p lo yee." D escribes G am ble im p ro perly accep tin g benefis from V an d e rb ilt and fo r carrying on w ork fo r 2 years o utside o f norm al NIOSH p ro c e d u re s. F u rth e r in c id e n ts w ill re su lt in se v e re d is c ip lin a ry actio n . Kelse to A xelrod N YS D ept H ealth. Re: n o n -asb estifo rm am phiboles. "The im p o rtan ce of this single talc m ining p o p u latio n can not be o verstated as the entire n o n -asb estifo rm am p hib o le issue pivots on it . " In d e p e n d e n t Board of Scie n tific C o u n se lo rs. E valu ate s all N IO SH stu d ie s o f V an derb ilt w orkers. A team of industrial hygienists determ ine that th e c a n c e r e xce ss is no t du e to e xp o su re to ca n c e r ca u sin g m a te ria ls at other jo bs. Criticizes G am ble w ork. V an d e rb ilt co m plains to the N YS D ept o f H ealth about a presentation m a d e in u p sta te N ew Y o rk a b o u t h ealth h a za rd fo r ta lc w o rk e rs. 5/31/90 internal m em o Tho m pson to Fiederlein. "N either w e, nor our co n su lta n ts h ave fo u n d a sb e sto s in o u r ore or p ro d u cts." H e alth H a za rd E v a lu a tio n o f R. T. V a n d e rb ilt C o m p a n y , G o u v e rn e u r, NY. W ork place exp o su res at G o u vern e u r Talc are resp o n sib le fo r excess m o rtality from cancer and lung disease. C riticizes G am ble w ork. Kelse litigation m em o to Race 2/8/91. Says that O SH A alread y intends to exclu de n o n -asb estifo rm talc. W orried ab o u t w h at co -d efe nd an ts are go in g to do re: trem olite. N otes that So u th ern T alc and California talc co ntains trem olite. W orried about experts. C raighead, Churg, M o ssm an. Pro po ses that M ossm an educate C raighead. Shy aw ay from C h u rg due to his state m e n ts re trem o lite . V a n d e rb ilt to G u lf C o ast C h e m ica ls. N o a sb e sto s in o u r in d strial talc. V a n d e rb ilt te lls G u lf C o a st th a t th e re a re n o n a s b e s tifo rm fib e rs in V a n d e rb ilt industrial talc. No m ention of can cer d an ge r from asb e stifo rm fibers. G u lf Co ast relies on V an d e rb ilt rep resen tatio n s. Pu b licatio n re: lung cancer, N YS talc w o rkers. C o n clu d e s tha elevated lu n g c a n c e r risk is ca u se d by sm o k in g . (A t tim e o f p u b lic a tio n G a m b le is e m p lo yed by Exxon Biom edical Sciences). Letter to G am b le th a n k in g him fo r ag re e in g to "p a rticip a te as an e x te rn a l re ie w e r" fo r w h a t e v e n tu a lly is p u b lish e d a s th e H o n d a p ap e r. He w ill be plaid $3,20 0 fo r the jo b. 1 9 9 3 3e te rs o n e t al 2001 V anderbilt 2002 Roggli 2002 Hull A b rah am 2002 H onda et al 2005 V anderbilt Petersen, E.V., Totten, F., and Guida, M. 19 9 3 . Trem olite talc occurrences in the Balm at-Edwards District In Selected Mineral Deposits of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains, New York. E d it e d b y E.V. Petersen. Social Economic Geology, Guidebook Series Vol. 17, pp. 5 4-6 3. Totten and Guida are with GTC. "Fibrous anthophyllite replaces tremolite and coarse-grained anthophyllite, and talc replaces both tremolite and anthophyllite." "Talc shows two distinct habits; one variety is fine-grained, som ew hat fibrous in nature and is associated with white V an d e rb ilt letter to N ational To xico lo gy Program . Cites outdated Honda study. Fails to cite the additional m eso th elio m a cases occu rrin g since 1989. Stu d y o f m esotheliom a. "A sbestos fibers are classified as am osite, cro cid o lie , trem o lite , an th o p h yllite , actin o lite , ch ryso tile o r talc" Reports lung analysis of N ew York State T alc w orkers. The only fibers fo u n d in th e lu n gs o f the in d u stria l ta lc w o rk e rs w ith and w ith o u t m e so th e lio m a are th o se fo u n d in V a n d e rb ilt talc. N o co m m e rcia l am phiboles found. M o rtality stu d y va n d e rb ilt w o rkers. Paid fo r by V an d e rb ilt. Review ed by V an d e rb ilt before publication. Relied on info rm atio n su pplied by V a n d e rb ilt. R e p o rts 2 ca se s o f m e so th e lio m a in fo rm e r V a n d e rb ilt w orkers. V an derb ilt know s o f 5 ad itio n al cases before 2002 publication. T h e re is no ad d e n d u m and no update. V an d e rb ilt m akes p resentation to M ine Safety and Health A d m in istratio n . V an de rb ilt fails to disclose the additional m esotheliom a cases o ccu rrin g inV an d erbilt industrial talc w o rkers since 1989. 2007 V anderbilt 2008 G am ble 2009 G am ble 2012 Finkelstein Kelse, 4/2 0 0 7 . A sb esto s, health risk and trcm o litic talc. D ism isses the re p o rts o f m e so in V a n d e rb ilt w o rk e rs: bad d ia g n o sis, in a d e q u a te w o rk h isto ry, and fau lty lung tissu e analysis. G am ble & G ibbs paper re lung cancer, m eso and cleavage fragm en ts, sp e cific re fe re n ce to N YS talc. C o n clu d e s that m eso and lun g can cer risk are not increased. R eferences only tw o m eso cases w hen, by 2009, at le a st 8 w e re kn o w n . (U n p u b lish e d ve rsio n first a p p e a rs in 2 0 0 4 as "A Report to the N ational Stone, Sand and G ravel A ssociation." Letter to V an d e rb ilt law yer R adcliffe re a review o f T a lc and M eso th elio m a to ad d ress the questio n , does exp o su re to talc cause or co ntrib ute to the eitio logy of m esotheliom a? U sing data available on N IO SH w ebsite co nclu d es that m esotheliom a ra te s in N Y S ta lc w o rk e rs are at le a st 5 x g re a te r th a n in th e ge n e ra l p opulation. N IO SH m eso cases include tho se ignored by Honda and by G am ble. 2013 Finkelstein 2017 V anderbilt 2017 Abraham et al Reports on husband and w ife w ho used V anderbilt talc as a p arting a ge n t in a sm all m etal ca stin g b u sin e ss. W ife had in te rstitia l fib ro sis and calcified pleural plaques. H usband had calcified pleural p laq u es and m eso th elio m a. Sam ples o f the talc found fibro u s trem o lite and fibro u s an thophyllite. A d m its th a t th e re are 10 d ia g n o se d m e s o th e lio m a s in a to ta l co h o rt o f 800 V an derb ilt w orkers. O ur data su p p o rt the e xisten ce of m eso th e lio m a cases related to e xp o su re to asb estifo rm talc.