Document k6JN3bZZQg5nDXeQ53Rwj6YGy

December- 6, 1950 Mr. H. Fossett, The Associated Ethyl Company Limited, Northwich, Cheshire, England. Dear Hu: Following the dispatch of my letter of November 6 to you, Doctor Horton,on Ills return from one of his trips, came in to ask me some additional questions. Unfortunately I could not answer these and, therefore, it is necessary to pass them along to you. In view of the fact that the production of isopropyl alcohol by more or less conventional methods has resulted in the creation of a definite hazard of cancer, on the part of persons who are exposed to vaporized materials which come from various stages of this process. Horton is still somevhat uncertain about the possibility of hazard in your plant operations. Obviously this same uncertainty extends to the operations in the Shell Company. Therefore, he was not altogether satisfied with my tentative opinion that you have nothing to fear. Incidentally the above information concerning isopropyl alcohol is somewhat confidential, and therefore I should not wish you to quote me in the matter, except in confidence to your own associates or perhaps to the Shell people. The question which Horton wished me to raise was whether or not you intend to engage in any cracking a paraffin gases to olefins. If you do engage in such cracking, there will be some end products to be considered, and the actual boiling point, or at least the initial boiling point of these residues, is no indication of their carcin ogenic characteristics. Under these circumstances, and just so that I may not ask the wrong questions or get the wrong answers, I would suggest that it might be worth your while to send me, in confidence, if you wish, as complete a description as you have available of the procedures which you intend to use. Even the details will be important, and any tentative drawing of equipment would be useful. With this information at hand I think we can give you a satisfactory answer. I hate to be so persistent, but I want to be sure that I do not give you any false advice. With kindest personal regards, Sincerely yours, RAK ef Robert A . Kehoe, M. D