Document 7Mp4Bym1XwJYx512L204qQzaa
FILE NAME: RT Vanderbilt (RTV)
DATE: 1988 Oct 3
DOC#: RTV010
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Newspaper Article - Secret Deal Reached Talc Regulations
From Last Page
pattern ofthe talc workers."
gust. _with provisions tor supple menting or revising them
nougn work on a new Yanderbiit study began `as eariv as Octo ber 1984." the NIOSH mvesttgarion report says, "no project plan" was included in the fiscal 1983-85 plans. NIOSH officials' visits to Norwalk in September 1964 were
*aryed to a "National Coal Study
and Related Research," travel in January 1985 to "Morbidity and
Mortality Study 0f the Industrial Sand Industry."
On Oct. 3 a letter went to the
Social Security Administration seeking information for a study on lung cancer," and or. Dec. 20 an agreement was signed with that agencyformalizingthe request.
Vanderbilt President Hugh
Vanderbilt and two colleagues vis ited Morgantown Dec. 20, and Dr. Rcgar, with Dr. Glenns approval, went to Norwalk Jan. 28. 1985
That same day DRDS asked that hrads be transferred to Social Secu rity for a "mortality survey of indi
Although NIOSH policycalls for viduals occupationally exposed tc internal and external peer review? asbestos talc, silica dust, etc."
^ a
`bor-mdustry-N10SH * Vanderbilt officials sited
retdew. "this was not done with re Morgantownagain Oct. 24.1985. to
spect to the mortality study of talc workers at the agency's Division of Respirator}- Disease Studies (DRDS;
Work on the project was "inten tionally concealed" from NIOSK Director J. Donald Millar and from NIOSH researchers in Cidimau the probe finds.
"Not until it was certain that the study would eventually have to be made public" did key NIOSH em ployes "developthe strategy to have
the company request a health haraid evaluation.* which is required by law where employers or workers
oasrnss "mortality* and on Jan. 22, 1986, DRDS sponsored a seminar c talc and asbestos mineralogy in
Mo^antown conducted by Vander bilts Rieger. Harvey and C Sheldon Thompson, director of mineral research.
Vanderbilt industrial hymenist John V. Kelse visited Dr. Gam ble on March 31, June 17 and July -3,1986. OnJune 27and Ju!v17-18 Vanderbilt's Rieger visited Morg^town. and on Aug. 22 that rear Mr- Thompson and Mr. Rieger fcf Vaoderbilt visited Dr. Glenn in Morgantown.
ask for help in determining the im pact of potentially toxic or hazard
Events Uncovered
ous substance;- in the workplace.
According to the NIOSH probe,
^NTOSH Executive Officer Larrv this is the chronological story of
W. Sparks, who wrote the investi- Vanderbilt's efforts to influencethe
gative report, says the evaluation government decision;
"is not an appropriate mechanism
On July 26, 1984. about a
for long-term epidemiological re month after NIOSH had testified
search projects."
during asbestos rule hearings.
.When the evaluation request Konrad C. Rieger, a Vanderbih ce
was received, the man assigned as ramics engineer, sited Dr. Gam
investigator was John Gamble, a ble in Morgantown. ---
DRDS epidemiologist ir. Moigan-
On Aug. 21 Mr. Rieger, Allan
, town. W.Va Dr. Gamhle had par- M. Harvey, Vanderbilt's director id'
; tidpated in a i960 NIOSH study environmental affairs, and Dennis
that found worker exposure to the M. Race, a Washingtonattorney for
Vanderbilt talc was linked togreat the company, paid a similar visit,
errisk ot developinglungcancer
during which the Vanderbilt team
About twoweeks later. Dr. Gam complained abouttire "inadequacy*
ble wrote a memorandum critic- I ofthe 1989studyand discusseddef
rag the NIOSH position on health ! initions of asbestos and the miner
risks of exposure to Vanderbilt talc als in the Vanderbilt talc, as wellas
and urging a rvaluation of how a new government asbestos
NIQSH's mortality study.
, rule might affectthe company.
. .ironically, the memo ran 22
On Sept 12, Robert E. Glenn,
pages long and had 47 references
director of the respiratory disease
and was, Dr. Gamble conceded, the result ofseveral years ofwork, so it started tong before the evaluation request
division, authorized Drs. Gamble, I Robert E. Reger, senior mathemati
cal statistician, and Harlan Amandus, another epidemiologist, to go
to Vanderbilt's headquarters in
Norwalk to discuss a new look at
the I960 study.
Thirteen days later Vanderbilt
sent Dr. Gamble uifcnnation to en
able him to "analyze the tnortalin
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