Document 6wgwvY0eYGBo6aZ23wv8wbaL9

For* Release: Subject; Immediately RECORDS REVIEW REVEALS FOUR CANCER DEATHS AT SHAWINIGAN FACILITIES cn-vc/rvc -wjy JAH 6 m The O. F. Goodrich Company B.F.GOODRICH CANADA LIMITED Contact: Trevor L. Jones Director, Corporate and Public Affairs Executive Offices; Kitchener, Ont. U2G 4-J 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. see 1-0536 ) (More) appendix b / -- - 2--REC0RDS 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. \ 12-1374 0- - see 1-0537