Document 6RrGjyrVJyBjk10oRnGJ932po

FILE NAME: Ford (FD) DATE: 2000 Sept 12 DOC#: FD001 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Ford from BC RE Global Asbestos Policy with Attachments E3arry CaeXemm, 5c.P. Environmental Consultant September 12, 2000 Mr. William C. Ford, Jr. Chairman of the Board Ford Motor Company 1 American Road Dearborn, Ml 48126 Global Asbestos Policy Dear Mr. Ford, Almost four months ago I wrote to you about the giant auto makers' variable uses of asbestos around the world, a patchwork of exploiting widely divergent pressures of public awareness, regulation, and compensation around the world. I asked you to consider establishing a global policy to eliminate asbestos, whose necessity in vehicle brakes, clutches, and gaskets, etc., has long passed. My interests in global corporate policies on health, safety, and environment go beyond asbestos, of course, and I have urged a sort of public competition between leading corporations to open the way toward the globalization of public health measures along with markets. My theme has been the elimination of corporate "double standards" in health, safety, and environmental protection. Perhaps the company's present difficulties arising from poorly coordinated responses to product defects can serve the useful purpose of helping to make the case for global policies which are implemented and inspire public confidence. So I take the occasion, as the WTO prepares to announce its decision in the asbestos case on September 18, to again send you my previous letter and request your response about Ford Motor Company's global policy on asbestos. Now would be a good time for your company to make a public commitment to phase out the use of asbestos parts in original equipment and the after-market as soon as possible. Enclosures: - My letter to you of May 15, 2000 . - "The need for an investigation of global corporate policies on health, safety, and environment" 2412 PICKWICK ROAD BALTIMORE, MD 21207-0631 tel. 4 1 0 -4 4 6 -2 6 4 6 fax 4 1 0 - 4 4 0 - 2 3 6 6 j-i . . ^arry Castleman, 5c,P. Environmental Consultant Mr. William C. Ford, Jr. Chairman of the Board Ford Motor Company 1 American Road Dearborn, Ml 48126 Dear Mr. Ford: May 15, 2000 Global Asbestos Policy I was encouraged to write by the complimentary editorial in the New York Times today, quoting you on the notion of social liability. In the past, I have approached each of the Big Three U.S. auto makers about whether they have a global policy for eliminating the use of asbestos. An editorial l published about the disappointing results is enclosed. Since this was published in 1998, the European Union has decided that all member countries must ban asbestos by 2005, following existing national asbestos bans by all the leading economic powers of Europe. Brazil has announced that it will follow the E.U. timetable, too, and the World Trade Organization is about to throw out Canada s challenge to the national asbestos ban in France (I am a scientific adviser to the European Commission in that case, in which a decision will soon be announced). Two years ago, I found that none of the big auto companies would tell me if they had a global policy for eliminating asbestos in new vehicles and in the after-market. I learned that General Motors was still making some cars in North America with asbestos brakes, though such brakes were banned in original equipment and the after-market in the major European countries, And though G.M. had managed to find suitable, safer substitutes for asbestos engine gaskets years earlier in North America, they were still using asbestos engine gaskets in Brazil. Even Swedish and German companies were found to be using asbestos-containing parts in Brazil, years after having had to cease the use of asbestos in their home markets. My editorial concluded, 'Will any globally asbestos-free auto makers step forward and lead the rest?" I am writing to know if Ford has (or is developing) a global policy on phasing out asbestos in its products, and if so what that policy is. I would also like to know the extent to which asbestos is used in automotive friction materials and gaskets in products marketed today by Ford in each of the regions of the world where asbestos has not been banned (North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia).I I hope that Ford leadership is sufficiently impressed with the notion of social liability to make the corporation a leader in the industry in getting rid of this needlessly dangerous material worldwide, and soon. I look forward to hearing from you. Enclosure: "Globally Asbestos-free Automobiles" editorial, 1998. 2412 PICRWICR ROAD BALTIMORE, MD 21207-6631 tel. 4 1 0 -4 4 B -2 6 4 fax 410-44<5-236(5 / ; . , u i. me company's: most;profitable" produc ,, n*' ^?e ?*^or*terc*t^n:i^l^S'^*"^'^strioM'o*cmlssionJ'o^'gases'Vconect-`'' r : S O T to shareholders,}nay herald.an ei;a ofp-ed to global warming. It recently announced"that it 5C f h,te,nef ^ lionm^rit^"COrtsclouinfess;^t the in-^. will introduc a smaller, mor efficient S.U.V. with ' ; dustrial giant In response to consumer^demahds for ! . a hybrid gasolin-lectric engine in 2003 ^ ' 11i ftt'A C r t^ l A 11v v*n e ^ n n n IK I a ^a U J a 1am , . i* _ . ' X. ]?' 1 . 1 J * . . . ^ `V'ltr m P^CKub;tmcks A re'al*,^ driven by ltscHairman.William Q. Ford Jr:, who has -^e currnt federal law to emit substantial^.,^, been' involved1-, in' environmental causes^ But vMr v *? W a busihessmanVHe aays to S i n t S ^ t P m ^ the la* thrate?ls t0 dostroy.galrisKkfii the reportf " Not sd long ago,'cars and trdcksVerel . In air quality because these big vehicles now makb i things to aspire"to. But very recently^ there's been a4 ; - -' a ^ l e s ^ f u e f e / fir iL ^ V J6^ 16 purc|ias"'T,hey ; change. Now the whole notion of social liability has |J are less fuel, efficient, than cars,, and therefore crept In, So people still love their car- but hate: ; rT special dangers for.Dassence8rassins^ntphfetryaarlssorfnpWotisoar;;,-:ev-eraybo&dy.else's. Thart?'s___ai d_a_n__ge1r%ou*.s t;rend.'l sv , '