Document gDrrjXyLgmwzqROj1b0vQKvVa

FILE NAME: Ford (FD) DATE: 1970 - 1992 DOC#: FDO10 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letters & Memos Drp*r1ra( / G MO U N T SI NAI S C H O O L OF MED 1CINE of Tie City University of New Yorlt M.T. 1*03 O c t c b t T 1-1, 1 7 -i Dr. Roy L. Gealer Chemical Engineering Department Scientific Research Staff Ford Motor Company 20000 Rotund* Drive Dearborn, Michigan 48121 Dear Dr. Gealer: Thank you very much for your letter ing your check of $5,000 in aupport Environmental Sciences Laboratory. to us and we are molt appreciative. of October 8, 1974, forward of the research of the This will be of great help I expect to be in Europe, at the meeting of the international union against cancer for ouch of the rest of October. When I return, it might be of Interest to discuss our initial findings of garage maintenance workers, particularly those doing brake repairs and maintenance. Could you call me at your convenience early in November? With warm regards. Sincerely yours, IJS/mm l M.D. PPCPF PTY CF FCRD "OTOF COMPANY D D n m r r r n n v trnor* Intac O tite* Scientific Reeaerch Statt April 14, 1975 To: T. Cole Subject: Exposure of Brake Maintenance Shop Workers to Brake Dust On April 11, 1975, I received a telephone call from Prof. Irving J. Selikoff, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. City University of New York, regarding their investigation of possible health hazards associated with respirable particles of asbestos and other substances to which workers in brake maintenance shops may be exposed. He indicated that their examination of brake shop workers is turning up some dis turbing findings relative to health effects (he didn't elaborate) and that some physicians out West had found brake shop workers well repre sented among lung cancer cases. Prof. Selikoff would like to discuss these medical findings with appropriate representatives from the automobile companies and Johns-Manvilie Corp. at a private meeting in New York in the near future. He therefore asked that his invitation and intention to have such a meeting be brought to the attention of interested parties at Ford. ,, Roy L. Gealer ao PROPERTY Cr FORD PCTOR COMPANY PRODUCED RY FORD 20000 IwtiCik* Daartxj;NMge 1M MailingXdli-- : ' P O. 80x 2053 O ti o m , Michigan 48121 November 6, 1970 P r o f a a t o r Irv in ; J. * e l l ) c o f f , M.O. Mount S in a i S c h o o l o f H o d lo in o f th e C ity U n iv e rsity o f Nsv York 5 th Xvanu* and 100 S t r e e t JoU Y ork, Sev York 10029 Dear P ro fe iso r S e llk o ff: Aj w a g re e d d u rin g o u r a o t r v o a n t te le p h o n e o o c r a n a t l o o , I have a n c lo g a d f o r y o u r in fo r m a tio n o o p ie o f s e v e r a l a r t i c l e * on th a s u b je c t o f brake L in in '?, in c lu d in g m a te ria l an brake Lining co cp o al- t i o n a , m an u factu rin g p r o o o a s c s , o p e r a t in g c o n d it io n s , and phenomena occu rrin g at the fr ic tio n in t e r fa c e . ' Sin cerely RUO : ad E n c lo su re s be i J . V. Patro c e 111 S . Cratch Roy L . O e a le r Chem ical Engin eerin g Department S o ia n tific Research S ta ff 1 P S C P E P TY CF FCRD PCTCIP COMPANY PRODUCED BY FORD ^ Jforti Uotor Company 20000 PtiMtt OdM 0-- rtxx^fSitjfSn121 WUJIlngU * m : P.0. Box 2053 Dearborn, Michigan <3121 P r o f e s s o r I r v in g J . S e l i k o f f , M.D. mount S in a i School o f M edicine o f the C ity O n lw e ralty o f Wew Tori: 5th Avenue and 100 S t i M t tl*v l a r k , Wev Tork 10029 S o T a a b a r 2, 1 970 Doar P ro feaso r S e lik o ff: T h i la to o o o flrm our telep h o n e c o n v e rsa tio n o f O ctober 26 whan wo d i s c u s s e d a x T a n g a c e n t* f a r a r i a i t which you and D r. W illiam *1101101800 p la n to MLka ho re o r November 2 3 . Km I m e n tio n e d , va a r a in v o lv e d in a pro-gran to n u y ' 1a the o o o lln g a i r dow n*treasi o f p ro d u ctio n b ra k es an a d y r-a c o re te r t o d e t e m i c e t o what d e g r c a a a b e s to e f i b e r s a r a p r e s e n t Ln th e a ir b o r n e b ra k e l i n i n g w ear d e b r i s . TUa p u rp oee o f y ou r r i a i t w i l l b * to d i s c u s s end a d v is e ua on a i r a a r r ilin g t e c h n i q u e * , d u a t sam p la a x n n ir.atio r toch r.iqu en , and I n te r p r e ta tio n o f re s u i t . T hi d i c u s iio n w i ll tak e p la a w ith a r o l l number o f Ford te c h n ic a l p e rso o n a l on the n a m in g o f .November 2 3 and th e e a r l y p a r t o f th e a f t e r n o o n , C u rin g th e m iddla a ft e r n o o n , '<-a -.rould a p p r c ia ta y o u r p r e r a n t in g to a m n 'e r o f our nar.ag^-Tont p rso riw 1 b ack gro u n d m a t e r i a l on a s b e s t o s a * an a i r p o l lu t a n t and hoi/ I t i g h t a f f e c t th e au to m o tiv e in d u s t r y . Tcu and Dr. H ich olson w ill aach be exten ded an h o n o rarlc n o f $150.00 p lu s ex p an se. I w ill telephone you w ith in the next few day to fin d out your planned a r r i v a l and d ep artu re t im e s . Sin o eraly, KJl ied OC i S . C rite ri Dr. W illiam nlchol*or\ (toy L . C e a l i r L / Chem ical Engin eerin g Department C olan tiflc Fear*rah C taff P.3. I have an cloaad the ln e tru c tio n a fo r the use o f a b etoe m odeling m a te ria l ap p earin g ln the Brownie G ir l Soout manual which I mentioned durin g our c o n v e rsa tio n . be : T. P. Hopkins E . D. Haranda J . V. P e tr o c e lii PROPERTY CF FCRD P C T 09 C OP P ^ NY \ 2IJ0! \ PRODUCED BY FORD r im - JW -19 9 8 1 1 -5 9 C M D -O P E R ttT iO N S BRf^NCH 2 0 2 2 6 0 1 7 2 4 P . 0 9 /-1 4 Ford Motor Company Environmental and Safety En^inoorirtp Staff 330 Town Center Drive Dearborn, Michigan 43126 November 9, 1992 Mr. John Melone, Director Chemical Control Division Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street SW Washington, D.C. 20460 Dear Mr. Malone: The following is Ford's response to the questions EPA raised in its Septem ber 1, 1992 letter to Mr. DeWain Belote, "1. Are asbestos-containing parts still included in new vehicles? 2. What parts still contain asbestos? 3. How extensively are asbestos-containing parts used? For example, what percent of the market?" Ford has limited the use of asbestos to less than 15% of Ford's 1993 cars and trucks. The only asbestos application remaining are rear drum brake linings where the technical challenge continues to be the development of a non-asbestos material that provides customers with acceptable performance. "4. Are asbestos-containing parts being phased out? 5. What is the schedule for phasing out of asbestos containing products? 6. Whet are your company's views on continuing the phase out of asbestos?" Ford's policy and supporting product plans include replacement of all asbestos in its products with non-asbestos substitutes that will provide customers with acceptable levels of performance, reliability and quality. It is anticipated, barring any unforseen technical issues, that asbestos will be totally phased out of Ford products over the next several model years. 05/14/98 11:45 TX/RXN0.2139 P.009 m Y - i 4 - i S S e 11 ' 5 3 cc^d - o p e r ^ t i o n s b r a n c h - 2- 2 0 2 2 6 0 1724 P . 10y 't4 While we arm aggressively pursuing elimination of asbestos in Ford products. Ford' i toxicology expert* have concluded that asbestos In product u s e , when encapsulated to prevent release of airborne lVcr6, does not pieient a u**lth risk7 These experts however* believe nsterlais that are acceptable substitutes for asbestos will posses some of the physical and chemical properties of asbestos.* Therefore, asbestos substitutes should be treated with the same c a n as asbestos itself. "7. How will the phase out of asbestos in new vehicles affect the use of asbestos-containing replacement parts in the aftermarket? Will ' the aftermarket automatically phase out asbestos as new vehicles phase out asbestos, or will asbestos replacement parts continue to be used as cheap substitutes for non-original equipment?" It Is Ford1s understanding that the long term availability of asbestos will be dramatically curtailed both domestically and abroad. Suppliers of asbestos Indicate they will continue to support OEM manufacturers only as long as specific asbestos-containing products remain In production and may require "one-time-buys" for subsequent replacement part inventories.,^ Given "the possibility of scarce availability of asbestos manufacturing sources later in ' the decade, Ford does not believe "asbestos replacement parts [will be] cheap I . substitutes for non-original equipment" either by OEM or after-market replace-/ \ment part suppliers, -...... ..........~ Ford will continue to provide non-asbestos parts as replacement for non- ssbeatos OEM parts.{ The use of non-asbestos vs ssbestos 'parts however, , usually requires changes to other components in brake systems to maintain , acceptable performance, reliability and quality. Accordingly, Ford has no present plans to develop and test non-asbestos substitutes for asbestos., ,, . presently used in its brake replacement parts.../'With regard to other than brake ^ .replacement parts, non-asbestos ccmtaining replacements fox asbestos parts may / jor may not be provided depending on inventory level and availability of acceptable non-asbestos substitutes^ in any casV. maihtaining acceptable levels of performance, relfabllityand quality, not cost, will be the primary factor that determines asbestos or non-asbestos usage. "8. How will one company's phase out of asbestos affect the company competitiveness in the domestic market and in the international market vis-a-vis another company, foreign or domestic, that *** not phase out asbestos"? Ford has long believed that the phase out of asbestos from its products will ] noc threaten its world-wide competitive position because Its non-asbestos ; bearing products will continue to provide customers with acceptable levels q \ performance, reliability and quality. Very truly yours, Executive Engineer Vehicle Safety Assurance 05/14/98 11:45 TX/RX NO.2139 P.010 "irftfP *>58 C H D -0 P E R 8 T O N S BRANCH 2 0 2 2 6 0 1 7 2 4 P . 0 8 x '1 4 Ford Motor Company Environmental and Safety Engineering Staff 330 Town Cantar Driva Dearborn, Michigan 40123 December 22. 1992 Mr. John Molone, Director Chemical Control Division Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20460 Dear M r . Me lone; On November 9, 1992, Ford Motor Company responded to the questions EPA raised regarding Ford's current and future use of asbestos. In response to EPA's question, "what parts still contain asbestos?", it was stated that rear brake drum linings were the only asbestos containing partB in 1993 Ford vehicles. We have recently determined that Ford's response is Cachnioally incorrect in that several 1993 Ford vehicle lines identified as having asbestos containing Fear brake drum linings, in fact, are equipped with front brake asbestos containing components. These vehicles with asbestos containing front brake components were, however, correctly considered in Ford's response to EPA's questions pertaining to: 1) the percent of 1993 Ford vehicles with asbestos containing parts and 2) Ford's schedule for phasing out asbestos containing parts. We are sorry for any inconvenience this oversight may have caused. Executive Engineer Vehicle Safety Assurance 05/14/98 11:45 TX/RX NO.2139 P.008