Document 6R58pRLKpmNq4E7w2Zj0N4gpE

FILE NAME: Engelhard (ENG) DATE: 1976 Nov 5 DOC#: ENG106 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Johns-Manville Mem o RE Environmental Problems with Talc .Ck~ V~e-^__ /^ e - '- \# -L. U f-o -T -^ -^ '^ ' La J S n l i > ' Johns-M anville internal 'Correspondence To: j. H. Swensen F ro m 1 R. S. Lo.Tar Dais: November 5, 1976 C opies: P. K o t i n / $. J'snasr, H. R. Keefe, J. M. Sharratt, E. R. Bettinardi, D, C Subirci: Talc -- Environmental Problems ' : The attached article from the Wall Street Journal, Tuesday; November 2, 1976,. page 8, "Exposure of Talc Dust May be Related to Deaths of Workers, Health Unit Says", should be evaluated relative to our Penhorwood talc. Notice that this study was' conducted among talc workers in Vermont at Johnson and Johnson, Engelhard Minerals and Chemicals Corp. and Vermont Talc Co. Although there are considerable differences among these three companies and the quality of the products they mine and produce, all are virtually asbestos-free. That is what makes this article disturbing. Some of these Vermont talcs also contain relatively high concentrations of arsenic which is, I believe, a known carcinogen. As the article states: "Scientists believe there maytbe something else in the mine environment that contributes to the cancer deaths other than the talc itself." Attached, also is"a copy of m y letter of April 22, 1976 to W. H, Ashton at J & J and a copy of the paper by Giovanni F. Rubino,. et.al. "Mortality Study of Talc Miners and Millers" from Journal of Occupational Medicine, March 1976, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 186-193. This paper clearly demonstrates that pure talc mineral is not a carcinogen and cannot in any way be related to the asbestos-containing talcs from upperNew York State. I believe that comments from Paul Kotin and Ed Fenner would be helpful. v l .s. R. S. Lamar ib Attachments all copies