Document 5VvQOX1vyR43pGwe4Zda66Gz

For Release: Subject: Immediately RECORDS REVIEW REVEALS FOUR CANCER DEATHS AT SHAWINIGAN FACILITIES REGoodrich Th B.F. Goodrich Company B.".GOODRICH CANADA LIMITEI Contact: Trevor L. Jones Director, Corporate and Public Affairs Executive Offices; Kitchener, O.ot. .`.23 Phone; (519) 576-6330 SHAWINIGAN, Quebec, Dec. 13--Four former employees of a polyvinyl chloride manufacturing plant here (formerly known as Shawinigan Chemical), acquired by B.F.Goodrich Canada Limited in 1972, had a rare form of liver cancer, angiosarcoma, at the time of their deaths over the past six years, the company has learned. The presence of angiosarcoma in these cases was discovered by Dr. Fernand Delorme, a pathologist at Centre Hospital Regional de la Maurice Shawinigan-Sud, after a three-month review of hospital records. The latest of the four deaths occurred recently, according to Dr. Delorme, and the earliest was in 1968. Based on information presently available to the company, the deaths follow the pattern of those found earlier this year among workers who had long-term exposure to vinyl chloride gas (VCM) at some plants in the United States and Europe. The U.S. and European cases involved many years of individual exposure to vinyl chloride gas at levels substantially higher than those generally existing today in plants where the gas is produced or used. The discovery of several angiosarcoma cases in the United States in January of this year was the first known incidence of human cancer associated with exposure to VCM gas. After the January discovery, B.F.Goodrich Canada greatly accelerated its plant modernization program at the Shawinigan facility, which was built in 1941. As a result, exposure to VCM gas among workers at the plant has been drastically reduced. CCITriDI'T^IAL CMA 013909 Subject tc rrotective Order In F.css v. Crr. iio. 90-4837 I4tr: Judicial District Court Calcasieu Farish, Louisiana (More) appendix b BFG62657 >0 < r :> r; - *N CJ 2-RECORDS REVIEW REVEALS DEATHS The reduction was achieved through a combination of engineering changes, new work practices and additional monitoring devices and safety equipment, all part of the company's continuing, intensive effort to minimize VCM gas in the plant's work atmosphere. In addition, the company has provided medical examinations and liver function tests for all 200 plant employees. No other cases of angiosarcoma have been found among employees at BFG Canada's two PVC facilities located here and in Niagara, Ontario. 0- - 12-1374 BFG62658 CHA 013910 COMPARISON OF THE MORPHOLOGIC FEATURES OF HEPATIC ANGIOSARCOMA IN MAN AND RODENTS FOLLOWING PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO VINYL CHLORIDE Gordon, D. E. , Thomas, L. B. , Calandra, J. C. , Popper, H. and Kent G. Industrial BIO-TEST Laboratories, Inc. , Northbrook, III. , National Cancer Inst. , Lab. of Pathology, Bethesda, Md. , Northwestern Univ. Med. Sch. , Chicago, 111. , and Mount Sinai Sch. of Med. , New York, N. Y. A causal relationship has been established between the development of hepatic angiosarcomas among workers engaged in the polymerization of vinyl chloride. The histologic features of similar hepatic tumors that de veloped in rodents (mice and rats) within one year after exposures of 2500, 200 and 50 ppm. of vinyl chloride for seven hours a day, five days a week, were compared with 14 cases of those that have occurred in man. To date, the incidence of hepatic angiosarcoma in rodents has been related to the level of exposure to vinyl chloride. Despite dissimilarities between rodent and human lesions, such as minimal fibrosis in mice, the basic evolution was the same. The earliest lesion was focal dilation of sinusoids in which the lining cells were increased in number, piled up and exhibited hyperchromatic and bizarre nuclei. Subsequesntly, sarcomatous lining cells enveloped plates of hepatocytes which were hypertropic and hyperplastic. They became cords surrounded by proliferated lining cells of different types in papillary arrangement associated with blood*filled cavities resulting from sinusoidal ectasia. Eventually, nodules of anaplastic sarcomatous cells with vascular spaces developed with hemorrhage and necrosis. This characteristic evolution common to animal and man indicates a specific and identifiable effect of vinyl chloride or its metabolites upon hepatic mesenchymal and epithelial cells. It enforces the causal relation of vinyl chloride exposure to angiosarcoma formation, but also assists in the ex clusion of vinyl chloride as cause of some angiosarcomas of different appearance. CQ?IFIDE?jttit. Subject Poss v. ttoo PPirotective Order in 14th Jodi C"1 :c.sist CMA 013911 APPENDIX C Vx TOXICOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Chemistry plant scicNces MEDICAL SCIENCES jriduAUud BIO -TEST Ji(Lo&udjyuje&. Jnc. 1810 FRONTAGE ROAD NORTHBROOK. ILLINOIS 60062 December 9, 1974 <t abca CODE 3<2 fCkE*HONE 272-3030 Mr. Albert C. Clark Vice President and Technical Director Manufacturing Chemists Association 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20009 Dear Al: Re : Vinyl Chloride Project This is a letter which I would like you to submit to the Vinyl Chloride Committee through Ken Johnson and Ted Torkclson. As you arc aware, we received the contract for this project through competitive bidding. The costs were quoted for what appeared to be a straight-forward inhalation study. As the results indicate, it has been much more than an ordinary toxicology test. The findings have resulted in an expenditure of considerable additional effort and cost to BIO-TEST. Certain additional items have been accepted by us as a contribu tion to the scientific community, to the chemical industry and to the general public. A few such items are considered our obligation. As you can imagine, however, we have spent considerable time and funds in the interests of the vinyl chloride producers and users far in addition to those estimated in our original quote. In view of this we would like you to consider reimbursement of certain of our costs for Inc additional work. Most of the costs have incurred from the great amount of time spent by Dr. Gordon and our other pathologists, as well as the lime of Dr. Goode and myself. BFG62660 M '; o APPENDIX D V* CMA 013912 h - a Mr. A. C. Clark -2- Decembet 9, 1974 The extra work started with the meeting here on April 15 , 1974, to discuss tumors found in the mice. Some examples of addi tional effort are as follows: April 30, 1974 Met with representatives of EPA. June 16 &t 17, 1974 Met with representatives of NCI to review animal tumors. September 3 & 4, 1974 - Met with representatives of NCI to review human tumors. September 5, 1974 Special sacrifice for cytogenetic work with Dow Chemical. October 28, 1974 Met with Dr. Thomas of NCI. October 29, 1974 Met with Dr. Thomas of NCI and pathology meeting in Chicago. These are only a few examples of additional meetings and trips for this project. Others are too numerous to mention. Because of the angiosarcomas in the livers of mice, we were asked to check background data. This meant careful review of our catalog of mouse liver slides, by our pathologists, to check for spon taneous incidence. As you might guess we have several thousands of the s e. Most of you recall, I testified during the OSHA hearings in June 1974, for SPI and for MCA. I charged SPI for certain expenses which were considered their share of preparation and presentation of the testi mony. I have not charged MCA for their portion. For all of this extra effort to date, our costs amount to about $20,000. We certainly would appreciate your presenting this request to the sponsors for their consideration of reimbursement. CONFIDENTIAL Subject tc Protective Order In P.oss v. Conoco, Inc . , Kc . 90-4837. 14th Judicial Tistrict Oourt Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana BFG62661 CMA 013913 Mr. A. C. Clark Dcccrr.bcr 9, 1974 I will be glad to answer questions or provide additional details at your request. We hestitate to request additional funds, but we feel that the actions taken were in the best interests of the sponsors and of MCA. These additional efforts were expended without hesitation or consider ation of reimbursement funds. Sincerely yours, MLK/kjl cc: Dr. T. R. Torkelson M. L. Keplinger, Ph. D. Manager, Toxicology CONFIDENTIAL Subject to Protective Crder in Boss v. Conoco, Inc., lo. 90-483Z 14th Judicial District Court Calcasieu Parish,, Louisiana BFG62662 CM* oi39l o> 4 V itj C4 -* -- S0 U> O 0 <N O o Uo aou. u0 6 uV U> 0 0X e 2hi IO 0^ -4 0 *J ow r** ** n0 c * *4 > oc 0 c nr o H *4 UU U0 0 +U* ASC u 0 u u 9 0i o to N| O o e M 3 I \f\ t^*t O (WNt Oo I o e 9o os o oe oo O' o oo oo N 0 o 9o 0I >0 o O' *4 O' 2~ **0*r*S Hw 0 *0 N -4 I NU TJ 3 \(0 W 3 a -- C --. C -- (A >.5i ** W90 i0g*J \so* 4060J \ra4*>f *0 03 - *004 .W0X3*-04\ T^3J ---V O 0 * 3 < -- *C *4 hi fe.S TJ 0 S.H .! 0 r .i ^N Vt/n. ^S . 3 -4 e 0 6 0 <c \(n 0 u O' '< -- C 0 *i CH \r* TJ OO' *4 4 \ U rsi o o < -4 - ft TJ --. ** .ur 0 H 0 e N H*O- 0O' p4 52 00 0 u 00 u > --V B 0 000* *04 OU 0" 2 0 N * 0e C -4 0 0> 3 a. >o XU u oo 0* *< intn h~-c44 0wi9 nrW* 0e f>0U**N*U44 OJ00 BFG62663 CMA 013915 i1 5 .^ t* W- appendix e