Document X7GOeN2VDn2ZxpMJL5omBo59R

Inter- organization Correspondence R. B. Downey C. R. Career ntLO POI Nf on A<*ON 'Clld OlMT <>gN * iLOt). NO. Mt'MlNT * ICD3. NO. VCM-related inquiries at Louisville plant tf o* r ft OA*l rt-r.% _ct -* Sept. 4, 1974 Phil Lawrence called PR office at 1:15 PM today to inform ua that Dr. Creech had been contacted Tuesday, 9/3/74, and today, by reporters for the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Lawrence said the questions were of this type: "How come BFGCC didn't know of the significance of the cancer deaths prior to the January 1974 announcement?" and "Were you holding back information?" Also, "If there didn't seem to be any problem, why was BFGCC doing testing in summer of 1973?" Lawrence said Dr. Creech responded to the first two in this vein: First death (1971) was an Incident; when second (May 1973) occurred, it took some time for cause of death to filter down, to reach him; when third (Dec. 1973) occurred, the announcement was made. Lawrence said Dr. Creech evidently didn't remember why "testing began in slimmer of 1973". Lawrence explained (to me) that it wasn't until summer 1973 that instrumentation (to test) became available. Lawrence said he contacted Tom Duke in Akron to tell him of the calls to Creech. Lawrence also wanted to alert you to the inquiries. Also, in your absence, he asked that I inform J. L. Nelson. I will do this by means of sending him a copy of this memo. /c cc: J. L. Nelson T009E9Z BFG26628 Vl \ 2 'huTHiwr. &pi.s.iM tHE WASHINGTON TOST A. VitCone R. D, ScoCC J. L. Kelson E. W Harrington , H. Waltetnate B. M. G. Zwicker G. Pow W. J. Wilcox P. J. Weaver R B, Downey E, B. Osborne R* P. Kenney - A. L. Hatiield - C. R. Flynn Vinyl Chloride:Link to Cancer ByBob-Kultoe* . Urc&M >4etf. reportediSas' r*Htide<r a Berm*|yean behind where wo atoold* urufeiatea F*t fcriwm among VS chemical workers jnefttpermiwible level of usro. **." .f pTtdtnec existed. at ear,ly *ricwxMooc$hedittotbv4in^yl chliocrgidreedgie*n*Jtj TT,,n lddjaoD\xdoa^mmJa}#f WfrI.w"YeonthdaotnaTnaimutaolmsattuicdawlsly aaar-eil 1571 that low dos*s of vinyl; for one of the most common;*4*** aerosol products cotv*| conclusive, but the Industry y ' chloride caused conetr to tabo-'plastic*, polyvinyl chloride. jtainiitg vinyl chloride {tf at'thonld hare at leort^ notifiedr rttorr animal* neeordlfig tol Tb dtaciosure Jan. by* propellant have been with.;their own doctors." be added V h!!the B. F. Goodrich Co. that;drawn from the market. j -HV fnkwusahie that they*, tn internal technical report ; threw workers in it* Louisville,j in the wake of these ftnd*!didn't tell the go\cmroer.t,>,i tfee World Ilcalth Organiu* Ky.. plant died of angiourvings. the chemical industry iwid Dr. Sidney Woife, director * lion's International Age&ry^ cotta led to a Wish researchj has been sharply criticsred by of the N'xderspoosored Health}- . for Reeearrb oc Ctncer. t program by several federal, cancer sdeanau for failing to [Research Group. - h The researcher isn't identiyagecdei, including the He-; folly inform either the govern*? "'Jt would hare keen appro-V' fttd. but several prominent lional Institute of Ocrupa-i meat or its own plant phyri-priaie for them to tell tu about t l! 8, cancer aeicntlsu believe, tioaal Safety and Health and; cians about the result* of Eu- tbe European studies u soon| he It Dr. P. L. Viola, the ltel- the Labor Department* Oecu-- ropeaa studies showing Xinks.'as ii*y k;*..,* * NlCCil j Ian researcher whose earlier pational Safety and Health.to cancer-uj early as 1971. isdcstiJt. `work first alerted the chrm:-. Administration fOSHAL ! "If the latest report means' According to the Manufac-i cal industry to the posmbidt * ConaetpieoU*. OSHA adopt- ] what it seems to mean," =Md`tunn* Chemists Association,; carcinogenic -- cancer^awing ed an emergency sundardjDr. fmngSeltkoff. director of t he pHndpal industry trade --effects of high doses of >fvlowrrin$ exposure limits to'the Environmental Sciences;association, the MCA Invited; nyl chloride. vinyl chloride workers froa. Laboratory at ML Sinai j l?r. Viola to discuss his stncy : So far, 14 deaths from a WO parts per million to SO School of Medicine in New; with VS industry represecu-^ rare liver cancer called anglos-lparts per aiiiiOB, and KIOSH- York." than wwTe nearly four; tire* in Wdy, ICTLl^e pielijno . t <**' . *' . . i Known in 1971, Report Says narv studies showed vinyl chemical Industry sponsored T It also arranged for an epl-' Only after B. F. Goodrich -* chloride was carcinogenic at another sene* of' experimentPenological surrey, to study; PedthatUaUuteviUe pJt t , , __ -.,4 by a second Italian scientist. ,u_ w^._1<fci r_s_T^. Physician, Dr. John Creech, liv . : le-kcla of 30.000 pans per mil- |)P, Ca^fe Maltonl. The U.S. the h**ilh reconl* ^'*ork*r*. dependenay disccn-ercd ihree ' hen. ^Manufacturing Chemists Asso- expoied to vinyl chloride. caws of aneiosaicoma did the 5 By November, 1971. tbe ciatlon leanwd of Dr. Malto: la Jorw. t>73, at a meeting trade association fully reveal ' MCA was aware that concea- ni'S studies in late 1972. Those with NIOSH officials, indus- the Maitoni findings to NIOSH Mirations of 5.COO pan* per mil- studies showed that animal lu- try representatives are said to officials. Even at thai. poist j Hon "And perhaps less'* also mors could be produced at have down played tbe sicalfi- according to NIOSK sources r could cause tumors m labors- coaceotrations as low as 230 cance of tbe Europeaa fibd^the MCA asked XlOSHte teen ' tory ftnimala. pans per mlUlon, or half th>ing*. the findings secret According to the latest permissible exposure levels | Although the 1973 Maltoni? Dr. Msurire Jebnaoa. Good- \Vnrld Health Greaniaation re- for workers la tbe United .research indicated that liver rich's medical director, con- port, which suraraarires a SiMes. ; cancer could be caused at.firms that be knew about the meet tug held last June, a labo However, tbe MCA did cot.concentration* lov as 230 ilaltonl study but ttid list ratory (Q Italy during that pe share tbe information with parti per million, N10SH-i*e saw no cce<l lo notify the riod--presumably Dr. Viola's government agencies, having director Dr. Marcu* Kay told company'* plant physician*, ---vis aio finding that ron* promised ill European count- an Aug. 21 Senate hearing on MU was by no means a finUh- t* mrsiioo* a* low a* v*rx> i-xr-i* crpan* to keep tbe flndinft %inyi chloride that at ifce'ed study." he fai<L per million could cause lu- secret. iraeeUiig "no meovion vrt* TV'.v.-n Goodr^fh's Dr. Crsccb mors, including aniosarcomas Instead, the MCA and *ev- made to u* about liver cancer found the tftiri case ot assiot- of iht licr. Tho>? resuiu-ers! of its member compeniea and no mcnLOft w*s made to arcoma among plant n-oricra, Iff.vo cot yet been pubiisr.od. ctniroried for new animal us about the name of tho:Qr. Johnson said, ""Jtit * F-ubscquenlly. the European r.vulra in the United State*. iuiin wtentist'' 'the clincher.'* I. . tv-r ?0 OJ w cr> 2 N BFG26629