Document ZBK4XzMLeOJr5bmz7dLkLR91Y

Irving Ft. Tabershaw, M. D. Clark Cooper, M. D. 2180 MILVIA STREET, BERKELEY. CALIFORNIA 94701 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 772 February 5, 1969 uc- Telephone (415) 845-3355 4.V2- i id I fflr. M. P. Hoopss Technical Director Fibreboard Corporation 1710 59th Street Emeryville, California 94623 Dear Mr. Hoopes: I enjoyed very much our conversation last Wednesday, even though the problems you presented were rather formidable. You are well aware of my conviction that asbestos can be a serious hazard, and that it is imperative that workers be protected. Workmen*s Compensation is justified when a diagnosis of asbestos-related disease has been made, disability has been shown, and exposure is known to have occurred. Nevertheless I do not believe that the liability of manufacturers or. contractors for past exposures should be punitive. There are several points to be emphasized regarding the exposures ^ during the period 1961-67. First, as of 1961 most people thought of the average exposures of insulating workers as not being very great when com pared with those in textile mills and mining and milling of asbestos. This arose in part from the studies of Fleischer and others, reported in 1946, where even in a shipyard the levels were not extremely high. Mr, Balzer and I have found a similar situation in the San Francisco Bay area where average dust counts are for the most part below the accepted threshold limit value of 5 million particles per cubic foot. It is likely that surveys in Texas would have shown similar concentrations, with decreasing exposure in recent years to asbestos compared with fibrous glass. The fact that this ' was inadequate to prevent asbestosis was not realized until the last few years (see enclosed reports by Marr, Selikoff, & ourselves). A second important point is that asbestosis will progress even after exposure stops, so that removing an individual from all dust exposure in v 1961 would not necessarily have kept him from getting worse. Also, many men who have been in the trade during World War II were exposed to asbestos in ship building and refitting, where exposures to asbestos are greater than in ordinary construction. The inhalation of large amounts of asbestos dust 20 to 25 years ago could have been very important in terms of recent pro gressive disease. Mr. f'l. P Hoope 2 February 5, 1959 As we told you, the threshold limit value for asbestos dust has been 5 million particles per cubic foot (5 mppcf) since it first appeared on the list in 1945. I enclose a photocopy of the justification for this value. As of 1958 there was a tentative change to 2 mppcf, or 12 fibers/cc, but this will not become a definite change for at least two years. The foregoing deals with asbestosis, fibrosis of the lungs due to asbestos, which leads to shortness of breath and overloading of the heart. The problems related to lung cancer are more complicated, but here also there seems little doubt about the association between exposure to asbestos and an increased risk, and also one finds very long periods of time between exposure and disease. I have told Dr. Tabershaw of your interest in the Beaumont situation and he would be happy, I am sure, to talk about it if you or your attorney are in New Orleans. His address is 3915 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, La. 70115, and his telephone number is (504)899-0370. If we can be of further assistance in this current problem or in developing your long range industrial hygiene and medical surveillance plans in Emeryville, please do not hesitate to call on us. Sincer t lUEC/jd Enel. W. Clark Cooper, Fl.D