Document 939B6oEkNvR6m009XvEoMomDL

e CON FIDENT1AL Environmental Control department Research 6 Engineering Center February 4, 1969 MINUTES OF MEETING ON ASBESTOS AND HEALTH GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION INLAND MANUFACTURING DIVISION ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL - CLEVELAND, OHIO JANUARY 28, 1969 On Tuesday, January 28, 1969, the following people met at St. Luke's Hospital in Cleveland for a discussion on asbestos and health: . ---_^ Inland Manufacturing Division _ ("3 /A J. F. Hale - Manager Production Purchasing Dr. M. E. Gibson, M.D. - Medical Director Dr. G. Rappaport, TUO. - Section Chief, Chemistry Laboratory J. Feldman - Superintendent of Manufacturing S. T. Wright - Safety Director H, Newsum - Personnel Director ( Lake-Asbestos K. W. Nelson - Director of Industrial Hygiene, Asarco E. A. Farrell - Sales Manager Asbestos Corp., Ltd. P. LeClerc - Sales Manager Thelford Mines Industrial Clinic Dr. P. Cartier, M.D. J ohnn-Mnnv]11o 11. G. Donovan - Sains Manage:', Asbestos Fiber - U.S. K, M. Fenner - Director of Environmental Control R. R. Standel, Jr. - Counsel Dr. S. Spell, PhD - Director of Corporate Research 4 Development St. Luke's Hospital and Institute of Occupational 6 Environmental Health - QAMA Dr. G. W. Wright, M.D. The meeting was opened with brief introductory remarks by F. A. Farrell to explain that he had been requested by J. F. Hale to organize this meeting. After these comments the meeting was turned over to me, and I conducted it until conclusion. 0 0 N F 1 I) K N T f A l. MINUTES OF mri'lNC ON ASBESTOS AND IfKAETII (CoiiLM.) -I- Kebru.iry 4, i960 1 first requested Lli.it Mr. Hale discuss his reasons for requesting this meeting, and explain what he hoped could be accomplished. This he did very briefly, I then introduced Dr. Wright as Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, QAHA; and explained he would be our main speaker. Dr. Wright spoke for approximately two hours. He discussed the history and present state of knowledge concerning asbestos and disease, including descriptions of asbestosis, bronchogenic cancer and mesothelioma. He presented slides showing ferruginous ("asbestos") bodies in sections of the human lung, and showed chest X-rays that differentiated between normal lungs and lungs that had been affected by asbestosis. Dr. Wright emphasized his belief that the causes of bronchogenic cancer and mesothelioma, as well as asbestosis, are time-dose related, and that with exposures to only very low levels of asbestos fiber dust concentrations, these diseases can be controlled. The roundtable discussion that followed Dr. Wright's remarks was primarily directed at environmental control. I explained that Johns-Manville's approach to the problem was to install dust control equipment that would bring our asbestos fiber dust levels down to the range of 2 to 4 fibers per cc. It was noted that this level of control is much tighter than the 12 fibers per cc or 2 MPPCF proposed by the American Congress of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, which in turn is considerably lower than the present TLV of 5 MPPCF. The meeting concluded at this point at approximately 2:10 P.M. In my opinion, the Inland group, except Dr. Gibson, was satisfied by Dr. Wright's comments on the time-dose exposure relationship to disease and my remarks on the level of environmental control that could be achieved. Dr. Gibson apparently was not completely satisfied with Dr. Wright's explanation of the time-dose relationship. Instead leaning toward the Dr. Selikoff "one fiber" theory. Dr, Gibson left an unfavorable impression, with some of us because of his attitude. I understand that Dr. Wright, because of his concern, later contacted Dr. Cibson.by phone and that this conversation will be covered in a separate report. EMF/ems cc: 11. M. Ball - G1IQ W. L. VanDerbeek F. J. Solon, Jr. - GHQ R. R. Standel, Jr. - GHQ H. >1. Jackson - DHQ W. P. Raines - GHQ G. W. Wright - Cleveland, Ohio E. M. Fenner N. W. Hendry - Asbestos 1500 11. G. Donovan s. Speil File C INITIALS DATE * i i i * *