Document Lgorg2KvO6X5yEz2zpLBeokaq

INTERIM PRESS INQUIRY STATEMENT: Texas City Health Issue Union Carbide Corporation's Texas City plant is now compil ing the final employee data for the National Institute of Occupa tional Safety and Health (NIOSH) to complete their joint epidemio logical study. These final records should be ready for NIOSH review by the end of January. NIOSH is then scheduled to finish two separate studies of employee health and may have their final findings complete by March or April, 1981. Union Carbide has been working together with NIOSH since February, 1979, on this detailed study of employees following con cerns about brain tumors. Eighteen of the almost 9,000 employees who worked at the Union Carbide Texas City plant over the past 39 years have died of brain tumors. The purpose of this joint study by the company and NIOSH is to ascertain if the incidence of brain tumors is higher than might be expected from normal causes, and to see if there is any relationship between exposures to a chemical, group of chemicals or a chemical process. According to NIOSH's interim findings, there appears to be a slightly larger than expected incidence of brain tumors among employees, but there does not appear to be any definable relationship to chemical exposures. Union Carbide's Texas City Plant Manager, Damon L. Engle, advised plant employees: "I firmly believe our present standards and practices provide adequate protection from known health hazards. The day I have reason to believe there is a hazardous exposure, I will take whatever action is required to protect your health and mine." *#* I? ucc 097036