Document QJ5jMqEqKELOJXBMLM0vXa187

Committee: Place: Date: Public Affairs Committee St. Louis, Missouri June 9, 1981 The AACPP Public Affairs Committee met on Tuesday, June 9,1981, at 2:02 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri, the Chairman being in the Chair and the Secretary being present. Attendees were: Chairman Members Staff Guests Olson Baker Collier Cook McCallie Perrell Woods Kahn Welch Gillen Battle (L&G) Nagler (L&G), L Call to Order The Chairman declared a quorum present and called the meeting to order. II. Reading and Approval of Minutes A motion was made and passed " ... that the reading of the February 25, 1981 minutes be dispensed with and approved as distributed." HI. Review of Agenda The meeting agenda was reviewed and the order of business modified as follows. IV. Report of Officers A. Chairman's Report None. B. Staff Report None. V. Priority List A. PAC-01-80, Regulatory Affairs Program The Director of Public Affairs reported that the final draft of the economic impact assessment of a ban on A/C pipe in the United States had been completed and in accordance with Board directive, would be transmitted from AACPP counsel to Kirkland & Ellis. The status of regulatory negotiations with EPA was reviewed briefly by Staff. 1- - CAPCO JEN 0031707 I V B. PAC-02-80, Public Education Program 1. Fact Book/Tip-Ons Lewis 6c Gilman reported that the legislative, water utility and public health official tip-ons would be distributed to member companies on or about June 16,1981. It was reported that the "A/C Advisories" would commence in late June and that reprints of AACPP's response to the Millette article in Water Engineering and Management magazine would . be distributed in early July. The agency reported that it was preparing for Staff and Committee review an outline of recommended revisions to the "A/C Pipe and Drinking Water" booklet. 2. Medical Statement on the Safety of A/C Pipe The Chairman discussed the need to obtain from a number of industry and independent medical consultants, statements supporting the safety of A/C pipe. The Chairman proposed that these statements be the basis for approaching the EPA Administrator to make a public statement that the use of A/C pipe does not create a health hazard. While there was broad endorsement of the concept, Lewis 6c Gilman and some Committee members felt that the maximum positive value from such statements could be derived if they were from independent rather than industry physicians. Mr. Baker agreed to obtain a statement (similar to that distributed by the Chairman) from Certain-teed's corporate medical director. Staff agreed to prepare a list of candidates to be approached and to implement such a tactic as soon as possible. 3. Seminars Lewis 6c Gilman reviewed acceptances by AWWA Sectionals for "A/C Pipe and Drinking Water" presentations by AACPP Staff. The agency also recommended that these appearances be bolstered by press backgrounders and/or news stories to trade and local press. 4. Advertising The thrust of AACPP advertising i.e. whether it should be product promotion oriented or product safety oriented was reviewed. After considerable discussion about target audiences, a motion was made and passed unanimously, "that AACPP conduct a campaign of conventional product promotion advertising directed at A/C pipe customers and legislators and municipal officials." Staff was directed to run one ad per month in the Journal of the American W'ater Works Association and the balance of ads in publications directed towards legislators and municipal officials. Johns-Manville expressed discontent with the current advertising concepts. Although this displeasure was not shared by all members, the Committee directed Staff to work with Lewis & Gilman in the preparation of an alternate concept for review. 5. Future Directions Lewis 6c Gilman presented a six month overview of the Public Education -2- CAPCO JEN 0031708 Program and discussed the need for making a transition into a "proactive" public relations program. A report was distributed for Committee review and comment by June 23, 1981, As a separate action, Staff also agreed to letter ballot the acceptability of the proposal. C. PAC-04-80, State Monitoring Program Staff reported that it had been directed to prepare and letter ballot a cost proposal for retaining special counsel in four priority states, California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. VI. Old Business A. AWWA Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos in Drinking Water Draft #3 of the Ad Hoc Committee position statement was reviewed and edited; see separate transmittal. B. Letter to EPA Health Effects Research Laboratory (HERL) Staff distributed for Committee review a copy of the letter sent to EPA Administrator Gorsuch regarding statements made by HERL employees about the safety of A/C water pipe. C. State of Connecticut The Director of Public Affairs and Mr. McCallie gave a brief update on the anticipated response from the Commissioner of Health Services in Connecticut. It is still the collective view that the Commissioner will not make a ruling that the use of A/C pipe does not create a public health hazard. It was the sense of the Committee that if such a ruling is handed dov/n, appropriate legal action should be taken to appeal the decision. VII. New Business A. Field Problems 1. Lakewood, California A review of this field problem was given by Messrs. Olson and Baker who agreed to coordinate industry counterinitiatives. 2. Salem, Illinois Mr. Perrell reported on a new field problem for an EDA-HUD-FmHA project which CAPCO is contesting on legal grounds. Vm. Adjournment The meeting was adj'ourned at 5:30 p.m. J. F. Welch Secretary 3- - 1 CAPCO JEN 0031709