Document 9Lyrd7OB7qKgaVwEnJLxQOO26

ETHYL CORPORATION Ho u s t o n P l a n t March 2 9 , 1973 PLEASE ADDRESS REPLY TO: BOX 472 PASADENA, TEXAS 7750! Ro b e r t A, Ke h o e , M.D. Ke t t e r in g La b o r a t o r y Eden an d Be t h e s d a Aven u es Cin c in n a t i, Oh io 45219 Dear Dr . Kehoe: My e x p e r ie n c e s w it h t h e seamen fr om t h e M.V. EID who a b s o r b e d la r g e amounts o f o r ga n ic le a l in Ju ly 1972 have been most fr u s t r a t in g and e n t i r e ly u n s a t is fa c t o r y . The s h ip i s le a s e d by E t h y l fr om Ma r in e Tran sp ort Lin e s and is under B r it is h R e g is t r y . E t h y l's In t e r n a t io n a l D iv is io n h a s n e ve r g iv e n me a i e n t i r e ly ca n d id s t o r y o f how t h e men were exposed. I b e lie ve th e s ig n ific a n t exposures were a s fo llo w s . Sometime in Ju n e 1 9 7 2 , t h e r e was a s p i l l o f f l u i d on t h e d e ck o f t h e s h ip w h ile i t was d is c h a r g in g fl u i d a t t h e Ca n a r y Is la n d s an d a n o t h e r a t Do r d r e ch t in H o lla n d . On Ju l y 1 2 , 1 9 7 2 , D r . F a l t s i s in Gr e e ce s e n t t e le t y p e s t o Dr . Roush an d t o me w h ich r e a d , "Fo llo w in g le a d u r in e r e s u lt s o b t a in e d on sa m p le s o f EID crew members when in T h e s s a lo n ik i a ft e r Ju n e 2 3 , 1 9 7 2 . Alls o p 0 .1 9 5 , Me s q u it a 0 .2 , De O liv e r a 0 .1 5 5 , Jo s e Lo jo 0 .1 9 . De n ie d a n y in c id e n t in v o lv in g co n t a m in a t io n . P o s s ib ilit ie s a r e e it h e r ' con tam in ated u r in e sam ples or in vo lve d d i r e c t ly o r in d i r e c t ly in 2nd Mate Ca t h r o i n c i d e n t ." Dr . Roush d e t e r m in e d t h a t t h e "Ca t h r o in c id e n t " was t h e s p i l l a t t h e Ca n a r y I s la n d s . The s h ip was at t h a t t im e in Do r d r e ch t , Ho lla n d and sch e d u le d t o d e p a r t fo r Houston t h a t d a y . Dr . Roush d ir e c t e d E t h y l' s In t e r n a t io n a l Div is io n t o h old t h e s h ip and sam ple ever yb od y a b oar d . Th is was done by some n o n -m e d ica l p er son and t h e s h ip d e p a r te d Dor d r ech t fo r Houston Ju ly 1 4 , I am s u r e Dr . Ro u s h 's in t e n t io n s w er e t h a t i t be h e ld a t Do r d r e ch t u n t i l t h e pr oblem co u ld be r e s o lv e d . The voya ge t o Houston t o o k fr om Ju l y 14 t o Au gu s t 5 . The Ca p t a in h ad been t o ld t h e r e was a h igh le a d c o n t e n t in t h e a i r in t h e void space between th e cargo tan ks and th e w all o f th e s h ip , and th a t he sh o u ld keep t h e h a t ch e s c lo s e d . Bu t h e d e cid e d a b e t t e r s t r a t e g y was t o v e n t i la t e t h e s e v o id s p a c e s , s o fo r 21 d sys he had a la r g e ca n v a s "fu n n e l" r igge d up to fo r ce a ir in t o th e se sp aces and t h is , I b e lie v e MB' GvuOi J1 Dr. R. A. Kehoe - 2 - March 2 9 , 19 73 b r o u gh t o r g a n ic le a d fu m es co n t in u o u s ly o n t o t h e d e c k , an d fo r much o f t h e t im e in t o t h e q u a r t e r s o f t h o s e crewmen on t h e s t a r b o a r d s id e o f t h e s h ip . I have n e ve r been o f f i c i a l l y t o ld why t h e vo id s p a ce s were con tam in ated b u t th e fa c t i s t h a t t h e r e were some cr a ck s in t h e ca r go t a n k s w hich were le a k in g some flu i d in t o t h e s e vo id s p a ce s . Th e s e , o f co u r s e , were su b seq u en tly r e p a ir e d . Sometime I w i l l s e e you p e r s o n a lly and w i l l g iv e you a d e t a ile d ve r b a l r e p o r t o f t h e many d i ffi c u l t and r e a lly im p o s sib le s it u a t io n s in vo lve d in t h e w hole a ffa i r . De s p it e t h e fa c t t h a t many o f t h e s e men had v e r y h igh s p o t le a d in u r in e v a lu e s t h a t p e r s is t e d a lo n g t im e , t h e y n e ve r had ve r y co n v in cin g symptoms. I sp eak enough Sp a n is h t o e l i c i t e symptoms an d n on e o f t h e s e men a d m it t e d t o much in so m n ia , dream ing o r headache u n t il t h e y were coach ed by a t t o r n e y s and o t h e r s . By t h e w ay, Dr s . Bu ck lin and Rhem a r e p r a c t ic in g a t t o r n e y s a s w ell a s m ed ical d o ct o r s . , I d o n ' t know w hat r e c o r d s you w er e s e n t , b u t t h e seamen were exam in ed by a gr ou p o f i n t e r n i s t s who head B a y lo r ' s In t e r n a l Me d icin e Dep ar tm en t an d fou n d t o b e e s s e n t i a ll y symptom fr e e and w it h no e v id e n ce o f i l l n e s s . A com p eten t n e u r o lo g is t , Dr . Go o d , a ls o fou n d n o co n v in cin g C.N .S . symptoms o r fin d in g s . I hope t h i s a n sw e r s you r p r in c ip a l q u e s t io n . Maybe I w i l l s e e you in Den ver n e xt m onth! Sin ce r e ly you r s, JGB: W J . G. Bu r d ic k , M.D. P la n t Med ical Dir e cto r K B 0006132