Document KG1nwD2jVJdM9JgDae3goG9kr

December 11, 1973 Hr. James H. Blerer Dr. C. E. Grants" Hr. W. T. HcCough Hr. F. J. Trunzo Attached is a copy of the redraft of an earlier memorandum we prepared concerning the New Yorker articles. The revised draft is dated December 11, 1973. This draft incorporates the suggestions made by Dr. M. Corn in our discussions today. CVAtd Enclosure Cyrus V. Anderson Vice President, Law Draft - 12/11/73 The New Yorker magazine has published a series of articles entitled "Annals of Industry - Casualties of the Workplace.** The author * is Paul Brodeur. Portions of those articles are critical of the health protection Pittsburgh Corning Corporation (PC) afforded its employees at a plant it operated in Tyler, Texas to produce "Unibestos," an asbestos- containing thermal pipe insulation. PC is presently engaged in litigation involving health effects of exposure to asbestos. For that reason, it is unable to comment in any detail concerning the New Yorker articles. However, no charges made by the author or refutations made by PC could alter in any way the following essential facts: 1. PC decided unilaterally"in September 1971 to go out of the production of Unibestos at the earliest feasible opportunity. Subsequently production ceased in February 1972 when final contractual obligations with customers were fulfilled. PC's decision to cease production of Unibestos 1 r- , " * was made without any pressure or suggestion from Federal or State ager.cies or the Union. 2. The first medical paper suggesting a relationship between amosite asbestos and malignancies inhuman beings was published by7 Dr. Selikoff in September. 1972,, one year after PC's unilateral decision to . . -X*V" f- .jio# shut down its Unibestos operations. 3. On the basis of the dust surveys performed during the ten-year period PC produced Unibestos at its Tyler, Texas plant from 1962 to 1972, the dust levels at that plant were basically in compliance with then current asbestos dust standards. After the Kalsh-Kealey standard of -212 fibers per cubic centimeter became law in May 1969 until the standard was lowered by OSHA to 5 fibers in December 1971, PC aggressively sought substitutes for amosite fibers. Concurrently, they filed for variances with proper authorities when it became apparent that dust levels were out of * compliance. From 1964 to date, PC has had competent occupational health advice which contributed substantially to its decision to get out of the Unibestos business in September 1971. i I