Document aDBEayV9DnRGR1mzy6YRNMpX

. -mai atfittaB iliiiljj,jIBii Miltia HiiMi From the des* of J# R, GIBSON I Jo ^ c 003152 > t ! From the desk of D. W. FUCHS J/Z-G- - . Of&u. / r t-oouj^ hJi t~ _s_<s<u. ^v- "A . i~l s i~ S<^-k/cji_s ktj? cCav'k' Cou^hu^^s^^fpis rfaAiJ Td <_*sr r*e* 77Mr Do. /P <yu- AJfUiA S ^Ktr<i J- *+*&**- io*ut> 'iTXsSt'tl -77--U. A ^ 6u~ JJ2JL. 7 S*SA&,rr>, ,\ $usi- DICK ;tt*M ir-**-tye+C*, c.0. Pi^j^rr C 003153 b O-J. Z./sr op <p<ejr 43i-fx ^ <3^* K*T Ma,t'l fift< Spi/t A6Btr*t PtftS /}fi! J/1/14.J fifiSj //ft l}/}fiS ^9 //D// M2t/hC3/ /Zts 641^4*2. * /3A3 ............ - -#/iy&^(3DZ &GJ ..-. ------------- &K2, 4to,.eX DAI ^*1, FA-Lj Foi} FKT-, P/<3 J pCAr ^3**7^ f^rFi*r^4sj Zici6*^+A \ W'-x-^^x.u^ txzLjj^y_^ y ^ ^/c 3 flk<t;(3fl/j ^-Z.^/73, fi$ Z-- C 003154 atggiiig^awwBiig iwaiaaiiiagrlrrirr'n`~i c 003155 o . Monsanto ' FROM < NA M E --LOCATION--PHONE) J. C. Edwards- -Chocolate Bayou Plant WA (J^- $ Ext. 5847 DATE SUBJECT May 15, 1980 Asbestos/OSHA CCi G. E. Davenport REFERENCE TO F. C. Himes A. E. Hutton J. W. Kongable J. E. McDannold S. G. Pappas L. C. Peeler F. L. Thompson W. W. Varnado OSHA is currently indicating through various press releases that they are considering lowering the Asbestos Standard from 2 fiber/cm^ to, 0.1 fiber/cm^. This happens to be the lowest level that can be- accurately measured by the NIOSH method. Based on past data, we are in compliance with the current standard. However, since we still have not replaced all the asbestos insulation in this plant, we are conducting an extensive survey to determine what the effect of a new standard would be. I have also asked Mundy to monitor some of their .activities as a check on compliance. Our monitoring is area samples for background levels. Since we still use asbestos in some areas, I am asking by a separate memo for a listing of all asbestos uses. This also includes asbestos wound gaskets. The final outcome of a new asbestos standard may be, essen tially, to abandon its use. Therefore, in anticipation of this we should start looking for substitutes'. For those of you who did not see it, I am enclosing a clipping from The Wall Street Journal. If you have any questions, please call. JCE/bg & IN lO REV R /77 ' C. Edwards C 003156 w* J __ ..<IS Lower Limit for Occupational Exposure To Asbestm^Is Being Considered by U.S. , By a Wall StreetJournal Staff Reporter this year won't contain asbestos, he said. . WASHINGTON-The federal government But even if asbestos is removed from is. considering a tougher standard for occu manufacturing. Dr. Robbins said, it still re pational exposure to asbestos. mains a problem in the construction and de "The severity of the threat posed and the molition of buildings. very high numbers of workers exposed to In 1975, OSHA proposed lowering the the asbestos hazard dictate that we move standard to 500,000 fibers per cubic meter of with all deliberate speed in amending the air, and in 1976, NIOSH recommended that present standard.;..Eula Bingham, as OSHA lower the standard further, to 100,000 sistant labor secretary for occupational fibers. Neither proposal was ever acted on. .safety and health, told a news conference. - She was reacting to a federal study . group's recommendation for a maximum workplace exposure limit of 100,000 asbestos fibers per cubic meter of air, the lowest level that can be accurately measured. The current level, set in 1972, is two million fi bers per cubic meter of air. . Concluding that there isn't a safe level of exposure to asbestos, the group also urged a ban on "new nonessential uses of asbestos." The group was made up of scientists from the Occupational Safety and Health Admin istration and the National Institute for Occu pational Safety and Health, or NIOSH. . Mrs. Bingham refused to say whether . OSHA will endorse the study group's pro posed exposure limit or a higher one. And with extensive public hearings expected-, a revised standard probably won't be issued for six months, she added. An estimated 1.4 million U.S. workers are exposed to asbestos and nearly 750,000 tons are used annually to produce such items as floor tiles, cement, acoustical prod ucts, brake linings and roof coatings. Be tween 58,000 and 75,000 deaths a year are due to asbestos-related diseases, primarily cancer, the officials said. "It isn't entirely clear there are any es sential uses of asbestos," NIOSH Director Anthony Robbins told the news conference. He noted that such companies as General Motors Corp. have developed asbestos sub stitutes; 30% of the car brakes GM makes c 003157