Document G5LZz15n9Ez2ObaM5bo5KXp94

international t-ibors, inc. ,1ft *A * . IV l II-; . . (Vl'KJ 4 I'.'J <M V// l June 18, 1979 Al Osborne Koppers Company, Koppors Ou J 1 d i ng Pittsburgh, PA. Inc. 15219 \ \ \ i \ \ Dear Ai: We know you would be interested In this brochure regard!ng Johns-Manvilie's position on the asbestos issue. It Is called "The Asbestos Issue: A Matter of Principle" which, by statement alone, explains Johns-Manvilie's position. They feel the claims by the media towards asbestos health risks have not been accumto and that the whole r. lory has no I boon fold. I foo.1 that this brochure is honest in its objective approach in lolling I hc whole 5 l ory . John'i-Monvi I In, as wo I I as 1nternafione I Fibers, is dciormined to continue to work with asbuestos fiber and insure in the best way possible that the handling of asbestos remains safe. Sincerely, INTERNATIONAL FIBERS, i HC. .. j / / Ji;>hh Sullivan JS/ap Fnc I . 2 PLAINTIFF'S I EXHIBIT O : i 2 PLAINTIFF'S |____ EXHIBIT I \d\l-Q2nOQ WV-21900 it " `lv;vi- ' j.1 ;f`-,; ,y i: zm ' Frankly; we ajiJohns-Manville hiave'been stung by-the. treatment afforded this.y&V\ issue, and we.are angry; We are not angered b/the.impact.which has been ;-.':-'/r 1. negligible;th^t.these.criticisms'have.had on.qur.business. Rather, weare^^U'.^.-; appalledatthe attach that;jias'beenmade'on.our.integrity. In shorC the; asbestos issae has, for.us; become a matter of principle. We believe that J-M r: ;:< has conducted itself.with'honor. We also believe that attention today should beY; i'v'. on how thos$ suffering'from asbestos-related diseases can be properly and,.;;;..':v./, fairly compensated^ rather than on assessing-blame.:'- v'Y'': ; ` ' YY^YY: `V-;C ;;V r`: For all of the above reasons, we would like you to.read this document,Y .r t 4 A 'i 'I'*: , . - . * -r `fir: : v. ; >,, i . ! , i ':&-rK:%y?? rVv - v'u'" `-.r'rv^v ' .v -V;;:.?J';'H'C -;'ft ' i5* * V;*1` i. . V. V`` V-; ' ' ''.V* ' ` v - ; .*.' 'V. ' > :-v "r.; bldyiltl) UULUibi & aliiUuiii) ' " ' . '.!' ". li- . . ' ..' - < ;ifr l'': 'i J '. " 1 V *' * . --- ----- --T! ------- r^" 1 1 ----------------- - ;------------------ ------------ - During 1978 the media continued its sensationalized coverage of the lay/suits -.-T and government hearings'involving occupational health and asbestos-related T diseases. It is a credit to the officials of the Environmental Protection'Agency'and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.that they have.rnaintained a. rational qnd scholarly approach to the asbestos situation in the face of so many: ` exaggerated claims by.the media and plaintiff lawyers.',,-V:. ; .K . . v Throughout history whenever there has been adversity or tragedy, men have : sought EjJscapegoat. And. even today, it appears that our legal system is more concerned with finding a fault for every undesired happening than with providing fair and reasonable compensation for the consequences of such happenings.-,-,. ft is now-^nown that excessive inhalation of asbestos fiber can, over a period of time, cause or contribute to occupational disease. Asbestos-related disease- ' does exist; thus, it is perhaps understandable that people would cast about for' an 'asbestos scapegoat.' What is inexcusable is the manner in which many lawyers, the media, and even some in the "public interest* arena have sought to exploit the tragedy of asbestos-related disease through the repetition of inaccuracies, half-truths and exaggerations.1'-.', The evidence does not support the allegations leveled at J-M, and we want you! our shareholders, to know the facts.- -: . IK Statements on asbestos and health by the media and some officials have boon inaccurate, incomplete, exaggerated and sensationalized. > All too familiar are the tendencies of the media to capitalize on and sensationaliz tragedy and the eagerness of some in the public eye to grab for quick and easy headlines'. Nowhere has.this been more evident than in the treatment of asbestc and health issues. While some of the untruths presented by the media'and others may be from lack of facts, which in itself is inexcusable, far more often the have resulted from a deliberate distortion in the face of facts and out of a very apparent anti-business bias. Bor example:-;; *i.-7?:vr :! ''. ' * . ` A reporter from a leading New York daily newspaper'stating to a person beinc ' interviewed about asbestos that she was ;"not interested in facts--pniy a stoiy.' :. A financial daily'newspaper failing to publish vital medical'infonnation'on'-'.K-. smoking; and its direct relationship to lung cancer in asbestos workers!;-'KK;'.:-:, Television producers carefully editing answers of. J-M officials to conform to a apparently preconceived story line.- -KV'-K' , A reporter ^rom'a Washington,'D.Cl;daily refusing^o'exploreifMlIy.'the'particuJar:.^'^ annare /'if i^inaratto cmAl/ihA \rt /-*rtnit 'acKoel "'4\ >'* f of a United States District'Court judge'.;/.'--''.:'k'ffi.jiff.'?Vi-' ^ A cabinet o|ficiai speculating on disease estimates without'.disclosing IheialrnostC,;; total lack of Scientific support for the figures.!' . ';ir>.>;Vv'VvrU;v-' '- A r'nnnraccmiln iccninn'rtmco roloococ -inrl These examples are not fiction, but merely a few of many instances we haye^V;^:'!/;.A witnessed which exhibit the philosophy, *a good;stoy at any cost:'. All-?.ki too often reporters and others have dutifully published as fact the adversaryv^v^ UXiLuj ^ JLLL<iii^UxL2JLU tj.i ' .The asbestos-related diseases of today are a result of past'htghjv^h-^'C?-^'^. exposures which were thought to be safe at the time by the United States--' -: .PublicHealtj^Service.'. .; .- ... V--.'.:';'.: y.'--.-..v!;yf Unfortunatelyfasbestos-related diseases have a long latency-period; thatb'^^'-c- . a long periodjof time between first exposure and onset of any disease!Accordingly, we know that the asbestos-related disease being seen today.is .;;H r--;' the result of exposure of 20; 30 and .40 years ago. when medical knowledge.v concerning asbestos was only a fraction of what it is today.'- / v *.- In years past people were exposed to airborneasbestos particles in;excess of 'v:^;' v ** *v ; V*-__ conditions forgmployees.'Further, these levels,vvere`aace by government health officials and.the medicaiai '* over 30 years|Knowiedge'subsequer^nairv^ I to be incompletevThis is the simple facC! * -  UiitiYbJXiiJ -UajL/ 4 Individuals particular victims -'V ^--a--*-,: .... Much of the present asbestos litigatioajnyolves .individuals' who were:$^\l$&i: overexposed to dust from industrial thermal insulation materials whictv'contained.;-;' small amountstof asbestos (usually less than.15 percent). Incidentally, many of.-.- v these persons||worked in environments controlled by the government-and.Vi`b;.-,*:: used products;^yhich were delivered to government specifications. Scientists'."-'.;-: and physician^ studied these workers and repeatedly-concluded that their'-'?.;' '/- occupational exposures to asbestos were consistently below the 'safe level"i:f.Y recommended by the United. States Public Health Service. Jn fact, in 1946,VvVi-- .' eminent scientists employed by the United States Navy studied several yt7~.;* shipyards andjconcluded that insulation work was "not a .dangerous occupation' --a finding which went uncriticized and unchallenged in American medical \ literature for almost 20 years.;,:' ; `; **(\ - It was not until1964 that the particular risk to this category of worker was clearly'j. identified by Dr. Irving J. Selikoff of Mt.'SinaiHospitai in New York City. :\ We are asked why earlier knowledge generated from studies of mine, mill and ; factory situations where workers had been exposed to 100 percent asbestos fiber did not i^ad to earlier knowledge of a possible hazard to those exposed to- induslriaUnsufation products, -The completely different work environments and v experiences vyere thought by the medical community to make any extrapolation' from one group to another invalid. Dr. Selikoff himself indicated this very clearly ; and concisely in 1970, stating: v; -. "In the asbestos mining and manufacturing industry, the risk of heavy exposure to -' the occupational dusts had been recognized for some years. And this primary industry has understood the need to install ventilation systems and other dust- - .v.-control devices to reduce the hazard. Experience had indicated that reduction of dust levels and exposures'could result in greatly improved health experience ' among asbestos factory workers. But the extrapolation of that experience to .' another classification of workers--specifically those who fabricate and install. insulating i and epidemiology.* different things might have been had it-not taken the scientists and physicians a.'; decades to discover that the recommended limits were not stringent enough:  li.. : ' I ',X 1>; /3.ti-fv V`j.~ -W.; * * -.V >; j, t-7.* i .. ;v` ;/< ,iUti)r.io'(iiak-, Perhapsjitis partly.the frustratio.n'of "how different things might have been* that-r . iiJ^Us^lKhJuy causes tfie'shallow thinker to engage in hindsight and raise questions about. J-M hasjacted responsibly to discover'the cause of and eliminate^,;;';.\ /; occupational disease among asbestos workers. .. ,. y' Media representatives and some'elected officials have consistently ignored' J-M's intensive efforts to solve asbestos health problems and. in fact, have . untruthfully portrayed those efforts: Whether such untruths have been deliberate, we leave!to reasonable men to,judge. But. lt is clear that J-M's actions have been appropriate'.and'proper.Some examples of action taken by J-M:.'-' ' Initiation in 1930 of the first American medical studies of possible health hazarc from asbestos. This was in response to information that the heavy and constant asbestos exposures in the textile mills of England might be hazardous. These studies preceded by years any independent action by the United States Public Health Service pr any.medical organization!'* V. Organization in the 1930`s of industry support for extended research at the Saranac Laboratories of the Trudeau Foundation," a leading pulmonary disease; researchifacility.;x :V.-.v- Voluntary adoption and adherence to the recommended exposure limits of the -United Sjates Public! Health Service. -V . ; - Physical examination programs available for employees continually since the-1 193Q's;lqading research efforts in the early detection of disease.. . Information prepared and distributed since the 1930's to inform"' V; ', . employees of the work'practices and protections necessary to eliminate the " hazardsrecognized'atthetime. -- ' Respirator programs'.installed where exposure might exceed "safe ; ' exposure levels.1*-V . i ` .. 5 . V>r V ' ` The historic .concern ofjohns-Manville forits.'ernployees .is exemplilied byfvif;>f WiA'-'' ' . . In I938, "lt is ihe policy of. johns-Manville foVnake working conditions'in its ' ,'. - i '-. factories.'and.mines eyerywfiera.'safe.'heaithfijland'pleasant,'^ . I..;./ -.C.'.'. .< And today,-'We equip our planis forth^highest degree of personal'safely, ' assuming it is economically and technically;possible to do so.iWhen technology f : not available,;or whea'it is not feasible economically-from a competitive-' 'i.; .'-. operation rather than knowingly endanger the'health'or life expectancy of alUT `;; stnfs] eCTiployee:^^^^ liCTrit..**.T\ 'rrc- * iLliilOOU XO'c'ciCivi '* ^ iw*v^v. *^ i* * - ' * . . ,* ,. ..*,**-> ,,,.;ivc,-r;* *--** n the possible health hazaras or asbestos m me is.i .*\f ti..*>-oITvj*-. k,.Lu,nl hc.rriC-.t>.c vhHjjkLilki1 ';. vV' be largqjy ignored by the media and government,..,.., -.'-It . sW * ' > A* ' * .. - .. i ;;** .. . among' a; . among ii cancer:?-.;: ?, incer,; '1940`s, t>pt the/esearchers.were c.ace(ul.tp',disclajni a'causarrelatiqaship^ lathe!;'--'1950`s'arij English study.strongly suggested an increased'incidengepf lurig{.>; ' cancer, E^ut.an industry-sponsored study.of the type recommended by the Americao/Medicat. Association'failed to disclose any such-increased'incidence ip - tho NortWAmerican workers studied.This confirmad a*l956 publicacion by ' ; CuylerH5~ 'f- Society .. i; : asbestosjrelated diseasesi'ln;that.study Dr. Harnmond'conctudedjthat-sufficiant.' . It was notuntil the mid!l960's that enough evidence became available to"!'--'-' -.. show an increased incidence of Jung cancer.among individuals who smoked'' . scientists'|disagree as to whether asbestos is causally related to lungcancer or ' whether it acts'only as a modifier for smoking-induced cancer. However,'there is: . ' agreemept in the medical community on theisimple fact set forth earlier:'but for.;, cigarette-smoking,'lung cancer would not have been a'significant health X ; factor among people occupationally exposed to asbestos..;^ 1 serious'attention to the rote of cigarette smokiog in cancer causatipq. The few>;t' ...v.,. mentionsun journals are worded so as to-minimize the hazard. Courageously, :r'i: p; introduced.legislation to.provide a system of uniform compensation for ""' asbestcs-'reiated disease. This bill called upon the tobacco ovnpanies in join *iV *:, i*. i . .M/ i . ?; ' .. withasb<^stos at'earlier-periods'of time than when we did,.'and there'is no/!;' .;; ' ' evidence!that'J-tvl.failed to'respond appropriately to medical knowledge of'V \y, ! possiblejpazards as.the information-became.'available;Faced with thisabsence;;. - }:. .' of damaging evidence','certain irresponsible'members of media,' elected'officials- lv.* l.V.V V aliegatip|s'.are a'red herring.. A few examples reveal the sham of such allegations; . information on asbestos health'issues.The'fact is that the documents relied on to , demonstrate a conspiracy are dated a full 10 months after the publication by the : united States Public Health Service.of the results of J-M-sponsored asbestos . medical studiesV-.the first such studies'done in'this country.' If suppression were i a goal!.publication in the United States Public Health Service reports would '' " seem a popr.vehicle to reach that goal.' ' V.: ' V:VV,;V:'.v;o/' 'K*r>S*:b,:V*'V-Y V.'r.C '} -1:* -- .' A' - J-M and others are claimed to have manipulated the data published by the . v. United States Public Health Service. Unable to ignore the existence of industry- : : Pre-publication review is nothing sinister, and, in fact, takes place today for -V ' virtually all sponsored.medical research including that sponsored'by the federal ;.:l^' :.' 'v'government; Such "allegations are deliberate untruths totally unsupported by the . ''' .v;: ? evidence/No one in the media has .had the courage to admit that the review of ' ; . this 1935;paper resulted in no substantive changes'as'published in the United' . ' .Slates Public Health Service except to accentuate one possible hazard. This car i hardly be called a cover-up. There can be but one motive for such a callous' ..' - '.disregard ofthe truth-r-to distort, mislead', sensationalize and thereby profit frorr ' .' the adversity of others.-; > u.' ...:' C'"-`-. *vjw >tr*ior .LUUULV/ijj . development .and publication of medical informaiion'cpncerning'asbestosMiV?;.';^' through its`research:prograrns;at'Saranac'taboratories,:Spme elemeQtary^t'(:<i;.\i' reasoning .reveals this'argument fQr what it isi^r'a myih.''lf suppression were'a'^, :",:!; motive, w(hy would J-Mjead an effort to sponsonand fund'researchjata leading.; institution? Additionally,.if data were'suppressed. thon how does ono explain the;, published reports of the-Director, of. the Saranac-Laboratories which annually reviewed|he'ongoing research projects and'listed the'yearly publications .in n^v Symposia to discuss ongoing research? Howdoes one explain the efforts of.;;'^h: Some allege that J-M's settlement years agooj asbestos disease-related i:V- / lawsuits rpeant that we knewof possible hazards to applicators or users of.-;. asbestosiinsulation products long before the medical acknowledgment'of such/e hazard in the'mid 1960's.'The fact is that such cases involved neither insulation. applicators nor insulation products. They were cases arising out of factory ,, "j operations in New Jersey, where, due in large part to J-M-sponsored research, j; a possibly hazard .of continual exposure to raw asbestos fiber in a factory -. environment had been .identified. Neither the product which contained less than . 15 percent asbestos nor the work environment were comparablei.-The.workers'..-J claims took the form-of lawsuits because in'the'1930`s asbestos-related'illness ; . was not covered by New Jersey workers' compensation laws; ; '.y~-.: These ars facts--unglamorous facts withheld by reporters, public figures and lawyers who must rely on unsupported accusations in an effort to alter , peciruceepputiuonnos,.Perceptions ubaassoeud upon tfaaocvt caure uudsegfiuuil iiun umKojvinugy tnhue involved ; . parties too!;ja^'resolution of the problem. But, perceptions based upon untruthful,: misleading, inaccuratee'and unfounded accusations can.only delay.a much "' needed consensus on this pressing societal concern. :-,, VL- ulifeiiiiCi] Us)? ..While thejjincidence of.diseaseis.diminishingand'will eventuallyidisappear, theiragic^jfactr ' ` ~ been disabled.; - " ' claims in|he courts,'or we can seek an equitable.' unifofiTi.compensation syster . Litigation is based upon a finding of faulL'.and .with'respect to asbestos-related - " . disease, j here simply is no fault on the part of J-M, a fact increasinglyrecognize by jurios^hroughout thanation.-Litigation is,'of course, favored and fostered /' by lawyers in search of lucrative' fees and byv'media personalities.f.jn search of sensational stories. Litigation carries with it personal hardship for'everyone--.; > 'i r * V J ^tiy/'ii'0'iV|jTd iWt'fto t1 " Forward-thinking membersof Congress have concluded that thetime.for V:V. .'h o' j 11 (j Vi r-\{, ' dwelling pn fault is past, and the time has arrived to address.the issue of '; ' r. compensation for asbestos-related disease. They have proposed a system of 'vC-''"*y:?T^V*"-'y' ` `: speedy,equitable and.qniforrri compensation;-'and (lave'called'upon industry- ..; ' *.>'.' :and government to:share the`responsibiiity of providing,the fundsinecessarytc crevice qompensaxion. While such a crcgram will be coctty, perhaps more cor *n\!-; '">r There is no evidence of danger in the use of asbestos in schools or other public buildings.- ''r.Yr"v:'Vii** Much ha^-been made'of the use of sprayedinsulation containing asbestos on- y.-.-.v school ce.jlings. Again, the facts have been ignored in favor of headlines. . Johns-Manville neither made nor sold such materials. Further, the facts are that the use of;asbestos spray materials in the construction'of schools or'other public-';-; buildings Jias not been shown to be hazardous. Nevertheless, a.well-designed program tp determine the presence of airborne asbestos fibers in such .buildings;-;; would be prudent. Should excessive levels be discovered, programs.to seal'or, ;j: remove the material would be in order;- '4/.t-.*:- ;\.yy; Fibers in;most asbestos-containing products are "locked in" and safe.":*. In most of'our asbestos-containing products, the fibers are 'locked in' by ' cement, plastic or other binders; such fibers .are not easily released during-. : normal handling and application. We are confident that, with proper precautions,"' asbestos and asbostos'-containing'products can continue to be used without a'/.; health risk. An example of this is asbestos-cement pipe'which has been in useful j; service, in .the U.S. for decades. :.y . .ivy.Cyvy.r ';Y: After an extensive study, the American Waterworks Research Foundation', -.; -.l -.'.i ' concluded;`No firm evidence shows that the proper use of asbestos-cement " '---`-'r." pipe pes^s,a hazardto health by reason of ingestion of asbestos fiber.'y^r^-'^y^ 1 iitfid'ii'n^i^H-ibit^in- \ : /. ''` ' .. .. Johns-Manviile has been a leader'in establishing safety precautions and has ;?y; " acted responsibly over the years, consistent with the known facts of the health . .r hazards qf asbestos fiber. We deeply regret that many people, our friends,... ' , colleaguqs and employees among them, are currently suffering the effects 6i V-$. having years ago inhaled an excessive amount of asbestos fiber.'Cigarette. . smokers have been especially hard hit. However, there is nothing to be gained, .. by witch hunts to determine fault where none exists. Industry, cigarette ..manufacturers, government, the medical profession, labor, the scientific and . . academid communities and the media are ail involved, Attention today should not be omassessing blame, but on how tnose suffering from asbestos-related . . . .diseases can be properly and fairly gompensaled.'-This is:why we; asa company, ' are encouraging legislation which would establish'uniform,;equitab!e.ancl`/.:'y';-; X! ngprcviclng.ccincer)Siimn for. asoa&^'etaiE'X''