Document MmpBMBZqEbvRGe33GRKvNzGL

FILE NAME: US Gypsum (USG) DATE: October 17, 1966 DOC#: USG101 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1966 Letter to RN Massey from JN Walker re Sept 10 article on asbestos in Chemical Week. / / rl - # 17 2 -2 , R. N. Massey # 151, J . N. Walker Asbestos c c i #151, B. W, Nlea October 17, 1966 trhanktyou^orMtndlng' iBftntbecopyxpf'.the; asbestos a r t ic le In f Cftendcal&Week* #We -saw ^hevarfciole* and have started doing some fthlnklng|aaj^4*P988lble^aubtltutes fo r asbestos but with ab- solutelys>noFluok to d ate. * Wer 8h a ll* o o n tin u e follow ing-governm ent a c tio n i n t h i s reg ard and w ill ap p reciate your keeping ua informed on any inform ation your obtain.W 'We^shall h a v e ^ to 'in itia te .a crash program in th is a r e a r if jt h e m s e J o f aB bestosIfappears t o b e 'p ro h ib ite d by governm en& 'fre& ilatlqp. JNW:vh *r -- 1 * Taking Giant Steps Two ffheasicsJ process companies Sources o airaome asbestos took giant steps toward diversifying ^gganaymphy. ^bU U f t w V Aibestcs-iined ducts used in central!/ air-conditioned building^- -- - and. two paper cqm paaie vith com- ' birted'iolea of-neari/ Si* baJon/yesr ,*. Asbestos dura and insulation in homVcsntra&heating plants, Mcftor vehicle brake linings and clutch plates, reached a tentative agreement to : C * m#r-je.s jAirto undercoatings, . .,,**.. *`7 "* ---L` ^- . r 7*.- ` .. ' (I) Bendix jCorp. ^(Detroit) "ec-'""TM'''<&_Asbesios ceiling and-floor tiles, # ~ : `7' t .. ` fry \ - i2 ponded its oceanic activities by ae- J te r r. urronjejg^cg **ve*n\ 'm*>v Tr a n s itu c n u i a n u -e rninicfi ^s'-'i^fetocb Marine "'Advisers (Li-Holla, * 7Fitting, cutting, and removing asbestos-filled wallboards and jr.JD^5C aiiA L . p rq d u c jr .o x _ ^ 5 ^ p h k J ^ _ - .1" * m~j .^r-^trurnen rtorr_ poe tnre^iueurSml,,^aTnd uilnfinTrTr ^ e d e S ^ ig S S S si^ ? - .3 _ ^ n d wflnr% nfrgdrinc S 5 b r pTO fyCOTriy filtered effluent from asbestos processing plante crams. " *v (2)- Fluor Corp CL02 Angela) and B. L. McFarland and Associates V... (Fort WonH and Midland, Tex.), a : group of five companies involved in Asbesi&s: Awaiting T nl ~ < z V a ' .*offshore and_ onshore drilling operav . ''lions, have agreed lo merge; subject - to stockholders' approval. The Mc^Firiand group operates five ofisbere drilling rip in the G ulf of Mexico, (3) A tentative agreement to merge has been reached bv U.S. Plywood Corp. (New York) and -Q aciaian Papers. Inc. (Hamilton, Or),ft is sobjre: to both directors' and stoekholdc n ` approval. The corporate identities of both companies will be preserved. T he arbejtoo indu j a r whose end predacts are rained at m ore than $500 m illio n /y e a o --m a r be In fo r a shakeu p . It ctiald come in the form of federal legislation lim iting the use of asbestos, because asbestos His been ac cused-- though not y et " convicted"--* ,, ^ significant, health h a s a r i - ? r o b - ; able contender for asbestos markett: plastics. Recant studies have convinced U.S. Public Health Sem es specialists and PK5 officials think it may axe them up to five years to establish asbestos* true role as an air poUutanc. However, Congress may ace before the research is finished. Says Repre sentative Robert Watkins (R_ Pa.): "We've seen enough evidence aL rej>dy. Asoetos will never jet a clean, bill of health. With just 1 little more data we'll move for controls and strict on.*' Some form of asbestos control is utner medical authorities that about in the offing, public health officials Reducing Gas Rates 405c of all Americans have.miid, are certain, if oniy par; of 2 larger f - chronic cases of asbestosis, even clcan-amoient-air program. However.' The Federal ?ower CofnmtaiQn has though most of them never worked there is the danger that Congress may ordered HI Paso Natural Gas Co, and directly with asbestos, cnac: rigorous controls on tee quanti Transwcswrn Pipeline Co. to reduce Unlike other airborne dust panicles, ty of asbestos teat could be used. hv SI7 million/year the price of na tural gas in the southern California whesecs fibers have the ability-- almmt as much as activated carbon-- In that case both Canada and tLS. asbestos products manufacturers market to absorb polycyclic hydrocarbons would be hard hit- Of the five forms The raw cut stems from the July and arscr.icals. Furthermore, says of asbestos mined today, chrvsotile 35 dceuion in which F?C turned USPHS. in the past 30 years the as- asbestos holds the predominant mar down the application of Gulf Pacific bcr.tcs-rclated cancer rate has in ket position because o f its insulat Pipeline Co, (a Tcnneco subsidiary) creased sixfold. ing and processing qualities. Canada' *to supply gas to the Los Angeles area The Inferences: While ^the average produces more than 30 ft of the :hry. (CIF. An}, 6. p. 20) . Gulf Pacific 3'hescos worker is well protected, the sotiie asbestos used in (he U.S. in last week filed for a rehearing. m.m on the street Is not. The 3xl- both countries, a number of serious El Paso and Transwcstcrn were m .ror. .v'wuos in his lungs can dislocations would occur. told they would have to lower their rutes to rcilcct the lower costs result ing from the bigger deliveries pos ,v f .; from \anc:y of source: {(able, \ id mod.0:1! experts say there's no At present, there is no known rnzT tenal that could fill ail of asbestos' strategic roles. Or. the other hand able in the expanded system. At the ............ hydrocarbon content should federal controls merely 11 -amc time. PPC said it would conduct i.-sc lung deposits. for higher standards for binders ami further proceedings to decide if cus \.:u-:c-n Cancer Society research shicldings. that would sparse a me of tomers should get additional benefit* er* /cel certain there is a synergistic new products, with plastics taking refilling from more liberal dcprecia- rcMtim-^tp among airborne asbestos, the lead. lion allowances. sm.'vit'g n;ul lung cancer. They reason Reason, sav industry spokesmen, FPC ha> given the companies 45 the numlcgradanle. hydrocarbon- present polymer technology aid davs to ^o w cause why the reduction dtould not take place. ,` ik.d rilvrs may well be a cohstant o*.:vj of lung irritation. easily turn up products to rcplae: as bestos in moat end-urea. 22 HVAICL WZX September 10, !? qq *v