Document bQzBb24Ob8qzZ40GzpNoZ7B1

CENTURY PARAMOUNT HOTEL NEW YORK 19 November 1983 The President Mr Warren Whitley Capco Co Inc P 0 Box 3435 1400 - 20th Street South BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA USA 35255 ^ / Dear Mr Whitley With reference to our telephone discussion on 18 November 1983* from the abovementioned Hotel in New York, I wish to comment as follows : I have been in the asbestos world for more than 20 years and has discovered the largest blue asbestos deposit in our Country We intend starting development early 1984 as soon as I can establish a potential market of approximately 15 000 ton per annum. As you know, Gencor has 99% of all asbestos handled in the Republic of South Africa^ That is amosite, chrysotile and crocidolite. You are aware of the fact that such a monopoly creates an unbearable position and prices have trebled in the past five years. With your and other companies support, I could dome into the market with more competitive prices.(and as you said "not putting your eggs in one basket") As promised I am enclosing a cutting from the Sunday Times published 13 November 1983, the same day I left Johannesburg. I hope you will find it usefull and will also see it as a good breakthrough! iw York between 4 to 5 December 1983 from San Francisco''en\route to the Republic of Southn Africa. My home address x,s as noted on fity enclosed card : P 0 Box 19139 Pretoria West Oil?, Republic of South Africa CAP CO JEN 0011756 SUNDAY TIMES, Business Times 11/13/83 ASBESTOS BREAKTHROUGH By Barry Sergeant AFTER two years of research, Cemenco, the listed mining-supplies com pany, claims to have come up with a unique product that will prevent asbestos disease among miners. A delighted chairman, Ronnie Shaw, told Business Times that two break-through products seal dust and fibres that cause the dreaded asbestosis and killer lung cancer, mesothelioma. They were developed by Cemenco subsidiary Cementation Chemicals. . Disease preventative allKaHafi protect workers from the kill er diseases, a charge they re ject The products are designed to prevent fibres and dust from entering the air that miners and asbestos workers breathe. They can be used in any kind of mining enviro- ment but are particularly ap plicable to asbestos. The brainchild of scientist Desmond Louw of Cementa tion Chemicals, the two pro ducts -- Huit-Cnn and Dust-, Mem -- have proved toncTusIvely successful Dust-Con is a stabilising agent for horizontal applica tion, and Dust-Mem is a copo lymer solution that is used on vertical surfaces. . Both form a transparent clastic shell over roads, dumps, mine faces and other surfaces. Both are non-toxic, non-flammable and non-cor rosive. The products were tested by Cemenco, the Chamber of Mines and Gefco at Pomfret mine in the north-western Cape. Here drought, extreme temperatures and high winds tested them to the limit. The products demonstrably re duced the amount of asbestos in the air In and around the mine and its dumps. In addition, over six weeks, they saved 500 000 litres of precious water. The products also obviated the need to tar certain .roads at great ex pense. Tests were also conducted claimed by Cemenco and Newall is facing serious attack. Now that protection for miners and people living near mines has been improved, the biggest objection to asbestos .appears to have been re moved. Chairman of both Gefco and Msauli Luther Jooste says the health hazard posed by asbestos has been exag gerated. "Asbestos .poses minimal risk when handled correctly," he says. Consumers,"he reck ons, are not threatened, as as RONNIE SHAW "Worrying problem" bestos is nearly always insu lated by other products such as cement and special poly underground in coal mines mers. and on mine surfaces. Tbe'ex- Gencor has a South African periments were kept secret asbestos monopoly -- through because of the controversy Gefco and Msauli -- and a surrounding asbestos and,. world monopoly (93%) of cro- says Mr Louw, "to keep the cidolite (blue asbestos). formulation of the products Because of depressed away from our competitors". world demand, Gencor is said He says it will take competi to have several months' sup tors years to catch up. ply on hand and Msauli re Only Ron Hart, MD of Gen- trenched 1000 workers this cor subsidiary Gefco, Theo year. Informed sources say Grace, chief environmental that it has closed two of its officer of Gefco, and Mr Louw mines because of slack de knew of the confidential ex mand. periments. Until now Gencor mines World demand for asbestos - have used wet mining meth has been severely hit by accu ods and air filtration to con sations that it is dangerous' trol dust levels. not only to miners but to han Asbestos is specially dlers and users of asbestos packed before leaving the products. mines among specially cov America's biggest asbestos ered dumps on tarred or mine, Johns Manville, has paved roads. Gencor has filed for bankruptcy under a spent about R3-milllon on mountain of meaico-Iegai medical research concerning suits, and the UK's Turner asbestos. CAP CO JEN 0011758