Document kD4XEqm68kgrOk4pRB4xY92zq

JJJICTTON MATERIALS STANDARDS INSTITUTE, INC., EAST 210 ROUTE $, PARAMUS, NJ 07652 April 10, 1984 To: Health and Environmental Affairs Committee Subject: OSHA Proposals on the Asbestos Standard This morning's papers reported that OSHA had proposed a reduction in the permissible exposure level (PEL) for asbestos in the work place. The paper states that the PEL would be one quarter of that now permitted. However, the article further states that the standard may be lowered to either 0.5 or 0.2 fibers per cc from the current 2 fibers per cc. I have not as yet seen the FEDERAL REGISTER notice. I hope to have a copy of the notice tomorrow. As soon as I have a copy I will for ward it on to the Committee. In the meanwhile, I called Mr. John Riopelle, Chairman of the Committee to plan a Committee Meeting. Mr. Riopelle is out of town and will not be back in his Office until Monday, April 16. I will contact him at that time and attempt to arrange a Committee Meeting. The foregoing is for your information. Enclose: Copy of BULLETIN NO. 792 E. W. Drislane Executive Director FMSI-0402 FMSI 02594 FRICTION MATERIALS STANDARDS INSTITUTE, INC., EAST 210 ROUTE 4, PARAMUS, NJ 07652 BULLETIN NO. 792 April 10, 1984 FEDERAL REGULATORY ACTIVITY CONCERNING ASBESTOS This is to advise that Federal Regulatory Agencies took action on certain asbestos related regulations this week. The action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may have a profound effect on the friction products industry. The other, by the Environmental Protect ion Agency (EPA) has little impact on our industry, it being more the concern of the Construction Industry. OSHA PROPOSALS FOR A PERMANENT ASBESTOS STANDARD These proposals have been forthcoming for some period of time. They were apparently delayed during the Court action on OSHA's November 1983 invok ing of an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). This was the standard, that among other things, dropped the permissible exposure level (PEL) to 0.5 fibers per cc time weighted average(TWA). The ETS was overturned by the Courts in March 1984. I have not as yet received the full content of the propsals on the as bestos standard. When they are received, copies will be sent to Delegates, the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, and certain other parties that have asked for this information. Others who wish copies should write the Institute Office. It is expected that the Institute's Health and Environmental Affairs Committee (HEAC) will meet shortly to discuss any Institute comments on these proposals. EPA NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR ASBESTOS The EPA published these final regulations on Thursday, April 5, 1984. These regulations essentially reinstated work practices standards for working with asbestos in the construction industry. These had been in validated by the Courts some years ago but legislation since that time permitted reinstatement of such regulations. They concern roadway surfac ing, building demolition and the handling of loose asbestos during demol ition. While we have copies of the FEDERAL REGISTER concerning this action, copies will only be sent on request. Copies: Delegates and Alternates H.E.A. Committee E. W. Drislane Executive Director FMSI 02595 T r FRICTION MATERIALS STANDARDS INSTITUTE, INC. MY T/M6S- APglL \9SA -- <3SHA PROPOSALS Fo PE/eMAMeN/r* asbestos stakj pazd The Standards and Deaths U.S. PROPOSES CUT After a working lifetime of exposure, the safety agency said, the current standard would result in 64 more can cer deaths per 1,000 workers than IN ASBESTOS LIMIT would occur among a 1,000 people not exposed to asbestos. The standard of 0.5 fibers per cubic centimeter would i. .......... 1 result in 17 additional cancer deaths;for 1,000 workers, the agency said, and . Agency's'Suggestion Would ` there would be 7 more cancer deaths ; for 1,000 workers at the. level of 0.2 ` Make the Workplace Safer I? fibers per cubic centimeter. - -' '<; The formal publication of the asbes ; for 375,000 in Industry tos proposal comes a week after the resignation of Thorne G. Auchteras the ' Administrator of the agency. Mr. By BEN A. FRANKLIN Special to The New York Times Auchter was a Reagan Administration appointee who was frequently accused . by labor unions of "gutting" occupa- . WASHINGTON, April 9 --The Rea ', tional health and safety enforcement. gan Administration today proposed a Last November Mr. Auchter tried to ; reduction in the amount of asbestos permitted in workplaces to one-quarter of the current limit. put into effect the 0.5-fiber standard as an emergency regulation, but the as bestos industry sued immediately to The proposal by the Labor Depart . block it. ment's Occupational Safety and Health . The emergency regulation was over Administration, which is to be pub ' turned on March 7 by the United States lished Tuesday in the Federal Regis . Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. ter, would affect 375,000 industrial The court questioned the . Govero- workers. . . ' ment's.data submitted to back up its It would cut the permissible expo sure level from 2 fibers of asbestos for each cubic centimeter of workplace air, which has been the Federal stand ard since 1978, to either 0.5 or 0.2 fibers for a cubic centimeter. The final choice between the two levels, among other options of a highly technical nature, are to be made later. this year after a 60-day period in which ; claim. Asked today for ids view of the safety agency's new proposal for a permanent standard as low as 0.2 fibers a cubic centimeter, B. J. Pigg, the bead of the 'Asbestos Information Association, the industry group which sued to block the emergency rule, said: "We have no plans for further litigation." ' ~ -.Impassible to Meet' the safety agency will receive written But at the safety agency's regulatory comments and hold a public hearing on bearing set for June 12 he said the as all aspects of the revised asbestos regu sociation would oppose a standard of lations. ..................................^ U fibers as "impossible to meet." "The industry will appose putting its people in respirators eight hours a day," Mr. Pigg said. Respirators, or face masks contain ing air filters that are hot and cumber some and are never popular with work ers, are among the methods available to limit the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Other methods include forced ventilation and limiting the time spent in the work place. More than a score of unions belong ing to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Or ganizations have pressed OSHA to lower the asbestos standard to 0.1 fibers a cubic centimeter. Kevin Foley, assistant director for health and safety of the federation's building trades de partment, said, "We would-be very happy with the level of 0.2 fibers, but we are still saying we want 0,1." He cited studies by the Federal safety agency that showed that even at the 0.1-fiber exposure level there would be three excess cancer deaths for 1,000 workers. Rise In Pressure for Revision Pressures to revise the asbestos ex posure standard began to rise in the 1970's when thousands of World War II shipyard workers or their survivors successfully : brought suits against Johns-Mansvilie Inc., a major asbestos supplier, for long-delayed occupational . illnesses and cancer deaths. Theparent concern, the Manvflle Corporation, went into bankruptcy to avoid the full brunt of hundreds of millions of dollars Tin damage claims. - 9 Federal studies of the asbestos work !<orce, however, have found that thou- -jands of other groups of workers were teven more highly exposed. According -to the safety agency, those mostat risk, `that is exposed to as many as 20 fibers `Of asbestos a cubic centimeter of air, &re 13,000 building demolition and dry- gvall removal workers. , FMS/ 02596