Document dajDZ7yjBpz40ZyK7qq4Z016q

Johns-Manville Pipe Division December 4 1980 RE: EPA REGION VI - DALLAS "A/C PIPE LOWEST HEALTH RISK PIPE MATERIAL FOR NON-AGGRESSIVE WATERS" Our Health Fact Bulletin of Sept. 16., 1980 attached a letter from EPA Region IV in Atlanta that- rated A/C Pipe when...used......... in non-aggressive waters as the least hazardous of the commonly used piping materials. The City of San Antonio, Texas, where a mini crisis over the City's use of A/C Pipe developed, forwarded a copy of the Region IV letter to their local EPA Region VI Office in Dallas to get their opinion on the use of A/C Pipe. A copy of Region VI letter to Mr. Van Dyke of the San Antonio Water Board is attached. Once again, a regional EPA office has confirmed that the EPA is studying all types of piping materials to evaluate their relative health risks. They also concur with Region IV that A/C Pipe does represent the lowest health risk pipe material for non-aggressive waters. The argument is sometimes presented that A/C Pipe should not be used to transport potable water because it would be "pru dent" to prevent asbestos from entering vrater supply even though extensive study has not shown that asbestos in water supply is a health hazard. An even stronger argument can be made that it would be "imprudent" to ban the use of A/C Pipe. The logic for this being that'all piping materials have the potential to release some minute amounts of suspected haz ardous material into water supply. To-date, none have been shown to present an actual health hazard, but if sometime in the future any of the suspected hazardous materials are proven to be an actual hazard, then only A/C Pipe can be made totally safe by bringing water quality to a non-aggressive state. Under non-aggressive water quality conditions, no asbestos is released to the water. Potentially hazardous substances from other piping materials enter water supply by a leaching process and altering water quality would have no effect on . this process. The only course open to correct the situation from the ground. It would thererrapfudent" to restrict the use of A/C Pipe. Q.E.D. PIPE'DIVISION codes: 12;153;162;1634;182;187;522;532-S;535-S HLO:ss CAPCO JEN 0010089