Document R2KXxy0JL4z5do5p4kV6Gq3JB

May 6, 1977 PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT Mrs. Paula Peterson 1073 Ruth Place North Bellmore, L.I. NY 11710 Dear Mrs. Peterson: This will acknowledge your letter of April 28 regarding the use of our BONDEX SX Joint Cement. You do not indicate whether or not there were any asbestos warnings on the package which you used and which we assume was our 5# size and in which case it would have been old stock since all of our production of SX Joint Cement in 5# packages has been asbes tos free since late August 1976. Of course, inhaling excessive amounts of any tjfpe of dust is unwise but we assume that your carpenter friend might well have been referring to asbestos dust in his reference. In that regard, a great deal of research on the effects of asbestos has been done by the Environmental Science Laboratory of Mt, Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Any precautionary labeling on our pack aging as regards asbestos is basically a requirement .of OSHA for the occupational protection of in-plant workers so we extended the warnings to others of our products on which asbestos could conceivably be re leased as in the case of sanding Joint cement. I want you to know that our plant employees are given annual physical examinations and in this group are a number of employees who have been employed near 20 years with no ill effects. They do, in fact, work in a dust controlled environment which meets government regulations. Without knowing'the exact conditions-of your exposure, amounts of sanding, etc., it would be difficult to evaluate, however, on a one time basis it would appear your exposure would have been minimal, although you $sy wish to consult your doctor for verification. We have been advised that while severe diseases can be caused by asbes tos through the inhalation of excess quantities of the fiber, it takes BON-01178 Mrs. Paula Peterson Page 2 May 6, 1977 approximately fifteen to twenty years of exposure to airborne asbes tos to develop disease of the lung or the gastro-intestinal tract. Sincerely yours, BONDEX INTERNATIONAL, INC. JKN/41J Julius K. Nemeth BON-01179 <Paula tPetsuon 1073 JZutk <Place `Moitk SSeiimoxE, X. 0., JVEUj <LjoX 11710 fliuLsjjd**': <s^ dt/L/ds fa si*6*LZ/ JLrnjU^ s* /hpcsuZ' &77iXsCt s4v XU&fX' stjx/isifasO ^-//[SfaydU^> LaJlsCJZ&sCAJ} stfa, fauLs /C6C&& r-. hx/lfado ~cJo- *-4>C4. / dCufyUx^iJ^dr J4 yC*tA^L^cfaX ivd? smaAsCu, M-ts &SU fatdZgJi jadvt 'v^CtsLe.sL " diy cjLyt^tZZfa jd^uC^d fax /dfa&Ls 1 'TAX.' J^uCd )LAx^fa XLx^X^iUaj^jCs fa* rt-f &(x&p i JL /TL&xJZs ^6yt^ . /fafaf oXLC' yi4tX^ty(Z jLs^&Ls i 'J- H^CdX^xX^d y ^As/TL, &4s<*td&L' ^^XXa^LjXtC 1 \dLfl^L ^ird^tfafafafa \/+H\ J?z^LxfafaC/c, . ct~*X ; /. -:* ` ...-*;. ^ . ;. . ,, ,' /cua/xj fil ~l'.'V#''\ :`z .*: .7 * BON - 01180 Phone 216 225-3169 *4 May 10, 1977 Mr. George Olson La Crosse Steel Roofing Co., Box 837 La Crosse, WI 54601 Inc. Dear Mr. Olson: Thanks for your recent letter and in answering your question, the article copy of which you enclosed does, in fact, not tell the full story because a follow-up news paper article in the Wall Street Journal clarified the fact that, and which I veri- fied with a phone call to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, this, in fact,.is a proposed ban. I was advised over the telephone that the official printing of this will be in the Federal Register sometime over the next two to three weeks and after which the commission expects to follow the procedure of soliciting comments and having public hearings and after which a ban may take affect but this could be as much as six months away. Frankly, I fully expect that there will be a ban on asbestos containing products in the area of patching materials and as a result, those of our products have been re formulated and we are now producing on an asbestos-free basis. In any case, as regards Spackling Compound, our Resurfo Powder and Paste have never been formulated with asbestos. There is some confusion now on the subject of tremolitic talc on which our previous supplier had supplied a certification as to being asbestos free. The certification has now been withdrawn and our supply source has now been changed. In any case, there is not now a ban and we do not really see any problems in view of changeover as described above. Sincerely yours, BONDEX INTERNATIONAL, INC. JKN/jlj Julius K. Nemeth BON -01181 Pittle said one study submitted Spackling to the agency shows that about 50 per cent of all spackling com pounds have been reformulated tc compound eliminate asbestos. He said the commission staff also should ex plore whether the asbestos suhsti is banned tutes are safe. The commission has_not.decide< under what law to apply, the ban : ,WASHINGTON. (UPI) The .Consumer'.Product .'Safety Com.- ... jn^ssida- Thursday- .banned spack- |jiihg-compounds -and other wall '-.^patching. mixtures containing as- ^t^f^;P9?i|jteiCa,\ises of can,* qer ...... . . \ Asbestos-containing imitation logs, and!'ash used in gas-burning fireplaces also' came under the .. bah and a list of other materials, _ '--^.such as vinyl .tiles, wallboard, S.brake linings apd modeling clay - V-yas named for investigation. WiVThis (asbestos) is probably one ;or!the most well-documented toxic substances around," said commis sioner David Pittle. "You don'i haVe to look at the rats, just look at the people." j' r'.Tjie agency left open the ques- rtioij of whether consumers will be iable tfo .get refunds for - banned | productsWw in their possession. - :;. Ttfe commission voted 4-0, with tone', commissioner absent, to ac- !;cept' a recommendation from the Natural Resources Defense Coun- ... i cU (NRDC) to ban spackling com- pounds and sipoilar mixtures with asbestos. The council said millions of. consumers are being exposed to ...'a,needless hazard when such ma- _4~'aterials are installed,-'sanded or The commissioners also banned They can do it under one law tha would make it immediate or un der another that would allow foi 60 days of public coijujient.before hand. ` The NRDC followed up by ask ing the commission to consider banning modeling clay, textura paints, brake shoes and linings wallboard and other product*.con taining asbestos. It also said there was a poten tial problem with vinyl floor tilt r.-$SS because the adhesive used With it . contains asbestos which is re leased into the air when the floor is sanded after the tile ia.taken up. The; cpmrijissiju^^dgoid,1^1 tc speed up->- staff report materials...... .."~4' - * The agency said it wanted tc consider - how to tell consumers they could return banned materia: safely to the store if a refund ii eventually ordered. .Commission chairman John By- ington said "I'm not at' ail con vinced everyone ought to go tear ing down to the,nearest retailer with a bag full of this stuff." Pittle said a repurchase is vital because otherwise the banned ma terials might be dumped in -the trash or down the toilet where they could become a hazard,to tjie environment. . .V ' ""spackling compounds containing a ` 'form of asbestos called tremolitic. ^ Circsse SteeL ROOFING COMPANY, INC. P. O. BOX Q37 29 1 1 SOUTH 27TH STREET LA CROSSE. WISCONSIN 54601 BorJbEX. IvTEtfJATtdVAL IVC. JELx>,__ Btn...88. ______________ .B&MMsxjjck .j____ Qjim___ __________________ ___ i__________________________________________ * ____________________ v/ O lM4*t+**U_____ METAL BUILDING PRODUCTS k ~Jroni the <!e.%h of HENRY WEIG PURCHASING AGENT Da fe 2S^3j/?7 7 ____ P*m j9i Mix (608) 788-2100 JH-'rLJi BON-01183