Document VJvGBgYkX8yVMJy7VNJg1xRpj

OFFICE FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH COMMITTEE OF THE OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT JAMESB.CONANT, Chairman RICHARDC. TOLMAN, ViesChairman ROGERADAMS CKOANRWLATY. CPO.MCPOTEON FRANK B. JEWETT MAJ.GEN. R. C. MOORE CAPT. LYBRANDP. SMITH 1530 P STREET NW. WASHINGTON, D. C. November 8, 1941 IRVINSTEWART, ExecutiveSecretary Dr. Robert A. Kehoe Kettering Laboratory of Applied physiology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio . ' Dear Dr. Kehoe: I have received a copy of of a letter of October 28 from you to Dr. Egloff in regard to a problem of cleaning tank ears and other containers which have been used for gasoline containing lead. This is a i>roblem which has been turned over to the National Defense .Research Committee by the Ordnance Department. This office communicated with Dr. Egloff about the matter, and then he in turn communicated with you. In your letter to Dr. Egloff, you inquired if the Service which is interested in this would be willing to provide adequate facilities for meeting the emergency. I think you may be assured that the Ordnance Department would be sufficiently interested in obtaining a solution to .make all reasonable effort to overcome the cleaning problem if a feasible method of doing so were found. On the other hand, I think it is probably true that no very complicated system can be considered for field use. I note that you suggest that it will be necessary to remove all the gasoline from the water; however, from the brief correspondence on this, I take it that the Ordnance Department considers that the gasoline removal is not a problem, or in other words that ordinary flushing with water or steam is sufficient to remove the gasoline down to allowable quantities. The only thing that they seem to be -worried about is the lead in the gasoline. I believe.that this would probably simplify the problem. /ifter reading over your viewpoints on the matter, I wonder if perhaps this problem is, in the beginning, not more one of an engineering nature rather than one for medical research; though I think that medical experts should be called in to pass judgment upon the suitability of any method which might be worked D r . Ro b e r t A . Keh oe -2 ITovember 8, 1941 out. Please let me have your reaction to this idea, and if you think that the work should be carried out by a medical group, would you indicate to he something about the methods which would be employed and the equipment which might be necessary for carrying on the work. Then this office will consider whether or not it is feasible to put out on ir.D.R.C. contract for this particular project, Sincerely yours, C. C. Furnas Tech. Aide Division B