Document dnzVKydY1rz3adzB8wZYy1Jy0

Interoffice Communication con-idental To Plant Managers om D . A. Kuhn Oat* March 7, 1979 Subject P0SSI3 LE LINK 5ETWEEN VCM AND BRAIN TUMORS Enclosed is a copy of an arcicle which will appear in che March edition of ChemNews scheduled co be in employee mailboxes abouc March 21. There is also a copy of an arcicle from che February 28th issue of Chemical Week. These cover che discovery of a high incidence of brain cumors among employees ac Union Carbide' Texas Cicy plane. Publicity surrounding che announcement cited a possible link between VCM exposure and this pacicular type of brain cuaor. Very recently there was news of five additional brain cancer deachs ac Monsanto's nearby chemical plane. The information is so preliminary that they are not sure of che type of brain tumor so no conclusions can be dravn. We're running che arcicle in ChemNews because our employees neec co be informed abouc the situation from Conoco Chemicals poinc c view, but ,we also wanted you co have some more background infor mation so chac you can answer questions chac may arise. Firsc, I don't believe chac any Conoco Chemicals employees shoul be alarmed. No one has yet inferred chac che present 1 ppm standard is not stringent enough co adequately protect employeer As che scory points out che link between tumors ac Union Carbide and VCM is hypothetical. Some mention of a link between brain cumors and VCM has been found upon searching che scientific literature. These scudies also show an increased possibility o: lung and liver cancers. As the Chemical Week arcicle poincs ou: there were nine deceased and one living employee with glioblast; mulciforme a cumor of che brain cells. There was one deceased employee with meningioma, a cumor of che brain covering. Both were malignant. We have done a quick scan of the medical records of employees exposed to VCM and found several instances of brain cumors. No of them are glioblastoma mulciforme or meningioma, che types of cumors discovered ac Union Carbide. Here are che details: -Ed Wilkins at che VCM plane died of ependymona, a maligna cumor of che brain covering, but different from meningiom -Jimmy Hawkins ac Aberdeen died of m'ecascatic melanoma of the brain, a cancer chac originated in another part of hSg VVC 000020A-96 BFG37239 o 2 Q O h* rr Plane Managers March 7, 1979 body but meeacisised throughout his system generating the brain tumor. -Dick Darling at. Baltimore had a brain cell tumor but it was benign. Union Carbide is now committed to completing a high quality scud; with or without NIOSH to determine the cause of the tumors. Conoco Chemicals will also do a thorough study of the records of our present and past employees, to make sure that the results of our scan are correct. We'll be following Union Carbide's stui which is expected to Calte about a year and inform you and employ, about our and their results. If I can answer further questions DAK:sc cc: R. E. Lehmkuhl - Houstoji C. L. Whetstone, M.D. - Ponca City 20D&QOS2 BFG37240 $FG 3^4V CSKA, KIOSH study brain-tumor deaths at Union Carbide facility Following the discovery that 10 em ployee* it Union Carbide'* Teaaa City. Tea. plant had died of brain turnon, the Occupational Safety and Health Adminis tration and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health are conducting an epidemiological study of 8.000-10.000 present and former workers at the plant. The investigation resulted from a worker's complaint last November, alleging an abnormal incidence of brain tumors among personnel in the company's chemical-shipping area. OSHA inspectors visited the plant on Dec. 11. 1978. and Jan. 8. 1979. and reported last week that examination of Carbide's medical records revealed II brain-tumor cases, including 10 deaths. Nine of the workers bad died of a form of cancer called glioblastoma multiform: the living worker is believed to have glioblasto ma. The other employee died from meningio ma. another type of brain tumor. According to OSHA Administrator Eula Bingham, "The total number of brain tumors so far would appear to be higher than expected for a plant popula tion this size." At the start of the investi gation. which is expected to take about a year, vinyl chloride monomer is the lead ing suspect. While VCM is most common ly associated with angiosarcoma, a form of liver cancer, several studies have linked it to glioblastoma. Sanford Leifingveil. a MOSH medical officer who is heading the epidemiological study, dies a 1976 study by- Richard Waxweiler published by the New York Academy of Sciences, and x later study by Julian researcher Ccaarc Maltoni that showed 'an incidence of another type of brain tumor in rats exposed to VCM. A study supported by the MCA also recognized an incidence of glioblastoma among the workers exposed to VCM in its sample. Carbide says that the liTcctcd workers were exposed to VCM in 19XV1965. but evidence at this point is far from conclu sive. Leffingwell uyt that other chemicals in use at the plant, including ethylene oxide and acrylonitrile.' are possible causes of brain tumors and will be examined. It is also possible, he points out. that the number of glioblastomas could turn out not to be excessive for a plant with approx* imately 2.000 employees. In the period since 1941. there have been -5J known dearns of Carbide employees at Texas City, llthough all 10 in which brain ;re listed u the cause occurred is the years between 1962 and 1978. Shock U'aies; c> ea the tentative link to VCM has sent tremors through the vinyl i.-.aisstry. On February 13. Union Carbide Syntax nears naproxen awsuit settlements pant manager Damon L. Engle sent a ^Pharmaceutical producer Syntex Corpy letter to employees at TexaJ City appris-. agreed last week to settle out of court all isg them of the brain-cancer cases. A pending lawsuits with Syntcs shareholdeis similar letter s given to employees at and\ industrial Bio-Test Laboratories Carbide's S. Charleston. W.Va_ facility, (IBT^ connected with IBTs alleged dfn- and other VCM manufacturers were ricnen in testing Synicx's aaii-anhtftic informed of the findings at Carbide. A drug, uproxen. I Dow Chemical statement cautions against The agreement requires the companies hasty correlation of the deaths with VCM. to set uV t S2.75-million settlement fund, Dow says that mortality studies conducted of whictn SI.S million would come/from recently it Freeport. Tex_ and hat year at IBT. S57i.OOO from Syntex. and Xl/3,000 its Plaquetntne. La.. VCM fadiiiies failed *to show any indication of a similar situa from Symei's insurance company. In exchange, ^te lawsuits would be dropped. tion. Both Jtudics showed no deaths from The arrangement is still subject io court brain tumors among VCM workers." approval. \ f The joint OSHa-NIOSH investigation team is gathering dau. As a result of The settlement fund beneuts classaction law-smi plaintiffs, whosessuits, filed findings to date. OSHA is also investigat in 1976 and liter consolidated ui federal ing a "compliance complaint" at Monsan to's operations in Texas City and says that court in New 'iark. alleged ilfat 1BT was deficient in perfuming and reporting on a it is possible that other plants will also be rat study of Syniex's Kaprogyn naproxen. checked, though aooe has been identified. . The suits also charged shad Syntex knew Davis Layne. area director of OSHA's or should have known abmst the alleged Houston office says "We are just begin deficiencies. and\ that /he priees of ning to turn the leaves, and it all depends Symex's securities \wertJ artificially in oo what turns up." flated because of hllegkdly fraudulent representations and omissions stemming from the-company sWutemenu about 3uffer*s board OK's 2-Jqr-1 stock split naproxen. In addition.)[on Oct. 15, 1976. the Food and Drug Administration pro posed withdrawing iufagvoval of naprox en's new drug applicfiiiofi on the grounds Stauffix Chemical's board last Aeek of the alleged deficie/tciessn the rat studs approved aV-o-for-ooe stock-split Propos by IBT for Syntex. f l al that they wU present to shareholders on Syntex says it is agreein* on the settle April 18 for dual approval. The move is ment to avoid the/expense^ of a lengths the latest in a string of stock-split propos trial, which would require ur scicntistl als by such chenucal comodaics as Du and executives to/waste months in court Pont. Mobil CorpoSmithKone, and Car rooms thousandsMf miles avrav." But thi lisle Corp, (CW. JO). company tdmhf no wrongdoVrtg in th: H. Barclay Morlcy. JSuufTer'j chair case, and. in earlier answers icyhe suiu man, said the proposed/split would help denied all allegations of improper conduct bring the stock prieeywVich was around SUO/share last wcefcyfiowifeo a level that .as of July 197g, Syniex's worldwid sales of naprjnten touled SS7 milion fc would be more amative anmpffordahle to inventors. the fiscal year: The non-hormonal ant inflammatory drug, marketed in awsut a The proposal for boosdrtg Siauf- fer's auihoruati for shares to 70 million countries, jt a major product in Sintea human pharmaceuticals business. \ from the 10 million. Right now N'alcoChemical, IBTs parent coutpc there are it 21.9 million shares ny, note! that, as part of the settlenfcr ousstandingyand the largest shareholder Syntcx agreed to dismiss a suit the dru among the ioard of directors, Chrisua\de maker led against IBT in Chicago, oik Dimpicrr/ owns fewer than 291. the settlement of the suits in New York Tile yard also said that, if the sharA approved. And IBTs Jl.g-million ps hoidetyapprove the proposal, the boar menu under the settlement terms, Nat . will c/nsider boosting the second-quarter^ says/ will be charged against the reserv'O dividend by 10^. to 27.5c/share after the tpli/ The move would be in line with the for /discontinued operations set up Cjj Nateo in 197S. , company's policy of raising dividends to Syntex. meanwhile, says it jps repeaO I set the effects of infiatioa. Stauffer has plit iu stock two for one twice in the past--in April 1957 and in May. 1976,0 fie study of naproxen ia questioa. aFy kbmitted it to FDA in lateJ978. bur*V| f\ir has had no response frqfitjjFDA. -------- , n A o Q to d i nors <-1* rr \rv PV W L. . k s. . S -vw f^nrhirio An ui:u -ue!i hiuh number or" w.>ir.it Union Cithtc;'!Texas v. itv y --it n:\vutC3 of 3 type ot t rim u:it s.i:r.v tedcrci li.;:::; tiientincs ci::tvc may be Imiiij u. :;.>! fhinrida. Tin t..;utcil ccriiniatcs oinine Tens wit.- v. iii iicrs who dictl (/..iinii 197S lut scan- ecruus rir.tnr iiiiuon as glioblas...,:i: :;:esael it................. si. . ri.iicr.:; iu.... ......::v;r.;. .Ui t een dug- r.DiCj i,; muiitly iuvius the saute i >. in tuntot l IK- '-linnet Causes 01 death werene up in a luiiit study bcini conducted by OSHA* r.'!OT1 {. :..i UnionCl'.tnJe33a iciuit .:i order i..iin>iaim late bat yen So tac nver 450 death certiiicaivi nave been examined, *.:;d kcii'.i;;.cuids or mute than K.000 tu IU.0U) present anti fntmet employees, going back to 1941. arc bemg reconstructed. Separately. Union Carbide has announced plans to study health records oi over 50.000 present and former employees across the nation. No positive VCM link The ti.-tal number oi brain tumm i u.unJ so hr *'tvoulJ appear to be higher than ' expected" at a plant like that at Tenst f\:v. which currently employs about 2.000 workers, and represents an "unusually high ineiti.itce ' oi such deaths, said Eula Uniaham, assistant secretary oi labor :u; US1 its. "I: s tuu early and there are too many chemicals in use at the plant to reach any delimttrc correlations," she continued. Soureei at Union Carbide have told Conoco Chemicals Company that ifccv aim are nut tcady to assume vinyl cnionds is tesponsible lor tin tumors because many outer chemicals are made or han dled in the plant, and some of the aliened employees did net have work history associated with VC.M exposure. "V.c k seat to be following the stutter atlhiioa Carbide very cUtv.ly. end we'IS kep emrluvicteiiv imiorms J as results eivcii raid Dave iluhn. dime* turct r:. metitcal .id cnvtron- --ma ior Canoes Cl..--mil. to c--~:n.r in ':; ...itr.ht.ivt.- 'invri.-ai ;. .. ui our employees ui !>e BFG37242 fOQfrQ QS'Z I James J. Hail 3ai d* &f Siev4<. (conoco) Oat* iLy / i ^ s^-4" */ v SOOfrOogg 2.05 oV 0000 BFG37243