Document LXGBjrr6OgoJnEppXeaJv5Rb

FILE NAME: US Gypsum (USG) DATE: October 17, 1966 DOC#: USG101 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1966 Letter to RN Massey from JN Walker Sept 10 article on asbestos in Chemical Week. / # 172- 2, R, N. Maaaey # 151# J. H. Walker Aabeatos oc! #151, B. W, N ies October 17, 1966 J 1 opyAprvt he, a s b e s to s a r t i c l e in ,S n ? S f? r if* " ^ W0 " ? 'v^ ,,*a*fc4,0^# *and'**,av 8 ta r t d doing some w a S ^ S S f e ^ d S f f f " *"*'* fo r a8be8t 8 but wlth ab* ? ^ B ? '?SOnfcinyOi.followinfir8OV0rrBnent a c tio n i n t h is regard kS;PJ8 infonned on any inform ation L a - f 5 t h i TM i S p a 1Kha * ' 0 'i n i t l ^ te,,-a cra sh P ^sram in th ia S ^ lu . `,1PPearB tG ^ p r o h lb lte d by Govern- JNW:vh I 3 ,--f Taking Giant Staps Two chemical process companies S o u rc e s o? a ire m e a sb e sto s took giant steps toward diversifying into- th* ev--nrr-g-rphy we-k, Asbesics-iined ducifi used in centrally air-conditioned building^.- .. and two paper companies urith com- " Asbestos ducts and insulation in home csnrraf-heating plants. : bined' i d cf-aeariy Si- &35onJye-r ' ' Motor vehicle brake linings and dutch plates. .i,,- reached a tentative agreement to m*rgas (1) Bendix jCarp. ^(Detroit) (' - vAuto undercaatinzs, .A -:'-*' . -y . "' *' 'v'.. r ' *. ^Asbestos ceiling and-flcor tiles. - *.-L "'rii . , ?andcd_iu _oceanic activities by ae- jVAsbestos' shingles"'and sidings: "1 5g~Tv.,ig tar 1. unoi.ec " I1t 3 l i,ock Marine " Advisers (Lam ella, *435iStw Calif.1). producer ox cceanngraphic in=C- !Tf . yo Z>Z., .IS*!-. grams. - " "'-.Vev- 2 i ...4,v' (2)- Fluor Corp. (Las Anjeies) v--- - ' and B. L McFarland and A ssociate . (Fort- WonK and Midland. Tea), a n .." group of Sve companies involved in 'r.` ' olTshore and_ onshore drilling opera - 7;tions, have agreed to merge; aubjest ' to stockholders' approval. The Mc ' -^Farland group operates five offiskere . drilling rigs in the G ulf of Mexico. (3) A tentative agreement to merge ' has been reached by U.S. Plywood _ Corp- (New York) and O am pioa - Papers. Inc. (Hamilton. 0:). -ft nr sbb- - . jeet to both directors' and itoekhold- l crx' approval. The corporate identinea u( both companies will be preserved. Reducing G25 Rates ' The Federal Power Commission has . ordered S! Paso Natural Gas Co. and Transwestern Pipeline Co. to reduce ' by SI7 million/year the price or na . tural gaa in the southern California market. ' The rate cut stems from the July 35 decision in which FPC turned down the application o f Gulf Pacific Pipeline Co. (a Tcnneco subsidiary) ' to supply gas to the Los Angeles area {CIV, Ai,;;. 6. p. 2 0 ). Gulf Pacific lust sveek filed for a rehearing. El Paso and Transwcsicrn were told they woulj have to lower their rates to reiloct the lower costs result ing from the bigger deliveries pos sible in the expanded system. At the -ame time. FPC said it would conduct Hirthes- proceedings to decide if cus tomers should get additional heneltts resulting irons more liberal deprecia tion allowances. FPC ha> given the companies 45 days 0 show enu? why the reduction should not take place. A The asbestos industry-- who end products are rained at more than S500 million/year--mar be la for a shakeup. It could come ia the form o( federal legislation limiting the use of asbestos, because asbestos Has been ac cused-- though not yet "convicted"-- as_7sigTuncsni6. health hazard;-Prob able contender for asbestos markets: plastics. Recent studies have convinced U.S. Public Health Scr/ice specialists and utner medical authar.dea that about 405c of all Americans have. mud. chronic cases of asbestosis, even though most of them never worked directly with asbestos. Unlike other airborne dust particles, asbestos fibers have the ability-- al most as much as activated carbon-- to absorb polycyclic hydrocerbons and arscnicals. Furthermore, says USFHS. in the past 30 years the asbcr.tos-related cancer rate has in creased sixfold. The Inferences: White the average asbestos worker is well protected, the m.-.n on the street is not. The 3x1m .ran a-'ieupv fi'-c-s in his lungs ean farm \arietv of sources {table, \ id iu-:d.c::l experts say there's no ............. :we-.s hydrocarbon content : "t.-'C lung deposits. ' \.:;.'':c..n Cancer Society research er. teal certain there is a synergistic re'.itii'p-mp smnng airborne asbestos. m u . ' Urg ,-u h I lung cancer. They reason tlt..[ the niinilegradahle. hydrocarbon, .'ik.il rilvrs may well be a cohstant o..:ee of lung irritation. 32 C H E M IC A L W E E K Seotem ber JO, J5 5 S * 4 PKS officials think it may take them up to five yearn to establish ' asbestos' true role aa an air pollutant. However, Congress may act before the research is finished. Says Repre sentative Robert Watkins (R_ ?a.)s "We've seen enough evidence al ready. Asbestos will never get a clean, bill of health. With just a little more data we'll move for controls and strict onea." Some form of asbestos control is in the ailing, public health officials are certain, if oniy part of a larger clcan-amoient-air program. However.' _ there is the danger that Congress may enact rigoroua controls or. the quanti ty of asbestos that aould be used. In that case both Canada and US. asbestos products manufacturers ' would be hard hit. Of the five forms of asbestos mined today, ehrvjotile asbestos holds the predominant mar ket position because o f its insulat ing and processing qualities. Canada' produces more then 3051 of the :hry. sotile asbestos used in the U.S. In both countries, a number of serious dislocations would occur. At present, there is no known mat"terial that could fill all of asbestos' strategic roles. Or. the other hand. . should federal controls merely 1 for higher standards for binders and shielding*. that wouid sparx 1 rise of new products, wuh plastics taking the lead. Reason, sav industry spokesmen. ~ present polymer technology eauid ' easily turn up products to replace a- bestos in most end-usea.