Document 9JKkRKrnm8xo0R6nRypYQ7KB6

FILE NAME: US Gypsum (USG) DATE: December 23, 1968 DOC#: USG 104 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1968 Memo from GR Krug re asbestos and cancer C--; ROM: iJECT: I t?i8 , G. R . Krug Asbontod and C ar.cor. lkeC3<jo fiaccsbar 23 i 960 O /I y Based upon in c r e a s e d advarae p u b l ic it y and n o d ica l a t te n tio n g iv o a to h e a l t h e f f e c t s o f i n h a l i n g a sb o sto s d u s t , wo f e e l i t is a p p ro p ria te to f o o ili a r iz o you with, term inology, cu rran t r a d i c a l and l e g a l ap p ro ach es and ou r Company approach r e l a t i n g to a s b e s t o s . T em lnolofty 36 *3 A a b e a to s is i s a form o f p no iu n ocon iosis, which means any ahanga in the Lungs in d u cod by p ro lo n ged In h a la tio n o f duat p a r t i c l e s . A s b a a tc s is la a fo r a o f p n cu a o co n io sis caused by the prolonged in h alation o f ascesto s fib e r s . A sbestos is a g e n e r ic ance a p p lie d to a group o f fib ro u s m in erals co rp o sed o f lo n g f l e x i b l e f i b e r s t h a t can bo su b d ivid ed i o n g t i - , tu d in ally Into flia a a a ts o f very s c a li dianetar. " The a s D e s to s m in e r a ls are s i l i c a t e s and they belong e it h e r to Z the s e r p e n tin a o r to the a a p h ib o le group o f m in e r a ls . Th.o most j in s a r ta n t v a r ie t y i t C h rv sn clla (w hite a sb e sto s), ,menber o f * ^ h T A l,\ ir 0 the t o r p e n t ir .e g r o u p . Thin f a n s i s the p r iz e type usod by u s . 'th o r Im p o rta n t farm s are a c o s i t o (brcun) and c r o c id o lit e to O-. C - ' 1. U n it e d States G ypsum C ompa.ny c1 cJ both of which belong to tha anphibola group. plants 0 2 6 3 one o f these. Only one of cur Host of the c h r y s o t i l o coaos free Qticaoe, though s m l i a r anounts ara produced La V e m c n t , Aris oaa arid C a lif o r n io . A f r ic a i s tha source o f a l l c f the anosita and c a st of the c r c e i a o l i t a . A u s t r a l i a and B o l i v i a supply snail quan tities c f c r c c i d o l i t a . The f a l lo w in g a s d i c a l terns are often used in relationsh ip to lung dis o rd ers and asbestos: Pu.irar.ar7 F ib r o s is - A progressive dogeneration o f tha lung v a i l s of underteroInod origin leading to d e fic ie n t aeration o f the clead, In othar words, tha ch e sicai function o f the lungs (crchnugo of gasses) i s inpairad. KesothaLiona - Is a rara caiignancy which i n f i l t r a t e s the lung c a v i t y or the aidcain al c a v i t y , spreads rapidly and is incurable. Carcinogen - Any cancer-producing su tsto n cs. Asbestos is b e lie v e d to be a carcinogen or carcinogenic agent. (O iiO t fO ilil COPY - J Currnt Medimi ftr.d Lnrrt 1 Aanranchea I n t e n s i v e s tu d y o f PwW*w0C r*c t*cn o f exposure and the devaiacoant te e n d o cu ra n ta d =7 th e O .S . Put t a s t ile in d u s tr y . Cna a l a m i n g f e a t u r e or a t le a s t two s t u d ie s , rap o rtad in ina B r itis h Jo u r n a l o f In d u s tr ia l M edicine, is tha fa c t th at t sr sens l i v i n g in th e v i c i n i t y o f s in e s and s i l l s p r o c e ss in g a s t e r in s' C* have developed c e s o th e lic s s s without any occupational esca cures. l i e s e v e r a l o f th e p u b lish ed stu d ie s r e la t in g a sb e sto s hr lung cancer a r e L u p r e s s i v e , tho group stu d ie s cede by D r. I --rLr ^ * S e l i k c f f h ave p r o b a b ly had tile g re st e s t in p c c t on ZZa S*r.erai p u b lic . He i n d i c a t e s a sin e *33 in d u stry and users w3^ j o s J i i i i y ha ca u sin g w id e sp re a d c a rc in o g e n ic a ir p o llu t io n . The news c e c ia has r i c k e d t h i s up and played i t to cha i i i l t . iur previous co n cern had always tear, a sa e cta sis vr.ich racu rrcs anpasure to l a r g e d u c t co n ce n tra tio n s in a ssess o f 5, CGC. COJ a s p e r c u b ic f o c t o v e r a p e r io d o f 3 c v s r a i y a s r s - The s c a r e , w h i c h n a y o r c o y r . s t h e w a i l r ^ u u d a c , 3 3 s u s <% sv a rsa o f co n cern a r e *e r s d i s t 1o s e d t o .* 4 f8 * ^ 4* i V.*.* ^- w-->,-- V-^ . *--1 * L ^ _ i U ^ 4 m. --.-5i s u c h a g e n t s a s l ^ ** o '' 9 o C O P Y rTETAiNJpQ ,o *'< y w O' : ) / tobacco scale a , ash es ton d u st, and about 13 o th e rs, e t c * , fin d a fe r tile ground Tor growth and destru ction * One n a jo r a s b e s to s p roducar, Cased upon some senders o f tha. m ed ical p r o f e s s io n , tak es tha p o s itio n th a t lung c a r te r and a s b e s t o s is tak e abou t 20 to 25 years to develop and th a t there I s no r is k to the g e n e ra l p u b lic . I t is acknowledged th a t asb e sto s workers who smoke have 92 tin e s the in cid en ce o f lung cancer as tha p u b l i c . I t is f e l t th at asb estos uorkars vr.o do n o t smoke have no g r e a te r Looider.ee o f lung cancer than t i e general p u b lic - Tha theory hara being th at asbestos nay e c t as a holding agent o f oth er harmful dusts, m ists or gases without asbestos it s a if'b e in g harm ful. I t is aur u n d erstan d in g th a t the American Conference o f Gover mental In d u s tr ia l H y g ie n ists has reduced the Threshold lim it Value (T17) fo r a s o e s ta a dus t exposure froa 5 m illio n p a r t ic l per euole fo o t ( m .p .p .c - f .) to 2 m illio n p a r tic le s per cubic foot e ffe c tiv e in 1963. C crn n r.r Actsro ach American Mutual l i a o i l i t y Insurance Company i s ju s t completing a ir terns and sc at la c dust s tu d io s a t a i l Company prop erties using asoeatos or ctr.ar ta z ic ingred ien ts. C O P Y r. T 'U M u 3 CI' O H O'10'' u Department 166 i t p r e s e n tly in tile process a f recommending an oraraU " Company hygior.e program to MmnaGOhir.t which w in include such items a s: 1) E sta b lish m e n t o f Threshold Lim it Values fo r a l l to n ic d u s ts . Where TLV' s are arcoeded, d esp ite a l l p r a c t i c a l step s `Doing taker, to reduce sane, exposed employees s h a ll be required to vasr approved r e s p ir a t o r s . This w ill e n ta il a com prehen sive d a i ly cle a n in g procedure on the p ert o f the P la n t so each exposed employee is issued a thoroughly cleaned u n it each day. * 2) At those lo c a tio n s wncro to n ic dusts are kmo-sm to be in u s a , dust samples v i l l be taken uH3 u-tC* / limed fre q u e n tly u n t il o v e ra ll dust hazard le v e ls are e s ta b lis h e d . Then a normal Tired to st cycle i v iL i bo follow ed fo r m cr.itaring purposes. a 3) No nev uses of a sb e sto s should bo introduced ir.ts our p la n ts w ithout f i r s t cle a rin g through Depart- T cant ' S o -2, Loss Prevention hangar. o Z. . i 3 3 M innual I - r a y s , as roqV -6 -3 , s h a ll be taken COPY flSTAINED S* o u, c ' s * &-v . .O \ c * -o 5) I t is urg ed , I I a t a l l p o ssib le , that c a l? nan-asokars - be h ir e d fo r area 3 o f asb e sto s exp o su ra. H o a rd in g . . -"--I p r e s e n t p e r s o n n e l, e n d e a rs sh o u ld bo r e lo c a t e d to l a s t f VlV hazard o u s exp o sures, uhare fe a s ib le . . v . * I f Management appro ves the hygiaao p ro gran, your o b lig a tio n v i l l -- 4 be to a ssu re th a t any uses o f asbestos o r o th e r to x ic dust3 w it h - - . * .4 i n th e p l a n t s , co m p ly w it h c u r Conpeny ap p ro ach and t h a t emeu - a n d e v e r y o p e r a t in g f a c i l i t y be node aw are o f the fo re g o in g , \ A tta ch e d i s sooe background n o t o r ia l w hich w i l l illu s t r a t e th e ; m agnitude o f th e problem and co n fu sio n th a t e x i s t s . We w i l l k e e p y o u a b r e a s t o f a n y a a j o r chan g es t h a t o c c u r , Any a r t i c l e s yo u n a y happen upon sh o u ld be s e n t to D e p a rtn sn t T c o - 1, Lo ss P re v e n tio n Manager. <e f e e l t h i s su b J e c t i s too c o n t r o v e r s i a l to fce s e n t d *.o eacn p l a n t by us f o r f e a r i t c a y g e t in t o e hand s e r s o c s who w i l l m isu se o r a i s i a t e r r . r a t i t . 0 1 .0 H O . i O ^ * ** 4 A l l G e n e ra l, M anufacturing and P ro d u ctio n Managers; G .H . H u n t ic y , v/.W. G o iio u c 7 and C . ? . 21pp. c o p y r e t a in s : ^ ( j- *