Document 6b9oVZpRNNzkJw3JZV7Eyz3n6

April 1, 196'5 Mr. Robert J. Riggs Manager, Technical Services Ethyl International Division 100 Park. Avenue Rev: York, hew York 10017 Dear Mr. Riggs: Thanks for your letter of March 30. I hasten to reply to it on account of Mr. Hornbeck' s reaction to my remark about one of the things quoted in the material which came to ray attention I was under no misapprehension about, the source oi the statement on which I commented. Rather, it was ay purpose to illustrate the point that the lay representatives of customers of ethyl in foreign countries could not be counted on to state the case. 1 have encountered this before. In this matter, I and my associates have always taken the point of view of those whoe-e primary interest lies in the protection of industrial employees and the public against risk, Me speak their language, therefore, and share with them their responsibilities in complete good faith. This fact is not understood by those who are convinced in their hearts that the medical and hygienic representatives and consultants of industry go to bat for the industry even if they should find it necessary to compromise, to some slight extent, the public interest One simply cannot deal with a matter of this type on the latter basis, either in thought or speech. I feel sure tlxat our associate in Ethyl Corporation understand this. I have never been given to doubt this in any of the dealings I have had with issues of this type. Sincerely yours, RAK:meh cc; Dr. George Roush N13333 Kf 001277;! Robert A. Kehos, M.D. ET HYL CORP ORAT I ON INTER-OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE TO FROM Robert A. Kehoe, M. D, R. J. Riggs address ADDRESS SUBJECT Higher Lead Concentrations in Denmark DATE Cincinnati Hew York March 30, 19 6 5 Attached are copies of correspondence relative to this subject and following your excellent letter to me. Please note that the letter sent to Dansk Esso indicates that this complete discussion should be handled by qualified medical personnel. Also please note that Don Hombeck wants it made quite clear that the objectionable phrase in his telex was a quotation from the customer. Blank you very much for your prompt reply. / / ?> v0 R. J. Riggs RJR:nz Attachments cc: Messrs. C. D* Carter (with atts.) F. . Ramin "" Dr. George Roush " D, D, Hombeck N13333.01 KB 0012779 J ? J E' -i ' i CC- L- - ' ^ '-I-- T 'O W 'f - A 1 Ma !gnp rd s W,lSkESSO~~A/tT^) RETURNTOliiTEl .\T'L" `. h - U ntiilfl!' '0> !| ABH CDC II m |l JTB | GC Sankt Annue Plads 13 . MAR 2 9 1965 COPENHAGEN. Denmark Dear Mr. Melgaard, RJH P\VT || ECM K CVH | HEX' JR Vi AD 1 g : f w.. OB LVJ I |i 1 Ji_____-- .. Mardi 25, 1965 ' In anoviar to your request for information, on public healtb ./ aspects of lead in gasoline, I attach tho following publi cation -- "Public Health Aspects of Increasing Tetraethyl Lead Content in Motor fuel".-This report contains a record of tho information presented to the United States Public Health Service and should be useful in stating your casa with the Ministry of Danish Health. ' Dr. George Roush, -Jr* Medical Director of Ethyl Corporation and Professor of the Department of preventive Medicine and Industrial Health, (Kettering Laboratory), College of Medi cine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, will visit Europe in April. He is well qualified to discuss the topic mentioned above. May I suggest that consideration be given to arranging a meeting with the medical director of Esso Dansk and subsequently with the Danish Minister of Public Health. ' . Dr. Roush x-rould be able to present data which can best be handled by personal contact between medical men who are experienced in the field of public health. Is has considcrable experience in this field and S.O. (UJJ's Medical Depart mont can advise you on this matter. I would appreciate having your thoughts on t h i s . vie are anxious to bo of further assistance in finding a solution to tills problem of lead limitation in Denmark. ' . Very truly your3. " DDH:gwu N1`3"333.02 k e .oois'JSu- D. D. Horhbeck . TO FROM SUBJECT E T H Y L 3. A. INTER-OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE R. J. Riggs D. D. Hornbeck 4th Ml in Denmark ADDRESS ADDRESS DATE New York Brussels March 24, 1965 Dr. Kehoe states that he is shocked by the following words of my telex - "which demonstrates that health hazard is not increased (or only marginally) by raising lead level to 4.0 ml TEL". Please note on attached xerox that the words are those of Mr. Melgaard, Esso Dansk - not mine. Also would you please correct with Dr. Kehoe the possible impression that the words are mine. Thanks,B o b . " ' ^ r yours, DDH:gwu D. D. Hornbeck N13333.03 H E 001278I {?.>s 'j et hyl or u v>' .Lex no 1 ar ch 15, 1965. a t m* "in. a. r nel gaar d - dansk esso - Copenhagen, cc; .:.r. aage dani el sen. mr nees' cye - hansen of kal undt or g r equest ed et hyl I nf or mat i on* on r ai si ng t el l i mi t i n gasol i ne t o 4. 0 ml per gal l on, i pl an cont act i ng et hyl medi cal depar t ment and r equest i nf or mat i on, pl ease advi se whet her you wi sh our pr of essor doct or r aush t o cont act di r ect l y t he medi cal di r ect or of denmar k who 1 under st and t o be doct or uhl . i ccr si car abl e wor k on t hi s subj ect has been done by engi neer j cr. n , ; Gusers of esso net her Lands who wor ks wi t h commi t t ee on ai r pol l ut i on, i suggest you consi der cont act i ng hi m ` r egar di ng hi s exper i ence i n eur ope. , a mor e det ai l ed st at ement of your needed mat er i al and t he di f f i cul t i es expect ed f r om doct or uhl woul d oe ver y hel pf ul , we er a ^aoy, wi l l i ng and abl e t o hel p, mor e i nf or mat i on r equest ed. , d, d. hor nbeck, ' et hyl s. a. , br ussel s. r` esso a kh , et ny l` br u ' 0013 g. /* : 13.14 v et hyl br u esso a kh -. . ' . Copenhagen mr s 16/ 1965 13. 10 Lw . et hyl br ussel s t hank you f or your t el ex no. 1 mar ch 15 on et hyl i nf or mat i on on I ncr ease i n heal t h hazar d when r ai si ng l ead f r om 3 t o 4 ml per us gal . st op we do not want any of f i ci al appr oach at pr esent sc pl ease do not cont act danl sh heal t h aut hor i t i es' di r ect l y but send us any mat er i al you may have whi ch demonst r at es t hat heal t h hazar d I s I ncr eased onl y mar gi ns 11y" by such " mdya st op we wi l l cont act John ueuker s of esso net Her n. ands meLdqaar d/ esso Copenhagen sent 13. 20 t el ex 2419* . et hyl br u esso a kh N13333.04 . 0GI 27B- 2 .\ , . March 19, 1965 Mr. Robert J. Riggs Manager, Technical Services Ethyl International Division 100 Park Avenue Hew York, Hew York 1001? Dear Mr. Riggas Dr. Roush has talked with me this morning about the desire of Esso Dansk to increase the permissible concentration of tetraethyllead in gasoline in Denmark from 3.0 to *-.0 ml. per American gallon. We considered, further, the type of information which should be made available to the authorities of the Danish Government, in support of the feasibility of such an increase, without Jeopardising the health of the public or of persons who engage in the handling and use of gasoline. This is, of course, an old story, and no doubt it will be repeated, in one form or another, and in one country or another, from time to time in the future, . The appraisal of this situation In the United States, which may or may not be accepted abroad, has been documented by certain publications, by certain unpublished or partially published reports of the Kettering Laboratory, and by experimental work now in progress in the Kettering Laboratory, the results of which, to date, bear directly and significantly on the certain pertinent aspects of thi3 situation. I am sending, herewith, copies of the available documents, with the suggestion that you review them, yourself, so as to Judge their clarity and their potentialities for influencing the opinions of unbiased persons. I have appended to this letter some comments which may help you in extracting the best and most pertinent information from these documents* I call your attention In particular to statements which I made In this connection in Los Angeles in legislative hearings. I hardly think this should be sent abroad, but It villi serve your purposes very well. With respect to the recent experimental work, no formal report is available, but a memorandum type of report could be put together. In my opinion, such a report should be presented, at the proper time, in a face-to-face discussion of a member of the staff of this Laboratory, with the responsible authorities in Denmark, rather than by a representative of Esso. Mr. Riggs (2) March 19, 1969 It appears that Dr, Roush is expected to go abroad, and he can and should do this, as a member of the Staff o f the Laboratory. The Laboratory Is well and favorably known abroad, and our foreign colleagues have more cultivated respect for University professors and scientists than do their counterparts in the United States. For example, I have been thought of in .Europe much more as a Professor and the Director of the Kettering Laboratory in the University of Cincinnati, than as Medical Director of Ethyl Corporation, although the latter relationship was never concealed or glossed over. This brings me to say that I have always been very much concerned about the manner in which the appropriate information on this general subject is presented to the medical and hygienic authorities In any country, including our own. E s s o ^ representatives in Denmark may be entirely capable of doing a good job of this. It is possible perhaps even likely - that they are not. I am somewhat dubious because of their request that no direct contact be made by representatives of Ethyl Corporation with the Danish authorities, and I am shocked by the following wording of the cable on this subject "which, demonstrates that health hazard is not Increased (or only marginally) by ' raising lead level to 4.0 ML TEL." It is evident that anyone who speaks in these terms fails utterly to understand the situation. If this is hazard at all, the situation is serious; if the hazard is increased, it is still more serious; arid if the increase in hazard is marginal (pay insert, that is, if the increase in hazard increased the likelihood 'of injury to the public health to the point of marginal or questionable significance) the situation is utterly intolerable. Ho honest and responsible health officer could consent to such a proposal. I think therefore, you should have assurances from Jersey's Medical Department (I refer to Dr. Ralph Schneider in Hew York, or Dr. Robert E. Eckhardt of Esao Research .and Engineering Company, Linden, Hew jersey) before you release documentary material to be presented (with Explanatory remarks which may undermine the documents) by lay (or even relatively uninformed medical) personnel of Esso Dansk* It must be borne In mind, that despite our best efforts, the Swiss authorities maintained a ban on the use of tetraeethyllead in Swiss gasoline for many years, and that even yet, there are rumblings of protest. This is indeed a touchy matter, and it Is of the utmost importance that it be handled carefully and properly* Sincerely yours, Ro be rt A. ICehoe, M.D. _ . Director Mr. Riggs (3) March 19, 19 6 5 Material enclosed: 1. Public Health Service Publication No. 7IP. Public Health Aspects of Increasing Tetraethyllead Content in Motor Fuel. 2. Memorandum from The Kettering Laboratory, dated March 18, 1939* On the Hygienic Aspects of a Proposed Increased in the Maximum Limit of the Concentration of Tetraethyllead in Motor Gasoline to Four Milliliters Per American Gallon. 3. The Harben Lectures, i960 The Metabolism of Lead in Man in Health and Disease by Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. (See Lecture III especially). The other two, one bound and the other unbound, are for your ovai information, these having been intended for non-medical persons Comments for the benefit of Mr* Higgs The documentary material supplied herewith, as listed at the end of my letter is voluminous and some of it may be difficult of interpretation for a non-medically or non-biologically oriented person, although the facts are presented as simply as possible. Certain of the more important matters are summarized in the two statements made in Los Angeles at hearings held by two legislative committees in 1961 and 1964, respectively. More elaborate information has been presented in Public Health Service Publication No. 712 (the red booklet), beginning on page 30. This material was taken from the larger report of the Kettering Laboratory dated March 13, 1959* The virtue of the Public Health Service Publication is, of course, that it is a governmental document. Attention is called specifically in the report of the Kettering Laboratory to the following pages, in which certain specific and important statements are made. The first three items are not relevant to the situation in Denmark. Tangential matters of occupational health 1. Paragraph fbj page 2 2. Paragraph (b) page 4 3. Paragraph (b)page 5 4. Paragraph (To) page 7 and the Notes which follow through page 8 5 . Paragraph (bT page 14 6 . Items 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 and 10, pages 14 through 34 in their entirety Primary issues of 7 . Page 41 to the middle of page 42 public health All of the material in between Items 7 and 8 is pertinent 8 . Page 6 l Item (6 ) bottom of page through page 65 . summarizes the facts and conclusions. In the Harben Lectures, the last lecture from page 72 to the end discusses the fate of inhaled lead in some detail on a physiological basis. This will appeal only maximally to a physiologist. KE 0 0 1 2 ' :nt