Document EdB6rY0aQY6LBaKKEpKazYk40

Continental Refining Company Artesia, Be*1Mexico Sew York Tulsa December 13, 1941 AIRMAIL - PERSONAL Dear Oscar* We are attaching hereto copy of Cliff Lenington* s report on his activities for the past Teek. As yon know, Cliff spent his entire time at the Conti nental Refining Company's plant in Artesia investigating the exposure of several men who were repairing a 10,000 barrel leaded gasoline tank. Also attached you will find a copy of the Artesia Advocate for Thursday December 14 which discusses this tank cleaning exposure. I think you will agree that this was handled very well on the part of the newspaper* If there are any further articles in the newspaper we will see that copies are sent to you* Cliff's report is complete and we believe covers the "gap" in this story. Undoubtedly the report and the findings of the Medical Department will fully complete this story so that we will know what t o d o in the future to prevent the recurrence of such a situati9n*. ifo will definitely keep you advised as 'ft' y ^ y , t*rvif/tt?i.ninh?S'i*,V'.' -i**<'jv.<nl . .; K if'-1*-`SJT* '*V. 4- s - -*-7 &<jM i < k ^ , ';.>.-`A-;1t^ ^m}iSJ.vCffj.V*V<'Ylhi'v4'i' ' y. *>:v..;t>.#>. - 'S | Sif Mr'ehank WniSfJr owing wore ray _ac_t_i_v_it_ie_s__nthepast woekj -i^lfey,--.^jr^I.^soived a:callr.fro.^v^Ueapie,'Continental on Coapnny', ^ : '/'ifttforraed*iethat four hospitalised afterworkin^in^**^**^'# 7//baanfpr^loaly cleaned :andV'?x wih'i cilh. cle__a__n*i_n__g__ was observed_ __ ___ - jt _ ..7_ _ J1 ; andJ -: 1r1epoMritk ej*Vdl i'27thand bvy# me. was ' finiahod-not*'"*rts# < y * ^ : y '..'. t;7 ; .- - ' > '. " -J / ' <7 |'4 i f 1 AS'./-' V ' i * " 1 igP lose :to, determine7the:;causei:of.the ;above 4Uneee and as al?t raeort in ' their attempt at diagnosis they decided, to call tae in regard to the posc.biiityy*of '"' ' lead poisoning and especially since one base',was. becoming patticuluriy ceric"* was for this reason that they contacted me and ) in turn contacted cur .aler ifit!3 which,resulted in Dr*Stroup's above mentioned consultation with theiotter! , *5r tories . . '. ' .. U &`-h>The forgoing resulted in Dr* fichradin malting a/trip accompanied by me, to Arteei., h. Intheifollowingparagraphs I will attempt to explain in actail all 4oV', ccr.c1tiens surroundingthis tankandhope that in eoae waywo sd^it hitupon chatr.:;duallyhaj.- pened.to thesemen. Possibly eoraoofthe other Safety hhginesre upon reading fcheco 'eircuraatances raigiithave bob ideas or experience in regard to anyof the conditions ,which occurred. I m not going into detail in regard to thaghycicrxl condition ci thenboyo patients asthat id strictlyup to DrSchraiin/* A 1 sen itv:y conoorn in ,thismatter lies inthe condition of thatank ,/theprocedureused in clo,-a;in.;tlua tank and what ever information1 gained onrayiaBt trip thoro after the rope:re hr.c1 ,been almost completed aiidbow this workhadbean carried out and what if anythin.' V . had occurred that wasunusual. n.f, : / ' . *^i/A|?':^viatd;..fthovewe started this;tank cleaningon;Kovember/the 27th and finished it i^/_hbyoaber;tha29th* -Letme make,it>clearhere that thi3tankwas cleanod for thopur- ij,,i poseofpouring concrete only They were difinitely informedthatthiB tank wasnot m*p '-4 and consequentlywas unsafe foranytype ofhot work. Letmo digrees frorj *d/the subject moment and state here that-`inmy opinion, and my reports will bear *>. W r. cut, etenk isnever lead freeunless it;has been snnblastad b this 1mean abrolut-l safe for anytypeof work I do considercertain types of cleaningas being onto for certain types ofwork and 2state now that in myopinion this tank was cafe for the type'of.worktc be done andmy examination on my secondtripback boars meouu in ih-.f. thebottomof this tankwas safeto be worked on in thoorthodoxmanner, and for what they said-they were goingtodo*. .7 KIT 0021477 5,i ypar?' -`:r : tr/*'.'' ... . ... '" `\ ' : '; . ... r ' '. S ' ''- i;. *vy'.,< Pago two y .' . . " This t nk cleaning progressed without incident and all safety preautionn wore eboerve Wo finished the cleaning in the evening and the tank bottom was dry that is tho sludg had been removed and the bottom ow-seped with fullers earth, they turned in tho ofcoan that ni.2^it and according to their reports tho bonk was steamed the nights of tho 29th and JOth. Then tho tnnk/lay idlo one day end then tho steam. was again on tho night of ;Decetaber tho 2nd and was steamed all day and night of the Jrd The tank lay idle unti the $>th of December when they started work. Before work started the tank was tested for gas and was found to bo gas free*. Thirteen men entered the tank to pour the con ,caret. Four men out of d-heoe thirteen^ were hoepitaliaod and ono of these men, Duay ' Nobles was on of tho original^tsnJktelsnore and ho was .dismiboed from, the, hospital after on day. At noon two of the men complained that they #bre:not feeling well and ;tho above Huey Nobles was one of than and ho did not re-enter the tnnk and ia now well, the other H. L# ISynura, the man who bocano moat seriously ill- and finally died re-entered the tank and finished the days work The complete list of the men end their condition will be forwarded to you by the Medical Department and there is no need for my duplicating it, however,, if you so request I have It available. This was a 10,000 barrel tank with a curved roof and had been in service 25 years and was installed second hand. It had a 25" manhood, ono 4s and 6* opening at tho opposite side from the nonhead, one 4"; and 6" opening ort the roof* This tank did not have a water draw. The bottom leaked but not sufficiently to drain Off the steam condeneato* so before work was started n hole had to be punched in the bottom so tha water could bo drained, '.ihen Ilr. Gillespie , Tih, Schradin and .1 looked at the tnnk for the purpoeo of finding lec.kn there was no evidence of ouch leaks. fF you know it was first thought when hearing of this accident that the condition of thio tank bottom was so bad that there night have been e possibility of sludge oozing through the bottom end tisuo causing a hazard. Upon exatainat'on this condition has been clin inatod entirely. The only thing that they did in their procedure in repairing thio tank that I peraonally hove had no experience with and which nay or cay not have co: tributed to tho accident was that an nir hose connected to their compressor was in stalled in the tank opposite from tho manhood the idea of which was to give the men nore .-.ir whilo they worked. Non, as 1 sec It there are several possibilities cormsc with this procedure. Toot were made and our nodical Department will evaluate then. A far aa the cleaning end the repair of this tank is concerned there was nothing tFmt was done that was not in accord with our known rules and regulations for safe If .there .ere any questions in your mind which I have net answered I iould epprecia hearing from ycu* There are so many things concerned in a situation of this type t it is difficult to report th m. If ycu, with more knowledge than I, have any criti of ay handling of this affair from start to finish, it-would be fUlly appreciated, I had the some (situation to arise I could not do differently and my main interact is in tho prevention-of a re-occurrence. K 0021478 V } ya&B t X , S G>'-e~ . ' C. 7. Leningtcn