Document BvDxM5gNrwDrM8Mv4gJ20jrMj

PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT BIR-7 HAFNER INDUSTRIES, INC. . P.O. BOX 3923 AMITY STA. NEW HAVEN. CONN. 06525 February 2, 1979 Mr. Leonard ,W. Weaver Technical Center 'Manager Bird & Son East Walpole, Mass. 02032 Dear Mr. Weaver: A copy of your letter dealing with the asbestos "controversy to Plastics Design Forum which appeared in the January/February 1979 issue is attached. Let me quickly say that I subscribe completely to its- contents for it represents the clear reflection of an informed writer. If only the media who actually form tdie vast majority of public opinion would develop the whole story - and not treat, an appro priate newsworthy subject so superficially - we would all be better served. We have a proprietary and commercial interest in the asbestos story which may be of interest- to you. It involves the chemical recovery of a variety of PVC-containing wastes for the purpose of reusing them as materials. One of the materials reclaimed is asbestos fiber. We are entering the market development phase and believe you will be interested in both the quality of the product (s) and its forecasted selling price which will be quite competitive with your raw material sources. A recent SRI study predicts a 10% shortfall in world asbestos supply by 1980. Additionally, the reclaimed PVC resins and additives have been evaluated as at least equal to their virgin counterparts. The PVC market development effort is also moving forward now. Your vinyl siding operation may also have interest in its price and quality advantages thereby avoiding some of the price escalations. My contact (s) with Bird & Son have involved our evaluation of its hardware. My long-standing contact has been Mr. Robert Groh. Dedicated to Resource Recovery 0 010 5 n o Mr. Leonard W. Weaver Bird & Son Page 2 February 2, 1979 This letter therefore contains buy-and-sell opportunities for writer and addressee. I would like to hear from-^irdr&r. Son for I believe a dialogue established now could have economic benefits, as well as a contribution to materials and energy conservation with environmental improvement. Hopefully, Bird & Son share our national conservation and environ mental goals which we are dedicated to'see realized. It is. too seldom that this type of effort offers an economic benefit that accompanies a useful social good. We would like to discuss our venture more specifically with you and hope that you will favorably `consider this business opportunity. .. Very truly yours, EAFNER INDUSTRIES INC. Edwin A. Hafner President Enc, EAH/plt 00105 ReaDeRS' FORum/LerreRS Asbestos controversy (cont.) each material. As designers, we'are not quite acceptable, but 0566 ohpT-54,'Is':; Your discussions of asbestos In the only concerned with the aesthetic ap- _not good enough In the formula for con-';' Reader's Forum/Opinlon section ofyour, pearanca but also the long-term tise re-"..''verting to deg C. , ''":- November/December Issue seem to quirements. ! ` I like the five significant figures given place the emphasis In the wrong place. , I find your magazine to be an excel- to convert from kg to lb (2.2046), but ' First, the recognition of the hazardous tent source of plastics technology .that why give us' only two significant figures ' nature of asbestos Is belated, to say the every Industrial designershouldread. (0.0011) to convert from kg'to short ton least.ltwasbacklnthel930sthatpublfc . -s .it. i-..^vHtiroIdN^Mlnic^,IDSA. -..and (0.00045) to convert from lb to health officials Identified most of the-; i - -Ptesident metric ton? I would have preferred to see, problems relatedto asbestcsfiberandthe. -' ..YvYf-'Y!-;nni'ij;Y'r~S re- . more enlightened took stepsto pn^-^ otherexamplesllmttthe con-..' rC^^ojoSy.twasteiffcami- .-Y exict figureTSke.0.3048:'-' rounded off.to 0.305 [y'you may co'nsldef the above Granted that there are:fntm^jnrtanc^?4ReaI^M|i^pQ-si^Mdjsha^Qr^)igCm'i^`n)t-'pkkirjg.'Withthemore wherett should be,eilmlriatedforgybll^plartto'<^t^^^^,p^uh^Tg^^fei^uylej^piffllqn'be^ available",'it Is healthteasons, ^`tfjajfyir^eceyb^ri^giSjt materials cannotbe usedydthourta^5r/^waystfi[loyet.j'Jl)e^copipany-prettyc".(hecQ.n^r4m'<^kl?^b to.$2.55/kg Is ing the properties ofthe.f(nlsh'e^ro^ct, ^much ignp^_^e;whenJ wroteithem.; j./j-actu^y;$2.54/kg tq-the nearest penny this Is not always poilble.^r,Y.*7vr'^ Another.`goof, is the difficulty.(often g. but can be'.rounded off.to the nearest As recognized In your article, asbesl imposkbllllyj of repairing plastics Items.' .nickel, as was obviously done In the last y , r * Y,n*-fe; vr?.Trr<C VrtH f.;? substitut^^athcnd^gntherna^ufac-.v^^Keeponexpaslng flqofe.^JTheyrc.vMorf.people.thlnk that when we go turing operation in sucH'a way that the what make the term^plastk*anbbscenl-' 'metrics'we will be in step with the`rest fibers are properly confined both during. ,ty to many people.'.. ___ j ,, .of the world." We, if it even comes to tmdaftertheproce^^Anaaaj^ tEd Huser :pass`, .are going to the weird French Sys- pllshment of this sortwould be more wof-u"^ ", "6.'' ' -K r'Cavaileq N.D,,.. jems Internationale.^It is! only, partially .thy of pride than the simplebOn^ejirSna^^A i' T- * I "l ' : ?!^'"as ,the SF&SX, liters and tion of the use of asbestos fiber! ? '1*' K,` Metrics now".or latef? { I .'meters.- However," there will be a multi- . _ Leonard W. Weaver!'Henjiyjjed youredltorial and thedine art!-'-.' Jude `of, meaningless. terms -.used for Technical Center Manager .'-"cle on metricsin the November/'Decem- "1 '{orce,* "power," and sbon that will con- . Bird Sc Son ' ber 1978 Issue ofPDF. Atpresent! would" fuse generations to come and the rest of East Walpole, Mass. '- preferendidIng291(havePDFjiseU.5. _jhe world.- ' measurements,* with metric1 equivalents ""r PhilPlncha `Must* reading 1 In parentheses)'.' . ' j Engineering Manager The article "Design options for business- However, the subject of metrics Is Lortone Div., Carborundum Co. machine housings"'(September/Octo- confusing enough to me without being Seattle, Wash, ber 1978) is just great! This is the type of told that"a radian Is equivalent to 57 de-" f" material so greatly needed In the design grees 18 Inches' on pt'S^.and.to convert Ibelieveweshouldconverttometncright business. 1 have made It`must' reading from psi to MPaby multiplying by0.0689 for all of our deessiiggnneersrs. .: onp.521 ' " j Earlier this year, we were involved In Obviously the m in min was 'drop a business-machine housing that re ped; but 0.06S9 Is approximately 10 quired an extensive review ofthe various times too large, 0.0G63S476 being more options noted in ycur article. Also, the precise. . j stability properties were reviewed for Rounding off 5/9 to 0555555... is now, but obviously you need to show the old units for a while. Some additional thoughts from a former European, who is making the changesfcack to wha;! used :c c'o (andri's tough!): Themagicis net metrics, jtisc'ec'/hc/. < puxsncscesjCN forum .-ANUAHY/resRUAXY :y?y 0 0 10 5 o ; , . .*"*# ,^'J* ' t ,. >, REpiyiTO: EAST WALPOLE,'MAC2032 i;:- TEL: '617-668^500 : --- '-----v.---. ^ .Vsrrpjtfl Spfo&r'v' . ' .^^iFomn/OpI nion '.section 'of"your?, /S>i n*ifL 3y , : __ _ ^tHeferaplias1s;v1 nlthevwrong place. ''- In the .." -^^P^^^Ihazard6us;.natura'bf; asbestoses belated,-.;;.-' . ^ifc^_S^^js^^lepfa^s^v^^r|io;5b5lj!eVi^^D^'laactl^e3cpI):-^th.eai'sl9b3e0s`stolVsth'faibte pru,;ba! n1 dc heal th'. officials'sidentithe.more.enllghtened'V >. jd^jWalffiras'5tobkBteps'c.lb-protect'`the`health of the workers; tVAMU11*.m'.XL*1 1:1_.T*1 V _* `'.''I : r '( Kt)jat%there areMnanyr-instances' where:!t should'be^eliminated-:for?publ 1 c" health; \j^M|'r.e^sons'^and where substitute materials can be'used without .impairing the properties-of the finished product','`this'is not always possible.'-"' -VV. ? *>V V* ` As recognized in your article, asbestos has many:unique properties'which have no. counterpart in anything .else.'-/ It seems that, the first responsibility of 'Industry is to recognize'when there are no adequate substitutes and then design the manufacturing operation in such a way that the fibers are properly confined both during and after the processing step. An accomplishment of this sort would be more worthy of pride than the simple blind elimination of the use of asbestos fiber..- ' Very truly yours, LWW/rp Leonard W. Weaver Technical Center Manager 001056 COHIOKATE HEADQUARTERS: EAST WALPOLE. MA MILLS: EAST WAU'OLE. MA NORWOOD. MA IliM.M-Sil.UR. HI. CHICAGO. IL SilKKVKl'ORT. LA CHARLESTON. SC PERTH AMIKIY. NJ - SAN MATEO. CA HAKOSTOWN. KY