Document NGdVXQ18d6wX80yn3mk3jL97E

November 11, 1971 George Roush, Jr., M.D., Medical Director Ethyl Corporation Laboratory of Environmental Medicine 1700 Perdido Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 Dear George: I have neither seen nor written to you for some time, ana I feel very much as though I have been unduly isolated (from you), although I do not acknowledge any intent on my part to isolate myself. Nor do I consider that anything' beyond my preoccupation with many things which appeared to require my attention has been responsible for this. On the brink of leaving Cincinnati and the U.S.A. for London on Friday of this week, I feel that I should, for my own sake, get in touch with you. The past several weeks have been busy ones, for, among other things, I've been outof-town on certain professional activities that have impressed me with the fact that certain matters are being pressed upon us (public and physicians, especially) by governmental actions of one kind or another. I went out to Omaha, Nebraska to attend a hearing, initiated by E.P.A. (and labor representative) against ,'vmerican Smelting and Refining Co., to show cause why they should not be penalised for violations of the regulations of the Department of Labor relating to the functions of this Department for the enforcement of the new Public Law 91-596. I did not wish so much to defend A.S. and R. (now titled a SARCO) as to insist upon the principle of biological testing of employees as an unavoidably necessary measure of security against lead poisoning. This was an interesting affair, and I hope it resulted in something significant. We shall know later whether or not it did. Last week I was in New York City, appearing before the group there, at the request of Mobil Oil (through their attorney in N.Y.C.), to see if they could not obtain a stay of six months while they would undertake to comply with an ordinance which says that no gasoline containing more lead than a certain standard (through which, in increments, they wish to eliminate lead from gasoline used in New York City some years hence). The quantity permitted may not now (retroactively to November 1, 1971) exceed 2 grams of Pb. per gallon (perhaps it is 2 and a small fraction, of which I'm not sure, but it is approximately 2 grams). This was a disorderly hearing, and I have no impression that would enable me to guess what the outcome may be. I presume that by this time you have examined carefully the document on lead prepared under the responsibility of the National Academy of Sciences. This, it seems, has had no effect (if it has been seen) upon this body which represents New York City in this matter. Again, we shall find out shortly what the outcome of this hearing will be. I am sending you herewith a copy of a paper on lead which (perhaps with considerable editing at the hands of Dr. Levine of the Department of Pharmacology of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine) I prepared for a volume of the International Encyclopedia of Pharmacology and Therapeutics which is soon to come out. This is my version of the George Roush, Jr., M.D. Page 2 November 11, 1971 present picture of the behavior of lead for the purposes of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. I shall be interested in any comments which you have to make on it as I have written it. So much for now. I shall return to Cincinnati in about two weeks, and shortly afterward, I expect to visit Bernie Sobel at Baton Rouge. I hope also to see you when I make that trip. Best regards to yourself, Elsie and the children. Sincerely yours. RAK:wb enclosure as stated Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Professor Emeritus of Occupational Medicine 0012365