Document a4gZMw07pVGz5aVG84OJ4vBRN

FILE NAME: US Gypsum (USG) DATE: April 21, 1966 DOC#: USG004 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1966 Memo regarding meeting of April 12, 1966 1. 3;*. Robert T. ccCraville, Managing Di.roetor of the Industrial 0UV"-`.3r., arranged the subject meeting of member companies who had 3 T> these subjects. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a ose-vreh proposal by the Industrial Hygiene Foundation in hopes oi* additional financial support from the persons represented in this Attachment 1 is a list of the persons present at the meeting. ,t~2 is a letter from Dr. deTreviile containing both a draft of the eject proposal and a contractual agreement. 2. Che following subjects were discussed during the meeting in to a catailed discussion of the proposed rerearch project: a. Dr. Irving J. Soiikoif, a physician at the VX. Sinai Hospital in New York, has made unwarranted and un scientifically based claims concerning the health hazards associated with the use of asbestos and fiber glass materials ir. the construction industry. He uses as a basis for his claims a three-year study he has been conducting for the Insulation Union Workers. His claims have been given greater creditability because of a $32,000 research grant he has recently received from the United States Public Health Service to study the health aspects of asbestos and fiber glass. Dr. Otto Besse is the Director of the Division of Research Grants of the National Institutes of Health whose division authorized Dr. Selikoff's grant. The Division of Occupa tional Health of the United States Public Health Service, according to Dr. lewis J. Crailey, feels that Dr. Selikoff's claims are not scientifically based. In fact, the work of Dr. Crailey on the environmental aspects refutes the work dona by Gr. Selikoff. However, Dr. Crailey*s work has net received the publicity that Dr. Selikoff's work has. The Division of Occupational Health has not tried to interfere with Dr. Selikoff's research grant. They are, however, calling to the attention of the USPHS Contract Monitor the statements t.vt Dr. Selikoff has made in the past which are considered ur.ueiLr.tifically based. They will continue to do this in the future. s. Industry has not cc :o;ralished and/or published in-plant cnviror.r.er.tr.i svuci.t* nor research leborhtery investiga tions which could tv; used to refute Dr. Selikoff's claims. The Johr.s-i!anviile L-rporacion has been doing environmental RECEIVED TIMEMAR. 25. 10:57AM .cal *j i/u':^\ L;: thei:" nsbestos workers for V.'i-2 yir-r'w .-- d'.tir fib.T* `j ki*or!;;rs for tne past * is V 1 './<'. CiOit1;* <**:i an ir: lividual pli..'.t b?sis .-.o'- be.-: . to .vthcr for suiuy -Horning .j Cor.'C;-. oh p. r:'o. a ct;:.by in their y.ir.rk, .!.-* it * a;;o, uiiw this ,.f.,;y has not teen -'.'Sl-U.;. for . . :-C yet. There is constccruble o:'< -: of etc/*:;/ i.w wlibHui: wUJil i:X'w.*3i5- vior. concerning th:*ir co;.:pn:ry in tne scientific literature if i- ic identifi*. .3 vheir. eonpany's c s m .. This has been an important factor i.a keeping such data, out of the litera ture which, if presented, would serve to refute Dr. Seli- koff's claims. hr. Sclikoff's activities have stimulated nr. urgent need for industry to contribute its experience to the scientific literature. This cculd ba done on an industry wide bar.13 through tne Industrial Hygiene Foundation preserving the anonymity o* the individual participating companies. It was felt the .tost serious effect of Dr. Selikoff's claims have been on, the customer and general public rela tions. The public will hesitate to use a procuct that is* purported to be associated with serious health implications. Johns-Danville .Corporation has paid off on five or six mesothelioma cases where they were associated with significant pulmo:uiry fibrosis and massive dust exposures. They cost on an average of $1*6,000 per case. The Division ox" Occupational Health of the USPHS has spent $125,000 per year for environmental studies on asbestos. There have been no x'unds available for associated medical studies. The Research Grants Division of the USPHS is supporting tvo other asbestos studies at the present time. Dr. Vorwald of Wayne State University is using radioactive tagged asbestos particles in order to study the fate of these particles when they reach the lunzs. The other study is by Dr. Clark Cooper who is performing a 3tudy of the construction industry in San Francisco with reference to the health hazard associated with asbestos and fiber glass use. This latter study will be similar to Dr. S e l i k o f f s study which was performed on the East Coast. A point was made that the health hazard to workers involved in the manufacturing of asoc-a.os and fiber glass products is not comparable to the health hazard of the construction workers who use these products. Much higher dust exposures are experienced by the construction workers. RECEIVED TIMEMAR. 25. 10:57AM