Document BzmZ3yLv51zzN5KgJ447wGmL

OOHIACT: Jota J, Mil <2U) 379-3549 Cleveland Lm (216) 379-3410 pt-wt* ,*T,A" ADO, Job. 23 11m B.F,Goodrich Company today itpottal that It Informed Kentucky health officials and the Federal national Inatltuta of Occupational Safety and Baaleh that the Coopany la Investigating whether the cancer deaths of three employes in the polyvinyl chloride operations at lta Louisvilla, By. plant wore related to occupational causes. Dr. Maurice R, Johnson, the Company's director of environmental health, said ha bad recently received nedlcal reports concerning the death of an alloys lata in December. A review of nodical records uncovered that two other employes had apparently died from the sane causa - one In Septeafcer, 1971 and one in March, 1973. The reported causes of death are subject to verification, he added. "Awareness of this grouping," said Dr. Johnson, "warranted a thorough investigation and prompt notification of the two govenwent agendas eost directly concerned." The B.F.Goodrich Coepsny has been conducting prograas to reduce exposures to hydrocarbons, particularly vinyl chloride, throughout its operations. While all plants were operating at levels well below those prescribed by Federal government standards, a successful effort has been made to reduce levels in these plants to approximately one-tenth those (more) ucc 006939 -2- These efforts have included development of the moat aophiaticeted monitoring ayateme now known; atrict rulea on procedurea where exposure might be lncreeaed; a complete checking of all plpea, valvea and almllar equipment to prevent leaka, and extenalva improvementa in ventilation ayatema. "The death in December, conaidered in relation to the two previoua almllar caaea, haa cauaed ua to initiate Intenalve Inveatigationa throughout the vinyl producta operationa of the Company," Dr. Johnaon aald. "To be aure we get the beat .independent eveluation and guidance, the Company haa engaged TaberahewCooper Aaaociatea, Inc. of Berkeley, Calif. Dr. Irving R. Taberahaw, one of the country'a foramoat experta in the field of public and occupational health and aafaty, la aupervlalng the work of thla conaultant firm," Dr. johnaon aald. The Company haa inatltuted a program of explaining the new information and atepa the Company la taking to all employea involved in vinyl producta r production. In addition, the Company haa put into action a program to reduce expoaurea to vinyl chloride and other hydrocarbona to the minimus poaalble in all vinyl operationa. Operationa of the planta are continuing under the progrma of <"< expoaure levele. "We are providing medical examlnationa to all employea Involved in any phaae of vinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride production and reviewing available medical records of any deceased former or retired employes," Dr. Johnson aald. "We have assured officials of HIOSH and the state of Kentucky that we will continue to provide them with any significant new information as It develops," he aald. -0- 1*2374 ucc 006940 VERBAL STATEMENT RELEASED UPON REQUEST - 1/23/74 A team o experts from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health c~ the Center for Disease Control will visit a Louisville, ity., plant of The B.F.Goodrich Company tomorrow to begin an Investigation of health hazards Involved In the polymerization of vinyl chloride. The team will begin Its work In response to an alert from the company which reported one case of liver cancer and three cases of angiosarcoma, a rare type of liver cancer, among polymerization workers at the plant. Dr. Mar us M. Kay, director of NIOSH, said the Institute also will step up its effort to determine the extent of the disease in the United States and in foreign countries with similar manufacturing processes. At a later date. Dr. Key said, NIOSH will transmit criteria for a health standard to the Occupational[Safety and Health Administration In the Department of Labor. Under a 1970 law, NIOSH Is responsible for health effects research and criteria used by OSHA to set and enforce standards for protecting health and safety at the workplace. In the Interim, Key added, NIOSH will work with OSHA and the key Occupational Safety and Health Adnlnlstration, the Industry and involved workers to develop stringent work practices for use In the polymerization processes. *Q* ucc 006941 iu. f S*0>m --6' - He proposed that Dow perform similar studies on VCM, end estimated that they could do so at a cost of about $18*000* JJC 'gr St** - " cf 11. Progress Report on European Studies f>" - * r x.t f+ /0 TTW^i y# ^ Dr. Duffield summarized present observations on the^ European studies. These now cover almost eighteen months of post-exposure history following the one year of vapor u\ exposures. Groups of approximately 70 animals were exposed to 10,000, 6,000, 2,500, 500, 250, and 50 ppm of the monomer* The incidence of tumors in each group, and the numbers of remaining survivors, are indicated in the following table. iO.tr Exposure Level ,(own-VCM) Zymbal Gland Carcinomas Liver Carcin omas Angio sarcomas Kidney Carcin omas Nephro blastomas Scattered Tumors _ (no Dattern) Survivors pf- 10000 6b000 13 5 6 11 33 52 00 oo 2500 ppm 500 250 50 0{ Vinyl ______Acetate 2 2 0 00 0 9 7 2 00 0 6 3 , 5 0 0 l .0 r 3 J 1 i 00 0 J___ --____ Q,, _L a.. -fjrxcs if 7' `i ii <f g it The relatively low incidence of liver, kidney, and "other" tumors in the 10,000 ppm group is presumed to be due to the high early mortality from Zymbal gland tumors. The control group of animals exposed to 2,500 ppm vinyl acetate ex perienced no tumors, and all have died from other onuses. Another group of animals, started in January 1973, waa exposed to the vapors for four months onlyi otherwise the oooditions were comparable to those in the main IJCC 006942 m > . t ' - 1 . L ' rt May Be JoU-iialuica, *i )n fourth qus'ter Exxon InorcOJed 37% B. F. Goodrich Says i J22.44 billion year for ll'o foul lit qimr41 billion front $6.07 Former Employes at'Louisville ' Rented revenue wn nlno month*' figure* Plant All Were Involvetl in r. : ' i. 4 ;,. Polyvinyl Chloride Qpcration iterance, believed to ,,1 ; / 1 . - -,.i - I, by the company on r It ncrumulsted It* 0 tin them. by Exxon ofTrials: ompnny* petroleum hy a SVAtb SVnmrv lo'tnutAb ffelt deportee XKRQN, Ohio - B. F. Goodrich Co., In a move that sent ripples through the plasties and chemical* Industries,' said It la Investigating were about 1.9 cnts bout one-half cent a Ilia possibility that the dancer deaths of three workers at a plant In Louisville, icy., may be jdb-ralated. /. t `" i concerning sny ues or in/ project.* AMS ,fi For long-term, high-vihie, stable funds we'r*a (outeg to depend upon.. , flaMfruj Or ou.r.na.me isn't' .- lUtsubUUTwt. from petroleum and GoodriclT iold; that the workers affected r* up only 16% to were In Its polyvinyl chloride operations, and n lncraaae 0(^14% In that they died of angiosarcoma of the liver, a asad.ISaBTIdmg Corpinrafifosi rare form of liver cancer. In the Eastern . Dr. Maurice N. Johnson; Goodrich's dlveetriteat "absolute nttd tor of environmental health, said In tho compa m yom fta*v*civranw otnctiowm tow, y%,n.t. moo*,usa am *tj emn tOT* 9..V..U..N.MMr.wittoabiMo*aM. KfisOi|.M||W<Hi ^.f%letd|.C^u; W1VMrTUfdtTLe.ETHefctoinnEiLMQgTHnwOr.OwH**tviTioTJt4 nings, rising 83% to ny's statement that he had recently received her eale* volume be* medical reposts cone*riling the death of an em i .\ 1 cutbacks and "a re ploye in late Deember. "A review of medical train level* of pro- records uncovered that two other employes had apparently died from the same causa-on* in d about S160 million September 1971 and on* in March 1*73," the gs resulting tram de- company said. ` - Sin: r*x**xlVt 1 It was understood that a fourth death--hi ependitures were up 1968--Involving a more common form of liver nd. as previously, an- cancer was 'considered outside the reasonable tore in 1874 to * rec- bounds of the "grouping'' of the throe recent deaths, all attributed to angiosarcoma. lour by more than to Goodrich sold It had Informed Kentucky ` K : f .f| ' [I ` \\ eel and television, health officials and the Federal Nstiofial Insti lirmen, Insisted that tute of Occupational safety and Health that tho by the specli'ctilnr 'eompnhy wae Investigating,the possibility that It* cliorgci h.v joma the dcathe might be ``related to occupational teerliif from Iho di Causes.'' sking windfall prof- Will Rcglu Investigation d. : Kentucky- official* said they had fust questions, Mr. iJa- learned of trie eltuatlon at trie Louisville plant probably wouldn't irnd had asked a modleel expert to Investigate.' im In Exxon's eiufih In Rockville, Md , a spokesman tar NIOSH said ,fated ExkOll .tvon't a te.vn of experts will arrive hi Louisville this till* year. morning to begin an lnvcstlgsUou. - 'I Smlng* to continue Dr. Marcus M. Key, director of NIOSH, eald' ' ** ,v i,". he said. Ho do the Institute also will step tip efforts to deter ste 1874 earnings. mine the extent'of Sngloearooms to the U.S., <es. It's almost 1m- and In foreign countries with similar manufac-< a-*'.." 1 x Mult!g>US 4- Adtf .. > *4 Dlvtdf* -- SubVMtt Full S-DIfttl Dfsplfv " ' M<"*iary Frcfl Floallng D#elnH Hiinigw M-S| R*dOVt w.. . C. ircuitry Lwofittho MlmM Mettdi CumRiutdi 5oiid-StAin4l MucNuM Part* o Truubiu ,t Urf*, FulWf ConMu Kifimrtlm , Eaty, Putt ONtidm ' , An*w#f*~CAlctrtMlOfr^tdpf Qt. . Is' UlApprevfd--A/CPowwCurrf * Tble lesdWs Dek-T0 IWcaenla , * gw CmmCilcyHWaM ,___ Cslculawe Is Still our Must Popular Unit.' <!< 2!**Co'nplBxMIoCsImltUona . SoNIn* for Solow Comootitor s Pilcts (or da ,,* Compvtst Compound InwnM Soma Baola MsoHIm. Only M Plnost com- Wononw...Vour Crnmadnrs C.S r.inl.i Of profit forecast,'; turlng processes. A spokesman for the Institute sold the beet Information available shows 31 on achieved a 19% doaths per year. In the U.S. attributable to an- , - rru?uy BnCuhuBMnnWto|, rwiumIha'?i ww/unum, pmiiernitwhln* t*.yI0itTUAIf*rtCy oAwfoidntbiyMs u*mMifoiontthrof Dfirr' lty In 1973, up from glwercoma. , V . iddetl, "this signals The recent deaths at Louisville, according PfM< Mf itCipfct C l IlMtoMt.CMeilmdi} at MM ^ l ^Ipplwj mi* itch tbn corporation to Dr. Johnson of Goodrich, Involved worker*; .1 . 'l iMtfMM) *ck. (lillMit miduMi id! IV utei t*t | . "" # Miv Ordir iMteMd n Clatp af CnA Cird ibattoi Mmi ' y of return, on Invest- In the eompany'a vinyl products operations. An. ,. , Q AfstticfR fitntt . B--M--rlciit to that of leading official of NTUSH sald hs undsrstood that the; \J , .to n MMttrcHrf* ,% CrtW fiH . Qalnr'iCltM 7' '> Q Camiltud* w - ed.'*. - ': . workers tsad an average of JO years' exposure Mm<r CWt Cdi Nntu H ai|il^- are, Mr. Jamieson to various ohemlcsls. srid agents Involved in CAatfi Catd Iwimlii ird to averaging a vinyl operations.' -V on Investment we Goodrlds said It has been conducting a pro-1 av- to do," Jn adill- gram to reduce exposure to hydrocmrbmis, par ipltnl expenditures, ticularly vinyl chloride, Osronghout Its opera-'' l. \ Aldtm t* Cllf_ rt noau In imilipi nd mM tr. Cwnn MirTf|iin lot. * *7A Cwry Did DtIm. MM HIM talU HMttl w4Vf.l/X over1 Substantially Mods. Further stop* to limit expoeure end to receivable* "result- describe the situation to worker* In vinyl prod (t of crildo' oil1 nhd ucts productionVra being taken- the company said. -, * : ` Internationals with Goodrich alsd said* it la providing medical In tho Arab roiin- examinations to all employ** Involved In any mber quarter. And phase at vinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride Exxon's profit ,on production, and to reviewing ell Its medical 3 cents a barrel in records of former or.rented employes. err'd., About 1,100 persons work at the Louisville' irnlng* of Exxon pleitt, of whom about 376 ere Injrolvsd In vinyl 1973 by the earn- products operation*. . , orp., a 93%-owned I. A year earlier. '* biggest oil pro>crsn-* of reduced Kt gv'kt "Dropping of s numb" Word that the death* might M Job-related epread quickly throughout several Industrie*. a'd l<x-to Frllcrkv, sn Industrial hj-gtenlet-on fc- ... m * trmrari Rubber Workers unM.