Document 5Le9Q9OdgGK19VaEQBEL2RaoR

3; .- Watertown Daily Times Watertown N.Y. Saturday May 21 1977 ~ Scientists Fail To Label | eeTalc Fibers as Asbestos' es By Alan Emory e e Times Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON - A Na- en we tional Bureau of Standards PASE analysis of 80 t^lc samples shows 12 of the 13 from the the company has disputed the findings The Standards Bureau said that OSHA procedures especially sampling even under favorable circumst- presentative of the Vander- bilt Tale Co. The report quoted OS| HA's Willard Dixon who is in charge of microscopic analysis of samples for R.T. Vanderbilt Co. contain fibers which scientists can not specifically identify as asbestos ances could be useful only for determining fiber content not asbestos - content Of the 13 Vanderbilt sam- ples four are clearly la- beled as from Gouver- A careful analysis might make it possible to identify some of the fibers as asbes- neur N.Y. Mill No. 1 tos the report said but the another seems likely to be problem of defining asbes- from there and a sixth- strong sample is also a : probability The bureau report says that since the definition of tos would .still remain OSHA defines asbestos by the length ratio of the fibers in the tale The Bureau of Standards asbestos is to be investi- said that it believed resolu- gated as part of a longer study the result in the cur- rent analysis could not pos- sibly be interpreted in terms of asbestos / The variations in results raised several questions tion of the measurement problem including defining and identifying asbestos . will be accomplished only by significant changes in probably the procedure and the method as well about the procedure used Tucked back in an appen- asbestos fiber content as saying the change in an- alytical procedure on June- 2 1976 was induced by the discussion with technol- ogists from the Vanderbilt Co. He said the Vanderbilt _ experts convinced him of the merits of a system of distinguishing between tremolit^' asbestos and talc fibers Vanderbilt produces treGouver- molitic tale at its , neur ^peration The report says fibers| were identified by both analysts in tale from packer station 3 Mill 1 at the first shift Nov. 4 1975 at Gouverneur from packer station 2 same shift same date bagging station 3 same mill same by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA in identifying asbestos in talc the bureau dix to the report is the disclosure that OSHA changed its laboratory procedure for analyzing talc samples at date two bagging stations | same mill second shift, Nov. 3 1975 and at seven other unidentified Vander- said OSHA has notified its its Salt Lake City Utah op bilt Co. locations | 7. field offices that Vanderbilt eration last June 2 after the tale contains asbestos but "' labs were visited by a re- ~ Mee eee One analyst found fibers at another point on what seemed to be the Nov. 4 Ok 1975 first shift at Mill 1 j res but a second analyst did not find fibers from that cad sample on the first scan PALS There seemed to be some confusion also on two of | the samples on which both in analysts found fibers in aca Vanderbilt talc because the - results did not conform t ole. The Bureau report said 1 that to complete the assign- . . ment OSHA made Sept. 1 at when the analysis was re- quested it would have to reach an acceptable defin- ition of asbestos and to de- velop the necessary mea- surement techniques and standards Once that has been achieved a more analysis of the meaningful 80 1 supplied talc sam- ples can be accomplished Asst Labor Secretary- Eula Bingham who heads OSHA said the purpose of the study was to determine the fiber content of indus- , trial tales and thereby an- i swer parties regulated by OSHA who challenged data of both OSHA and the Na tional Institute of Occupa- tional Safety and Health ' NIOSH NIOSH studies led to a finding that nine job cate- gories at Gouverneur were subjected to unduly high \ concentrations of dust and were hazardous to those oc- cupying them t i. _ | JNJTALC000169897