Document 6bjRrwoaDeRvOvZ5qxyoQL8KR

OFFICERS Pr*fdnl RALPH J. BAUDHUIN. Rockford Vice Protidenl C. A. BRETHEN, JR., Wyandotte * Ciecullv* Vico Praildtnl ROBERT A. ROLANO. Withlnglo T**jiurar E. C. LAP N, Pittsburgh Secretary ALLAN W. OATES, JVaeMngton Field Secretary JAMES N. ELLIOTT, Waihlrtfton REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS New England JOSEPH S. W. PARKER. Malden Eastern C. 6. BROWN, Tonawanda Eatt Central f. J. DERRICK. CHwIfwatl Wed Central ROBERT A. TAPPeNOORP, CWcafe Southern HUOM H. MAYBERRY, IrenewteS, Qd. Southwestern HAROLD WEINBERQ, Denver p. W. KtNNBBV, ue AnteMl 1500 Rhod* Island Avenue, N.W, Washington, O.C. 20005 11 December, 1972 Miss Joan LeBlanc, Publisher MIDNIGHT Globe Newspapers, Inc. 1440 St. Catherine Street, N.W. Suite 625 Montreal, P.Q., Canada Dear Miss LeBlanc: Regarding a recent article appearing in MIDNIGHT (November 27, 1972), entitled "Newest Poison in Paint," we must take exception to the many er roneous statements presented. For over three decades, the paint industry, acting in a responsible way, has voluntarily limited the use of soluble lead compounds in manufacturing. Since World War II, only minute amounts of lead have been used. In 1955, this in dustry cooperated with the American National Standards Institute in developing a standard of 1% lead in paint. The U.S. Congress has recently limited the amount of lead in modern paints of 0.5% after December 31 of this year, an action the paint industry wholeheartedly supported. Although lead poisoning is a serious problem in many urban areas, its cause is directly attributable to poor home maintenance and lack of parental supervision as well as from highly leaded paints made 30 years ago. The false claim that paint now contains PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls) is absolutely ridiculous. It shows that your publication does not care to check its assumptions before calling them facts. PCB's were at one time used as in gredients in plasticizers. However, the limited use of these chemicals in paints has completely halted since February of 1971. In fact, the Federal Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of PCB's except in closed-loop systems such as heat transfer units and electrical conductors. Instead of public outrage against a historically civic-minded industry, as you call for, the public should indeed be outraged by this callous, deliberate dis regard for journalistic standards. To paraphrase the article again, for too long the general public has been duped by unprofessional journalism such as yours. STLCOPCB4063647 Miss Joan LeBlanc 11 December, 1972 Page 2 A clarification of this article IN WRITING is not only appropriate, but I should think necessary on your part. I look forward to receiving a clip of the retraction Very truly yours. ALAN DARROW,' Assistant Director Communications Division AD/pIn Enc DSW 282319 STLCOPCB4063648