Document NEV4pZN4pJknZ3qdnbO5rv44y

University of Cincinnati Medical Center DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH KETTERING LABORATORY (5X3) 872-5700 3223 Eden Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45267 November 15, 1978 Lawrence E. Blanchard, Exec. Ethyl Corporation 360 South Fourth Street Richmond, Virginia 23217 V.P. Dear Larry: Thanks, so much, for your letter of November 9. You are certainly the kindest and most thoughtful of men, and I appreciate deeply your consideration. I must also speak of my feeling about Ethyl Corporation,which has not altered in the slightest with my retirement or in consequence of my cerebral disability (i.e. since I have recovered^ at least^in considerable part>from my original utterly confused state). In this, of course, I have been most fortunate, for such recovery is of fairly uncommon occurrence. Because of your sympathetic attitude toward me*. I am emboldend to speak of .a matter which must have disturbed you considerably, andjjivhich I cannot fail to be disturbed Let me say.^at the outset^that this matter is none of my business, but I cannot quite disregard it. Even so, if you have no need of my interest in it, you need not hesitate either to say so or to make no response to me concerning it, for I can certainly, at this point in my life, take "no" for an answer. I refer to your difficulties in the matter of a general I^dical ^irector^ if you consider this matter as a difficulty. I do not presume to know all about this situation. Actually, I only know that George Roush has gone to Monsanto. I know or knew Monsanto very well through my associations with Emmett Kelly (their one-time Medical Director^who went into Military Service and then returned to Monsanto, of which his father-in-law was President. One of their executives conferred with me regularly during his absence. They now needfift, desperately, a competent ,Medical Director and George Roush (who has not communicated with me at all) is in a very good spot for him, and, I hope, for them also. I also know, of course, of Mitchell Zavons "in and out" experience, although neither he nor anyone else has ever told me about it, ! ,, excepting for its beginning and end. t7 What I am now concerned about in the situation of Ethyl Corporation^ both as to lead and also as to the many other chemical activities in which the Company is involved. As I have saidfthis is none of my business, but I should like to make it clear to you that if you ever wish to talk with me about this issue as it concerns you, or as it concerns the Gottwalds also, I shall be only too happy to be of any help that I can. N22130 Lawrence E. Blanchard, Exec. V.P. Page Two November 15, 1978 I can and will see you or any other whom you want me to see, whether here or elsewhere. I am not as clear in my head as I once was, but my understanding of the problems of industrial hazards and of the role of an industrial physician in such matters is as clear now as it ever was^I believeyand I am reasonably! aware Of the sometimes desperate needs of industry, confronted by uninvestigated andprmderstood hazards, and by government, agencies whose competences are not always equal to the situation. Incidentally Eula Bingham, Asst. Sec'y of Labor, is a\"on leave" member of the Staff of the Kettering Laboratory. She is an able person, but she is not a physician, although she is next door to being one). However, these agencies (OSHA, NIOSH, and EPA have been called upon to assume complete responsibility for the Hygienic Problems of American Industry on short notice, and no group of people, competent or not, can be expected to take on this job on such short notice. We, nationally, are in a "mess", some phases of which will remain a "mess" for many years almost certainly. But, I must not continue this further. You will probably understand my concern, but you need not let it concern you unduly. My thanks again for your letter and my best regards as usual. OBJ RAK:di Robert A. Kehoe, M.D.