Document YGvvVY00XDn4nNrxyNaYrLrOk

I VP U /:/1 q -:-73 A. G. vJ.^--^ it**o I ros 0. L Engl* TKXAS CITV I'l.ANI Dale May 4, 1979 Mr. J. L. Carvajal Dr. D. H. Glenn Dr. E. Q. Hull Dr. H. M. D. Otidlian TMr. A. G. Voress News from up che coast a fev miles. /gt Attachment D.L.E. UCC 053625 The Houston Post/Thurs* Moy X W?9/ institutes trigger : v_=f . \ ,v ,, The remarcher* eveahaUrabtaiaed ' death certificates from the knie'aviui records dtvWoa and used that data to , Woken it Texaco's krgert petroleum confute the relative frequency offrtal refinery and Gulfy-largM TtOaeryK [mBwImoImI plant ran *a In the course* its research, NCnojbk- ahnfltmaByhlghrMkiif dMekptigtrtrt cancan ofdm stomach, brain and lung, the National Cancer Institute be* Both plant* are in Part Arthur. The NCI "bypotheeee generating** study eke suggested that uwtasia the satire petrochemical Industrial Odd ate exposed to increaaed ridt of seweral can cer*, notahly thoae affecting digestive ed at worko daatha at flee pkatepmch recorded at kart 1M deafta. Prrtp ttat examinatioa. the cancer data on'.Wtlf and Texaco plants emerged. . '">4 Hn mimhnr ddeatlK WSSItatktfcnQy compared to daatha ia the mak popula- ' tion la die plr nt the dmthifrpm yeWle nrar hnw (0 the tt- pected among aH cancer forma. " 'S''-' At the ghat Texaco.raftery, tested . "Plant A" in the study, rsaaarcherx ' Ptouaded by the the i bmtttuteashl Wednesday tik intuiting pfaWitnlngtral bqrt plnntn r "We're negotiating Mm. with the cmapaaka oa detaik," urida apahemna far NCK* environmental epidemlology examined 431 deatba >|M|f whltantale* and 54 deatba among noasAite malaa and toond: *... * . ' 1 Vjf Fhit brain and ceufral nerertifin tern canew deaths among whitajneJee braadt la Batimada, Ud. "We opect the , itudki to begia riurtty, parimps wtthtn a potod at wurta." ' A copy* the atady by The Paat kdkated the NCI aar hntod to with the anion 10 or mar* yemv-^-a death rate about three dxoea Mgwf than expected bt control populathme bhsetfor mortality from all cute, and front al forms of caaeer in the VA mbiup: examineOU, CbeadcU nd Atomic tha.. 1 Worimn btorastkaaT tutor member- ' '*: . - ' .rtdp moods two ysemagn tn evaluate . Flvu stomach cancer deathgama!: hr the fkrt time cancer tkka among a matwblte vtrkn three tkoee the pb large group of wattes .expand to pe- expected band on death from aB cauM nte and twice thereto expected ferdeotha _ from all firms of cancer. . ..V . -teboee deatha were reported. between 19(7 aad im tnOCAW keek la ifeSM- Nine brain tumor cancer Oea&m The unkm, the ktgsrt kbar organte- with three death certificated ettffln( . fioafcr pettdenm wnrfcet|, la| aearly;. 30,000 BHmben in ftxaa. ucc 053626 Findings on cancer trigger studies ( From papal ) meat concerning fatal itisoemitek." teftt contributing data to a comprehen Texaco spokesman Larry Blngaman. sive American Petroleum Institute study "But rather it is a preliminary or hypo examining some 100 petroleum refineries the cell type, glioblastoma multiform*, as the cause of death. 4 At Gulfs refinery and petrochemical complex, "Plant B" in the report, the NCI recov ered 413 death certificates and observed: theses generating report and that cats.- tor adverse health effects in the tion must he ohasrvied in Interpreting thfr*4:' results of the analysis." A previous study published In 1074 by Gulf spokesman Jim Gotten said the the Petroleum Institute "found no signifi company's review of the report, which cant increase in risk for employees in included "outside consultants," found it these operations," said Texaco's Btoga- "preliminary mid incomplete" as indt- man. That study examined 30,000 refin* cated by NCIV chief pr^aiit reeearcher. . aqr workers between 1963 ami 1972 Six stomach cancer deaths white workers with the unto 10 or more; years -- three time* the rate expected in a control population baaed on deaths from all causae and twice the rate ex pected from cancer deaths. . 1T'enirmry/ iTVhoiimiiiaas. *j i- -i*.. >- He said Gulf has requastad from the NCI a detailed copy of the data, upon wUch the report was based. "Since. the flrtrttngi an preliminary and the sample size is small (413 death certificates were studied at the Pact Ar- * J4;.' nBaodtkk*GAullif maanudl 'Tfieitwxa*c**o *p!lant!s were 'founded near the turn of the century. Gulfs plant has about 3,900 workers and Texaco's more than 5,000. H.J. McLain, OCAW's director in Trass tndLoutotona, said union officials kWf tofmsd of the cancer findings re Seven stomach cancer cases among: nonwfaite workers -- three times the rate' expected troa aU causes and double the rate expected lor proportionate cancer mortality. t " tfaur plant) we am to agreement with the author that more in-depth studies are needed to evaluate the significance of the data." NCI cited several limitations to the study, including the point that about 10 n lung cancer deaths among non white worker* -- triple the rate expected based on death* from all causes and al- most double the rate expected tor = percent of the worker death certificates could not be located, and occupational histories to determine potential exposure hazards were unavailable. "Gulf is coo` ducting an internal study of the death cancer. ' certificates on Gulf's UJJ. employees, in cently and are "extremely concerned" that additional studies take place soon. "Our members are surprised and a lit tle frightened,'' he said. . Thomas said the report's findings were consistent with an excess of stom ach' cancer deaths reported recently among Canadian petroleum refinery She said studies of vinyl chloride workers have shown an Increased fre quency of brain tumors and "currently a In addition. Nd found a higher than expected death rate among aO its white male OCAW decedents studied lor digsative, respiratory, akin, brain end central nervous system camera.: The greatest lnrrtewremerged in the number ot brain and central nervous sya- cluding those at the Port Arthur refin cluster of brain tumor* among employ- ery," Gatten continued. "Included to this ee* of two chemical plants in Texas is study is Information on Part Arthur em- under Investigation." ployee* who died while stifi employed as " Asrepcrted to The Poet, federal occu ` wed as on retired employees, both union, pational health scientists are investigat and non-union. 'v ing U deaths at the Union Carbide `Particular emphasis is being placed chemical plant and five deaths at Mon- tem cases. Same 39 cases were observed, oe their previous work sites and work ' auto's plant, both to Texas City, far evi- while about hall that number were expected. Both ccropsntee upiw <1 concern at the preliminary findings but cautioned that far more research was warranted betnre drawing any condasfcas. "Texaco points out the National Can ' dene* of chemical exposure hazards. Both Texaco and Guff said they "Despite limitations to data and metis, participating in a study by the Universi odology," wrote NCI's Thomas, "results ty of Texas, compiling and reviewing of the present study suggest that workers mortality records of worker* at several fat this industry are at increased risk of sites in both Orange and Jefferson conn- certain cancers. Further studies are ties. nepeuary to support and clarify these cer Institute study is not the final state- In addition, the companies said they findings." ucc 053627