Document V3voBJmLn9od3o6yZm6pyx9Jw

FILE NAME: Eternit (ETER) DATE: 1999 DOC#: ETER034 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Article from Brazilian Newspaper Translated to English Re: Mazeltov on your great victory Fernanda & Barry!!! mailbox:/c%7C/f/email/Outbox?id=36D5D6FF.BAC@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us&number=0 Subject: Re: Mazeltov on your great victory Fernanda & Barry!!! Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 18:04:31 -0500 From: Barry Castleman <bcastle@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us> To: Berman Family <bermfam@davis.com> > THE TRANSLATION FROM O ESTADO DE SAO PAULO, > JAN U A R Y23, 1999 > > headline: JUDGE REJECTS CRIMINAL COMPLAINT B Y ETERNIT AGAINST INSPECTOR > > THE COMPANY REQUESTED A CONVICTION OF ENGINEER FERNANDA GIANNASI FOR DEE\ > > by Arnaldo Galvao > > The judge o f the Second Criminal District o f the Pinheiros Forum (Sao Paulo > city) rejected the criminal complaintfile d by Eternit against Fernanda > Giannasi, an engineer and inspector o f the Ministry o f Labor. The company > had brought the complaintfo r the crime o f defamation because she had > claimed in writings on the Internet and in interviews that Eternit > constituted part o f an "asbestos mafia" which was "co-opting public > officials" and carrying out "blackmail" and "misleadingpropaganda." > > The inspector asserted that ex-employees were being pressured to sign > agreeements with Eternit which obliged them to give up the right to sue the > company fo r liability in the future fo r health damages. The inhalation o f > asbestos fo r a long time can cause pulmonaryfibrosis and cancer. > > Eternit has already had more than 300 agreements approved by the courts > which stipulate thatform er employees will receive between US$5,000 to > US$15,000for having been exposed to asbestos, and will be guaranteed > medical treatmentfo r the rest o f their lives. > > Fernando Castelo Branco, the attorney fo r Eternit, said that he is waiting > to see the publication o f the fu ll text o f the decision in the Official > Diary o f the State [ o fSao Paulo] in order to decide, together with > management, the company's nextjudicial initiative. "We may appeal this > decision, which we consider to be wrong, or ask to be reimbursedfo r losses > and damages, since the image o f the company is being affected by the words > o f the engineer," said the attorney. > > The Press Relations office o f Eternit issued a statement which noted that > "despite its well-known reputation in the asbestos-cement sector and the >fa c t that the company meets all the legal requirements fo r the exercise o f > its activities, the firm has been the target o f constant, unfounded > criticism on the part o f persons who cite facts which are offensive to its > reputation, with an undoubted intention to defame." > > Eternit controls the Sama-Mineracao de Amianto S.A., [Sama Asbestos Mining, > Inc.] which employes 610 workers in Minacu, Goais state. Its activities are > also responsible fo r approximately 300 secondary jobs. According to the 1 of 2 2/25/99 6:04 PM Re: Mazeltov on your great victory Fernanda & Barry!!! mailbox:/c%7C/f/email/Outbox?id=36D5D6FF.BAC@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us&number=0 > company press relations office, a tripartite agreement, signed by the > company, the labor union, and the federal government specifies even > stricter rules than those required under government legislation fo r the use > o f asbestos. > > The law sets a limit o f two asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter o f air in > the work environment, but the agreement reduced the allowable limit to 0.8 >fibers. The employees can stop production i f they are now guaranteed a safe > environment. > > Antonio Luiz Aulicino, president ofEternit [do Brasil], points out that > Sama is the first asbestos mine in the world to optain the ISO 14001 > certificate fo r environmental management. [Translator's note: I never > heard o f this award!!!] > > In order to earn this certificate o f environmental management, the company's > Sama mine in Minacu replanted 150,000 square meters o f vegetation and > maintains a nursery o f 30,000 young treesfo r replanting. The company is > also responsible fo r Project Quelonios, which raises turtles fo r > environmental education and study in the community. > > END OF TRANSLATION 2 of 2 2/25/99 6:04 PM