Document dDm2JYXkX62ZBwDrZEqr3QXRR

Interoffice Communication 'fik-M'?" To From Date Subject Flynt Kennedy Rc E|Vd T. G. Swanson May 23, 1977 MAY 23 1977 CANCER WARNING O rfi PVC BAG, EXPORT SHIPMENT The attached is fhe lafest correspondence on our difficulties in shipping PVC resin with the cancer warning on bags shipped to New Zealand, As you can see, we are now at the point where we ere definitely losing business because of our position. We have also been told by enough different people that I have to believe that B. F. Goodrich, Tenneco and other U. S. suppliers are not putting fhe cancer warning label on their PVC export bags. As you know, we have also had complaints from Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, etc. When do you expect our small scale test program at Aberdeen to be completed so that we may make a decision as to whether we can remove the cancer warning from our export PVC bags? T. G. Swanson dah cc: HRF, &AK, Jim Doyle (1630) Attachments SAL 000071421 J '-- a }' 3; sj. iU'Cf!VD 12 May, 1977 Cnnoco Chemicals Division Continental Oil Co. Ltd, P.0. Box 2197 IMouston , Texas 77001 U.S.A. ATTENTION: Mr T.G. Swanson Dear Tom B.F. GOODRICH ** > * When we received your telex of 18 April concerning BFG r s objection to the cancer warning label on PVC resin bags, we conveyed the. contents.,:.;. to BFG in what we thought to be a suitably worded letter, a copy of ' which is now enclosed. We are also enclosing a copy of Paul Bryer's reply from which you will note that he reacted most unfavourably to. our letter and,, in our opinion, unjustifiably so. ' .. " ' Since receipt of that letter we have discussed' the.matter with him and he has taken a- more reasonable line and admits that if you can overcome this. difficulty and supply plain bags, he would certainly consider further purchases from Conoco. ' 1 ':" ' Frankly, I cannot help but feel that your legal people are taking a very hard line attitude and I wonder if they have gone to the trouble of checking the OSKA labelling requirements as far as export shipments are concerned. We know that B.F. Goodrich, Tenneco and other U.S. suppliers are definitely shipping to Mew Zealand in plain bags and it seems inconceivable to me that they would willingly contravene the regulations. ---/VEL-.NCTCN -- OHR-STGHUflCH r- - ;V SAL 000071422 2/ rf 1 can only ask that you take up this matter again with your Legal Uspartment and, endeavour to obtain a more satisfactory result. The only reason that BFG are objecting to the cancer warning label is that they are fearful this will lead to industrial troubles. New Zealand is suffering badly from strikes at present and our labour force is extremely militant. Any excuse is used to call a strike and the cancer warning label is just the sort of thing which could trigger one in a P7C plant. Naturally all users of PVC resin have observed the necessary precautions to ensure that workers are not exposed to health risk, but Goodrich . feel that it is asking for trouble to highlight the possible-danger. :'; Yours sincerely. /> W.M.c-BELL . - J XN> ^ * Jr8*- 'r"TyffAi \iA`Li,V % .*-*>*** J ' ,* V Y;>'*ir;*7' ./"'v4 o,.Y.*': :;;'. " >>%!? ^ .V CiV*. . . **1 . , . ^ Il f iy. ' ^ " p h '*' vX 12 ]71 "'ll 1 ( ?fi dr..- - ; ,, i > ; 7 '~r-- -- ' fir* T ..'. >x' -to ''UT' r'C^nt til % on-- ii ~ cvi1^ ci i on ip ^h-cb "ou c* ;r/r;' " ? 1 concern at the fact that the initial shipment of Conoco resin vajl ricV.ad in ha^s *;hich .'^hoT*ef', the cancer lab-?! . " Cor =ri.ncio?Is rvere advised accordirplv -=jnJ tnev have now that their Le^al 'Department vould rot permit shipments of. PVC resin to rra-la with the o*p.cor warn i nr lth-?7 deleted unless thin could >5l^c. ' ' applied to their dom.es tic pnckayn. '", ;.V-' ;..- ''to possibilitv is belnr exolorel but Conoco point out irhat cuihc to - C technical and les.al difficulties they do net antieipnto. that a. delation ;* .-'ill h? nossihl.c in the near ^iture. -oof'- -i-./ . .-* the - curr^nt,.low residual vinvl chloride renorer levels of-'.Comc? 7". resins j ,tbe_v\;4o:.not consider there is any sipr, i ficent hazard! ` further- . more-, they dourYjot believe that they should ` subject .the workers of; the ir n export customers to any hovever r.lirrhtto x^hien'-thev would be uTV-.-illin? to c ubi ect American workers . P'-f j-J'/- '- -. 'h.ev -joint out that in the V. C. ., 3.F. Goodrich, have ovep the j ast veer -ono to considerable effort to publicize the advances that..'have b?err;;v -n. m ice in protectin' workers in FVC plants and yet their domestic-t'-.-,-f _ `.ohe^.es? must ~ t: 11 carry the cancer wnminr label.---.'; 1;';:'fy.r,iy;,\ SAL *000071424 . r r --- y \ / -_ _*\ r' H-kef! co . 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