Document baNyZ0eadkMD7edbLdQY8y0r1

January 5, 1954 Mr. Manfred Bowditch Director of Health and Safety Lead Industries Association 420 Lexington Avenue New York 17, New York Dear Manfred: > In belated reply to your letter of December 10, I can report to you that the comments attributed to Commander Schoeni in the account which you attached to the letter are largely figments of the imagination. From time to time jet engines employ leaded gasoline as fuel for the lack of adequate quantities of proper fuel, and when they do so the combustion products contain lead as does the exhaust gas of the conventional internal combustion engine. Deposits may also occur within the engine and the dislodgement of these deposits in cleaning the engine parts may give rise to finely divided lead compounds in the atmosphere, as in the case of the conventional motors. No regular jet fuel contains lead, however, according to the best information I can obtain, and theproblem, therefore, can hardly be one of any great significance. I have understood that some of the testing, in which leaded gasoline has been tised, has given rise to questions of safety in manufacturing plants or testing sites, but nothing of consequence has come to my attention. If I should learn anything contrary to these statements, I shall let you know. I think, however, that the Commander was either misquoted or was talking through his hat. Sincerely yours, RAK ef Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. KE 0014373