Document JJnVZxd9k56oV3VpaOnbXnrQr

A p r il 15, 1941 Mr. H. *V. Toomey Pan Am erican Airw ays Miaiai Florid a Dear Mr. Toomey: I havo r e c e iv e d f a i r l y fu l l in form ation con cern in g th e d i f f i c u l t i e s a sso c ia t e d w ith th e sed im en t in g a so lin e su p p lie d t o y ou r p e o p le from th e P o r t A rth u r r e fin e r y o f th e T exas Company. T h is in fo r m a t io n h as come b o t h from s a f e t y r e p r e se n t a t i v e s o f E t h y l G a so l in e C o r p o r a t io n an d a l s o fr om my a s s o c i a t e D r . K a r l K i t z m i l l e r , who m et w it h y o u i n Miami i n a r e ce n t con feren ce over t h is q u e st io n . We h av e a l s o r e c e i v e d some ch am o is f i l t e r s an d some g a s o l i n e c o n t a i n i n g t h e se d im e n t , and I w i l l r e p o r t t o you th e r e s u l t s o f ou r e x a m in a t io n o f t h e se m a t e r i a l s when t h e a n a l y s e s h ave been com pleted. The p r e se n t com m u n ication c o n c e r n s a n um ber o f y o u r men who w ere em p loy ed u n d e r co n d itio n s In v o lv in g exposu re by In h alat io n o f th e sed im en t su spen d ed in th e a i r d u r in g r e p a ir and c le a n in g o p e r a t io n s. Accordin g to Dr. K it z m ille r 'a statem en ts t h e se men sh o u ld be exam in ed b y D r . Lee o f y o u r M e d ical D epartm en t, sin c e fo r a number o f r e a so n s, i t 3eemed u n d esirab le fo r Dr. K itz m ille r to con duct the exam in ation s. R e fe r e n ce h as been made t o ou r su p p ly in g c o n t a in e r s fo r th e c o lle c t io n o f sam p les o f u r in e an d b lo o d , th e sam p les t o be a n a l y z e d h e r e . I w ish t o e x p r e s s my i n t e r e s t i n giv in g ev er y p o ssib le a ss ist a n c e , and I sh a lb e glad to comment on an y q u e s t i o n s w h ich may a r i s e in c o n n e c t io n w ith th e exam in ation o f your em ployees. Moreover I sh a ll se e t h a t th e c o n t a in e r s ar e se n t , t o ge t h e r w ith in st r u c t io n s fo r th e c o l l e c t i o n o f th e sa m p le s, i f i t seem s d e s i r a b l e t h a t t h i s b e d o n e . My own f o a l i n g i 3 t h a t c o n sid e r in g th e le n gt h o f tim e w h ich h as e la p se d sin c e th e se v e r e st exp osu re o f your men, a n a ly t ic a l in for m ation o b t a i n e d a t t h i s t im e may n o t be e i t h e r n e c e s s a r y o r u s e f u l . I t w ould p r o b ab ly se r v e v er y l i t t l e u se fu l p u r p ose u n le ss t h e r e i s some i l l n e s s o r 3ome a n x i e t y , o r som e s u s p i c i o n o f i l l n e s s among y o u r men. I f fo r an y r e a so n D r . Lee con sid ers i t d e sir ab le to ob tain an aly ses o f the e xcr e ta - 2- o f th e m en , we s h a l l b e v e r y h ap p y t o c a r r y th em o a t * H ow ever we s h a l l a w a i t i n s t r u c t i o n s h e r e fr om y ou o r from h im In t h i s co n n e ct io n b e fo r o se n d in g th e c o n t a in e r s. P erh aps I sh ou ld p o in t ou t fu r t h e r t h a t i f th e r e i s any q u e st io n in th e m in d s o f an y o f t h e se men c o n c e r n in g an y perm an en t dam age t o t h e ir h e a lt h , ou r e x p e r ie n c e j u s t i f i e s th e st a t e m e n t t h a t no su ch perm an en t o r p e r s i s t e n t in ju r y i s to be exp ected . A ll o f th e evid en ce d em on strates q u it e c l e a r l y t h a t men e i t h e r r e c o v e r c o m p le t e ly fr om t i l l s t y p e o f p o iso n in g, or th ey develop an acu te f a t a l in t o x ic a t io n r ath e r prom ptly. I th in li,th e r e fo r e , you n eed h ave no an xie ty as to th e fu tu r e o f th ese men, i f th e co n d itio n s w hich gave r i s e t o e xp osu r e h ave been co m p le t e ly e lim in a t e d . I t a p p e a r s fr om a l l o f my in fo r m a t i o n t h a t t h i s h a s b e e n a c c o m p lish e d so f a r a s y o u r r e p a i r men a r e c o n c e r n e d , an d I h ope t h a t we s h a l l be a b l e t o g i v e y o u an y a s s i s t a n c e t h a t may b e r e q u i r e d i n e l i m i n a t i n g an y d a n g e r s a t m ore rem ote p o in t s. In t h is con n ection you w ill u n doubtedly h ave a v a ila b le t e ch n ical r e p r e se n t a t iv e s o f Eth yl G asolin e C o r p o r atio n , but i f an yth in g sh ou ld occu r to su gge st t h a t our ad vice or a ssist a n c e m igh t be u se fu l to you , I hope you w ill n ot h e sit a t e to c a l l upon me. Sin ce r e ly you rs, RAK sin R o b e r t A. Keh oe, . D. KE 0021184