Document 9JjEL2K8M13JJ3ggo7M6GBRBR

CC: Dr K. A. Kelaoe Mr* H. Fossstt ' July IS, 1939 - Bear Sr. Fossetts ' la answer to your July 7th letter concerning bomb-proof ' Ethyl blending facilities, 1 should like to clarify the suggestion advanced in ay letter of June 30th* If this clarification still does aot indicate that the M r Commend*3 order can be complied with ad@.uately 'by the alteiuatiwe facilities suggested, I believe the speci fically detailed' information you wish, could best be developed by the Bnginsering Department of the Air Force froa drawings and specifi cations b o w is the possession of I.C.I, I understand from your letter that the Engineering Depart- a m t has already designed complete and adequat ventilation for the entire gasoline storage, tunnels, and power plant* Ventilation for the Fluid mixing and storage span has not yet been designed duo to the lack " of answer to two questions!' whether or not to use an- enclosed drum booth and pertinent standards of air change rat for the handling ox Ethyl Fluid* If blending mast be don 'underground, or in any enclosed place, X am in agreement that & drum booth should bo provided. I would suggest that your approval of ventilation design be predicated on that design meeting the standards established for our Blender buildingoverall, and for the {greed-draft druas&ag booths contained in the Blender 'building* I would be quit willing to 'have our people here develop the necessary design, data for yoaj. however,' 2' feel,quite sure 'that the entire design could be developed much .sore quickly and satisfactorily between the E n gineering Department* I.C.I end your o w n staff . We have given. 1*0I* all drawings, specifications, data* -etc* and these should be available now in London* ' Going hack to. our previous suggestion for .an alternative to underground blending aid the necessity of providing an enclosed, forced- draft dim- booth* you state the Air Ministry ruled out the' idea of hav ing several protected surface blending platforms due to their visibility from the.air* It waa not our intention to suggest installation of per- rsanont platforms* Say X reword the suggestions ' He 0015806 Mr, H, Fossett -2- July 18, 1939 1* Completely protect gasoline tankage, power facilities, pipelines, Ethyl Fluid storage; in other words, completely protect every physical piece of.equipment, just as is now contemplated. 2. Make no attempt to protect the blending operation (eduction of Fluid from drums), for the reason that this operation need not be performed during a time when protection is necessary. You concur with our view that the operation need not ba performed during attack, and that it will not be performed oftener than once in perhaps six months. 3. Provide in the open air proper connections to the under ground pipeline for Fluid, eduction. We suggested more than one such location for the same reason provision has been roads for more then one ventilation outlet duct - spar in case of direct hit* thus giving opportunity for later repair, A. Make this location invisible. The. piping take-offs and valve handles could be contained in a 3-foot diameter manhole extending down to th main pipeline, the hole filled with sand bags for pipeline protection plus quiik access to the pipeline in cas of necessity, The top of the hole could be sodded .over except when in use. 5* All above-ground paraphernalia used during blending designed, portable! - eductor, standpipe and connections, drum blocks or ' platforms, etc* It appears to us that the above complies fully with the Air Command order. All vital services, supplies, and physical equipment are completely protected. Hothing is visible to attackers, or at least everything.' can be made invisible very quickly on attack warning. Since this is the Case, it is difficult for us to see the justification for going to the expense of underground, enclosed blending, with its attendant potential hazards, in spite of ventilation; in other words going to that expense and hazard for the sake of protecting a mobile affair that,is only exposed a matter of three or four hours out of six months, particularly when there is complete choice in designating those few hours, Very truly yours, J. H, Schaefer 0015807 SsB