Document B5y5O01JrneE3dw414od87zvE

FILE NAME: Railroads (RR) DATE: 1977 Nov 10 DOC#: RR046 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter from Dr. Sutfin to Mr. Williams Downplaying the Risk of Mesothelioma from Asbestos Containing Products in the Railway System I "Jacksonville,.,-ipLorida, November 30, 197Tj^AK3 j Ike . " . *f* * J . 'V-* -v*-.- . ' ` ir - - .. Mr. J. L. Williams Vice President-Operations Reference is made--topyour letter to me' dated September 9 1977, copy to Mr. Waldo^F. Wingate, in regard to asbestos containing 'products that-are used on the railr oa Mesothelioma is a highly malignant tumor involving the pleura or the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. Workers in the asbestos industry have been'found to have a-'high inci dence of this otherwise very rare turror. I am not familiar with the multiple products listed, but it would occur to m e . that only those products where asbestos fibers are being used In a loose, dry state should be -eliminated and substitutes found, if possible. , It .is.noted that the OSHA standards tend to agree with this position in t h a t 'no labeling is required for any product containing asbestos fibers which have been modified by a bonding agent,.coating, binder cr other materials so that during any reasonably foreseeable use, handling, storage, dis posal, processing or transportation, no airborne concentration of the asbestos fibers in excess of the exposure limits which were described will be released. This was contained in Mr. Wingate's report to you of September 16th. ' -'by'Jrh In the political climate of our times in which every' misfortune must be blamed on 'somebody,'particularly if that somebody has money, it is .to ;.ba ^expected .t h a t e v e r y case of cancer, regardless of* theytype "or. l o c a t i o n o c c u r r i n g in any employee will present an opportunity for s o m e 'ambitious attorney to make some sort of a case against the company. I think the recommendations'from Mr.' Wingate are reasonable, but I would perhaps go a little bit further.' Asbestos has been given a great deal of publicity and', w h e r e 'p o s s i b l e , it is sug gested products be used that will serve the same purpose but do not contain asbestos. Adney K. Sutphin, M. D. Chief Medical' Officer s/tdr, Waldo F. Wingate