Document RpQ3Vb0EDOMvVx4YKvqpvx8ya

La w r e n c e E. B l a n c h a r d , J r . Ex ecu t i v e Vice Pr esi d en t ETHYL CORPORATION 3 3 0 SOUTH FO U RTH S TREET RICHMOND, VIRGINIA S3S17 May 27, 1970 Dr. Robert A. Kehoe University of .Cincinnati Department of Preventive Medicine and Industrial Health Kettering Laboratory Cincinnati, Ohio Dear D r . Kehoe: As of January 1, 1970 when George Kirby left us, I in herited the overall responsibility for coordinating our air con servation efforts. At that time, this responsibility was thought of as primarily an administrative one of merely coordinating our various efforts. Unfortunately, none of us fully appreciated that January 1 marked the beginning of the "environmental decade" and if the next nine years and seven months are anything like the past five months it is perfectly obvious that I personally will not survive regardless of what may happen to Ethyl. One of the first items on my agenda on January 1 was to arrange to go out and meet with you, not only because I have heard so much about what a fine gentleman you are but because, as we all know, you are of course recognized as the number one expert in the world on lead. Unfortunately, my world becairte immediately terribly com plicated because of the attack on us by General Motors and Ed Cole which started out on an entirely different tack than the health question and I have had to spend literally all my time fighting brush fires around the country fighting on that front. I think perhaps you have seen much of the material that we have been put ting out, but perhaps the best summary of the position we have taken on that overall front is set forth in my testimony to the Muskie committee, a copy of which I am attaching. You will see that we have generally played down the health aspects because the attack was primarily against the effect of lead on claimed control N7526 Dr. Robert A. Kehoe May 27. 1970 Page 2 devices. I have recently talked to George Roush about the possi bility of his and my coming out to see you sometime at your con venience but, as I think you know, I have had to send George hurriedly to Japan on the incident out there that has recently received considerable publicity. In the meantime, we have now been violently attacked by President Nixon with his proposed tax which amounts to five times the price of our product. The tax, as you probably know, has the avowed purpose of eliminating lead from gasoline. As if all of this is not enough, we have recently read publicity about a new attack by a group called The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) against HEW with the EDF taking the position that if Secretary Finch does not immediately remove lead from gasoline they will take the matter to court. / I only this morning have been able to receive the Brief which they have filed with HEW. I have not yet even had an oppor tunity to read it all the way through, but even a brief skimming tells me that it is a document that you would be much interested in and a document on which we may well need your usual good help. All of this brings me to say that I would like very much to come out to Cincinnati to meet you in person and get the bene fit of your wisdom on any advice you might have on strategy or procedure on any of the problems that seem to be building up for us. I have been reluctant to call you cold without having given you some of the background of where I find myself. Secondly, I have no idea of your present schedule of availability. I also have some problems of scheduling because these days we never know when we are going to have to testify where. For all of these reasons, my suggestion is that perhaps after you have reviewed the enclosures, since I do not want to rush you, perhaps you could give me a call (703 644^-608]^ so that I could chat with you on the phone and perhaps could arrange a 0006214 Dr. Robert A. Kehoe May 27, 1970 Page 3 mutually convenient time for me to come out to Cincinnati and kick the whole subject around with you. Thanking you very kindly and looking forward with much pleasure to meeting you, I am Sincerely yours LEB:ab Enel. 0006215