Document dD4veQ90aJ76VRQ9g08kjr76

0/: Sprayed Mineral Fiber Manufacturers Association, Inc. SUITE 2300, ONE WALL STREET, NEW YOKJC, N. Y. 10003 *j. t. TSLXAUK. PUSSSfT Sm >U--W Piatfaaa Cm*m* -A. X. snot.. vtcz nuowr farti * fini* C-->--y j. h. wTrrxor, s. itkirvea,t* Atfcw--w> Cm December 22, 1966 Mr. James Verhalen^ U. 5. Mineral Products Co* Mr. H. J. Wittkop - Baldwin-Ehret-Hill Mr. H. L. Levine, ^bestoapray Corp. He: Asbestos Health Hazard Gentlemen; The attached photostat of an article appearing in Chemical Week and two people*s reply to this article is particularly interesting. 4 The thing that hits me most is the part where Dr. Murray C. Brown of the Division of Occupational Health of the Department of Health, -Education U Welfare, is his statement in his letter ,pWith the cooperation of labor and industry, the Division of Occupational Health has under way a long-range, indepth study to answer this question'1* Some of you might have realized this, but I did not in any of the discussions we had hadn't realised such a study was underway. Very truly yours, AEB/jh Att. cc/ Mr. John Boyer / \ 5k A. E. Binge r Vic** President 5 VIEWPOINT: Wage-price guidepost* have broken down, and unless Ubor and man* zgcment voluntarily repair them, mandatory control* are inevitable. ILS. Pubtle Health Service and Jchns-Manvitle deny conclusions tlut asbestos has been shown to be a public health hazard. 25 Seeking "fair share" o! low-eost petrochemical feedstocks: As Dow and Hess seem about to get special import Quotas, others eye foreign traoe zone uics. 27 ?or eomoanics that store oils, chemicals, ether fluids in rented tanx farms: sc* countsnts' eomminee suitests safeguaros to prevent another "soy oil fiasco." 22 New forum, old debate; Spokesmen for domestic and foreign producers of syn thetic organic encmicais sum up latest tariff arguments for AiChc members. 29 Financial revelations coming from chemical companies and divisions: Discretion still prevails over disclosure, out reporting of divisional cats to oc rcQutreo. 30 More mergers and acquisitions; Schio becomes full owner of Mount: inter Carbon: Alco gets Rubber-PiashCS Industries: Slierw*n-vrUiams buys Sorayon Products. 31 High court to rule on disputes of big concern to chemical companies--suen as conglomerate mergers, franchise oealersmos. "pS2ypac*" freight, "hot cargo." 45 Diaz Administration intent on boosting fertiliser and pesticide pro5uct.on tp haip feed growing population, gives Mexico a better foreign trace balance. D-Z.PAX i VZ.N i 3 55 'Continental' executives living in Puerto Rico find that the U.S. territory comoirtes the pleasures ana problems of a foreign assignment. Susir.cs* benchmarks Susi.-.ass Newsletter Cauntzawn Intcrr.ctiaaal Kay Changes Letters Marking Market Newsletter Meetings fictional Roundup People. Production Research Saccialilas Technology Newsletter ViawpoC-.: V.'aslun-t/wt riowtlat.cr V.'arui RuuPu'up i:o no net all six machinery makers are snaring equally in the boom. ics *' 45 ioi Ti rHiIS WSX :N TCXNOLOGV 7 72 95 Toms River Chemical builds oCD.CCO-jal. rubber-lined waste disposal bssi 75 in emergencies--suen as a oreakeown in its eniuent oiscnarge pipeline. 7 23 95 Pittsburgh Piste Class is offering a novel process for making strong, i M foams of alumina or other refractory oxides. zz , < S3 * 75 51 -- .. ri H, iilS wZ.< ;n zpzc;A:_T;S $ 25 79 Rare earths are literally lighting their way to n.*w applications in fluores v hiCh-pressure uiscn.'irijc lamps, as well as in color TV. * * ot>p , iw.. 5X *.*;,_*** . .*. ^ <' ty.... (.1 |ti4 * /<C/. * r(.Ni.ilml ,.<<*(W**m' i. U-* _ *. * .. I-- ""* }mv. .w .. C*v. tfiiiui,, -*-* Jl. Uw**. ***". %HU t>4 *1. W *** Cw. II #*>; WfVMMM 4U.4 *"**J* Immu /f. JCsi! **' A,," ;j;y u C V*M4| > iu*. %+, Um( wwn fts W ** ** ^ ** 1 --'T***** .. Two ehifnfcrl pfoccm emnp.cnfn ^r*wk piant sj<-ps *s**'d diversifvlnp fcjo thr t<eam*graphy field last week, and two paper companies txith com* bined sales of nearly 31 billion/year reached a tentative agreement to merge. (1) Bendix Owp. (Detroit) ctbanded in oceanic activities by ac quiring for j.n undisclosed ammtm ( stock Marine Advisers (La Jolla. *CaJif. producer of oceanographic in* sjrutncnts (o' petroleum and utility companies, state am! federal agencies, firm* engaged in scientific pro grams. fZ) Fluor Corp. f!.m Angeles) and 3. 1- Mc?*'artaml ami A.*'ciatd IFort Worth and Midland. Te\.). a. group of fi*se eemrotusic* involved in ttfshore am! onshore drilling opera* Hons, have fjpeed to. merge, subject to stockholders' approval. The Mc Farland croup operates five ITshore grillnj rip* in the Gulf of Meiicc. :J> A tcniatixc agreement to merge . has Seen reached by U-S. Plywood Carp- (New York) and CTtampion Pjpers, Inc. (Hamilton. OX It is sub ject to both directors* ami stoefchoid* en* approval. The corporate identities of both companies will be preserved. T/1 ^^ The Ted?--I To-rttr ComsWon has ordered "I Paso Natural Gas Co. and Transwcttem pipeline Co. to reduce by 51? miHion/ycnr the price of na* tvral ta\ in the southern California <&a/kci. . 7he rate cut stems from the July 2a decision in which F?C turned down the application of Gulf P.ncifie Pipeline Co. (a Tcnnee subsidiary) jo supply gas to the Los Angeles area (C\ Ant. 6. p. 20). Gulf Pacific last week filed for a reheating. HI Paso and Traniwcxtern were tnM they would have to lower (heir rates to retlec: the lower eons result ing from the bigger deliveries pos* stble in the expanded system. At the same time. FPC said it would conduct further proceedings to decide if ens* enter*, should yet additional benefits rrxtiliir)^ from more liberal dcpfccia* tion allowaneev. FPC has given the companies 43 days to show cause why the reduction "should not take place. Cc^rccc c* w!r2rr.2 te'zzzXos-lincd dutti c^c- ,'n centrally cir-erv.TiLprTCc `*AsSts2 ducts zr.t hcuiction tn tenta centrsMtestin- p.'jnts. J.'o'lor vehicle hrehc Y.r.lr.^z ="0' cIl*1c?i plctj;. Aula undarcosltrt^a. Ashstlas celling and Goar iHas. Acicslaa shingles and aiding. Construction end dsmoulion Fitiin;;. cutting, end rsntcvin* sshaslas-nncd rrallhosrds Cssrin*s, piping pnd insulation. Indnemlien of as>;alas*n"cd ?tmp. Inprapariy filtered cCPjsnl from ssl?es!os gresesstn- plants. v/ ft * T sr -rnm b tn .? z s!~ trp. I: err!: erne In the form <*: fetlero* *e-!s!e:lnn Pmitleg the a*? c! asSestes. hrrsexe rs'restm Las l>ren r.c* eused--tI:or~h wt jet "ennsietesT-- as a s'-.nl'mn: health Leased. Pr*!'j;)' **strrsrr ( ml-vsto*. eirr ir'" plastte*. Ivccent studies have convinced V u. Public Health Service specialists rod other medscal authorities that ah--:: itlfl of ad Antericars have nr\L chronic ca^es of asSes:o*.i*. even though mi's*, of them never vm?*- cd directly ssnth asbestos. Unlike other airborne duv; particles, asbestos libers have the ability--al. most as much as activated carbon-- to absorb polycyclic hydrocarbons and arseoicalv purtliermore. says USPltS. in the past JO years the as* bcstes-related cancer rate has in creased si*, fold. The Inferences: \Vh.!c the average asbestos svorkcr is well protected, the man on the street h not. The 3al* micron asbestos fibers in bis lungs can come from a variety of sourcta (tebh, uho*r). And medical experts say there's no wx to assess hydrot'arl;nn content in those lung deposit-:. American Cancer Society researchtn leel certain there h a synergistic relationship among aii borne asbestos, smoking ami lung cancer. They reason that the nondcjradabl.:, hyurocaroonsoaked fibers may well be constant ' source of lung irritation. PHS olficiaN think it m. them up to fi* years n axhestos' true r* e as an air p-. tsowever, Gong* evs mav -c; the revrareh is ntshed. Si**s sentative P.obcr: Wagin' ?. **\Vc*ve seen ennuch ev:de: ready. Asbestos *.vjj; aeser cet ImV. rf besi'h. '-V;*h just .s data we'l; mv.* f.j- contr- s:r;c: one'" 2>.*me form ot asl-estos ce :n :h? o;;ing. public health are certain, if n*'!v par of : cVan-ambient-alr prorgam. H there :s the danger that (*o-rr enact rigorous controls on the ty of asbestos that could be In that case both Canada a asbestos products mat**!' would be hard hit. O: the fiv of asbestos mined today. e> asbestos holds the predemina Let position because of its ing and processing mtalities. produces more than hC*"- of tt sotile asbestos used in the both countries, a number of dislocations wmdd v;cur. . At pres-nt, there is no kno teriai that could fill jli of ; strategic roles. Cn the o*he should federal c'n****:v r*??' for higher standards for >mC skicldings. that svx*ntd sps-^ new products, with plasties the Iced. P.eason, say industry nc' present polsmtr tctgnolrjp.- easily turn up products' to Teg Ixrr.tos :n ms*st end-uses. ss *yr> f 1 * To ms Sorrel The artisla titled Asbesre: Awaiting *TriaT* {CIV. Sept. 2D. p. 32) contains many maceeruess..which have led to erroneous assumptions ami false conclusions, briefly, the fees art these: (2} Asbestos is a uniquely useful product serriftg the needs of modem man sad socre^r, and U is not likely to be replaced by economically feasible svnthcae yolymers, or anything else, in the foreseeable future. Cl Xi' published reports, evoa the jnrs? speculative, support the general ized staparents tn your article regardin; hcakix dTcss of possible exposure to asbesms. (o) Thera is r.o basis for the sugges tion that Congress "may act* regard ing asbestos use, for no such proposals are . being considered by Congress. AVe are rnfeemed that the congressman quoted as oredte^ng action disclaims any knowledge of heahh evidence relating to asbestos or of proposals to-centroi hs use. (-) No evidence exists to show that asbestos roes health risks for the genra; rublie or to show that even ! Si i Americans have mild chrenie ashesA-ds." much less the -iOf* ijgurc you give in your article. ?5> riepardinj yeur list of "sources of air-ores asbestos,- there arc no datusupport the contention in your art:.*.* taa: the "man on the street" is exjved to ashestc* from these sources, or ...card that those sources contribute ajhcste* to the ambient air. :$l tv- know or' no data to support your claim 0: a sixfold increase in socalled "asbestos-related car.ee?." As you doubtless realize, the proper conduct o: our business requires ct to keep abreast o: seientihe developments regarding asbestos, both medical and technical, h b our opinion that syn thetic polymers arc not likely in the j CH* welcomes expressions of optrhv? from fenders. The only fcn*ri:cmcnts: that they *>c perj tinent, as brief as possible, Addreis all correspondence tot H. C. H. Johnson. Chemical ` Week. 320 Wes: hlu.d Su, New 1 York, N.Y. I'WG. l- _____________ W<J. foreseeable future to completely re place asbestos in the many applications for which ir is now used. Any syn thetics would have to prove superior to nareral asbestos and be economical ly competitive. As to health aspects, in June of this year the US. Surgeon General ap peared before the Senate Public Works Subcommittee on Air and Water Pol lution, with`Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine as chairman,' to discuss var ious problems relating to atr-poilurion abatement. Surgeon Genera! William Stewart enumerated, a number of sub stances in common use. including plastics and asbestos, about which he said: "Tic public health hazards that may arise from these aspects of en vironmental contamination have not been adequately documented. In each instance further investigation is needed to determine whether health is indeed threatened and what control measures may fee necessary." Tn these dap when ail substances in our air and water and even the food we eat are constantly under scrutiny, as to their effects on the pub lic. the fact that aslscxto* among the subjects of investigation t* not surpris ing. In fact, we have always supported and will continue to support investiga tions by the US. Public Health Service and ether research scientist. Root* Hackney Vice.Presidcm Johns-Manvtlle Corp. New York To rttc Eoitor: In reference to your anielc. "Asbestos: Awaiting Trial*" (Sept. 10. p. 32). we know of no scientific evidence supporting the statement that "aOCi of all Amer icans have mild, chronic eases of ashes: osis." Even in ?..e asbestos industry, where more is known about exposure levels than among the general population, there is imprecise knowledge a'uout the health effects of exposure to asicstus. With the cooperation of labor and industry, the Division of Gcctipationnl Health has under way a loug.range, in-depth study to answer this question, as wcil as to develop better criteria for the safe handling and manufacture wt atacstos. In the meantime, hovorrer, the division wtH euntiaco to premore the application of known cenrrul methods so that the workplace cur. be kept as healthy ,&s ----calc. Mwp-\t C 2?.o*.vrr, !*.D. * Gh-e: Division of Otfeuptttvpal Health. Depanmeat of Health. Education* i Welfare Eubiic Health $~c Wav -ngtoa. D.C. CW is pleased to ret the retard straight. Some of :ho*e inten/ie^td apparently d/ew unv.-nrmmeri enneiasions from insufficient and dubious data.--?^ MEETINGS Assn, a! OSrls! AmdvtlraJ ClrtmKrs, annual meeting. Twin UrCpes Mamt:; Motor Hotel, Wajur;:~t. D.C- Oca 10-13. Ttthrr.c-'n international nn automation ia analydesl cksmistry, Stat- ler-ttilton Herd. New Veri, Cr- 17.13. Dree, Chemieaf .* AlDed Trades A*tu anmtal meeting. Hollywood Stash Hotel, Hollywood, rla. Oca ZZ'ZZ. Commercial Ciwtiirel Devei-ipmtnt Axsn- discussion **' prekaning. Drake Hotel. Oicatn. Of- Ze -V*.. National Assn- u Purchaser: Aeertts. Chemical Group, annual fall seni-renee. Commensal Tiara Hotel. Chisago. Osl 27. Soriew of SssJnrerJrre feftsee. frerth technical mccdhj. North Circllaa Stats University, Haleish. Oct. Jl-Ncv. Z. American Soeirw for Mere:*, national metal eer?rcss and ennesitien. MsCsrmiek Place, Chicago. Cr,, 31-Nov. 3. Parental Drue Asm- anneal conven tion. Statlcr-KiUon Hotel. Maw York, Nov. l-c. Fertiliser industry mur.i-'.r.b'.t con ference, Mayflower Hotel, V.*a*;n;:on. D.C.. Nov. Z~i. Tie Soeiety.of the Tlastir* ladusnw, !lth plastics film. heet:n; aad coated fabttts conference. Waldert-Avtorin Uu. tel. New York. Nov. *MP: -er.fcrcnes .--* cellular plastics in trampretn:-' water Ccath Motel. Ctia.-.to. Nov. 1M7. Tie rrrv.VIn Institute r.t*m*tli Dnli m*nrirs, fourth anmtnl v.--r--sivm on the irganic-solid state, I'ltil.'.dvip.'jia, Nuy U. Crneral Afm!e f <Tvnepr* Dynauiicr (lit-*, r.%1 Air I'urce C"*vt Sclmtific JSrsrarcl*. fundamentals ot pa* surface interactuMtx, S.tn Dlepo. C.df. Dee. 14-16. October S, :$CG CHtMlCAl. ,V22X '