Document evJVdn1E6gOrX2BMGZDDmr9ag

A$o1 i'.vtr- ri'\fsboc.ciion \or*,r. -t6 Nc.v Ycrk. N. y. 'CO16 ?: 2-689*3378 'sbruarv i, 1073 The Editor The New York 229 West 43 5 Or '3^ Mew York, Mee'w York i ^ Dea r Sir: Robert Sherrill's cr.sc idd sr.d sensationalised ?: "Asbestos, the saver of ves, has aeaui" si v u. c-.: -La- contained many error 3 of fact and interpretation. fo 1 lev:inc sheu 1 c. air ciarifv a few of his more blata; omissions anc c-ouorticns. 1. Because of the long latent period of asbestos related disease, t.r.e disease b< ' u fovr.d todais not an indication of proven' condi tier, j is instead a result of co:v.itio*is existing docadcs o.cjo, at a time whir r either the rediaa profession, government nor the industry kna'-' very much about the health effects ci asbestos ana even less about the proper means for their control. The isolated ircidcr.ts cited as proof of irdustr' indifforence ;* n i' rrnftnnneiV ity are not .stry re sponse to this problem. decad alone, the \r nas 2 pent dust CO ntroL and . $55 -V llior. over: the next few years to achie1. oomol Ci a come], ian with the final Labor Denartmc-p.t standards. No mention was made whatever cf the highly respected and extensive medical research vi 1 :hi has been sponsored, co-sponsored or cooper?car1 in by the industry through the years, and vhi< has contributed significantly to cur knov/Iecg< of the -biological effects cf asbestos. In fc% the Institute of Occupational and Environment.- Health, spot-sored by the Quebec Asbestos Mini Association, rue the world' laruGs- covernmentr.l sources or runts ror ascostc-c-.t research. 0L' The Editor The N*av; York Tir.es Page Two February 1, 1973 Magazine 4. While Dr. Selikcff has certainly race a valuablt _ contribution to our knowledge ci asbestos-re 1 atui disease, it is unfortunate that Mr. Sherrill did not discuss the situation v:ith any of the other top authorities m the field since many of them do not believe that many of Dr. Selikcff': recent frightening predictions are justified by the printed medical data. 5 The Labor Department decision to delay adoption of the two fiber standard for an additional two years beyond the uwo year`implementation pericd recommended by MIOSH and the Advisory Ccmmita_u was approved by Dr. Marcus M. Key, Director of NIOSH, prior to the publication of the standards. Furthermore, Dr. Key is in total disagreement with Dr, Selikoff's prediction that half of .all those entering the asbestos industry within the next- four years will die because of the delay in going to two fibers. We believe that the above facts demonstrate quite clearly the incomplete and distorted manner in 'which Mr. Sherrill presented the asbestos-health situation' in his article. Very truly yours, ftpXZfozxr' '7)7. Matthew M. Swetonic Executive Secretary