Document p2k5JL163V0rOVJ22vaj7QkQX

THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY BENNETT BUILDING 2030 DOW CENTER MIDLAND, MICHIGAN 48640 October 20, 1977 OCT 21 1977 J. T. Seawell MCA 1825 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C. NW cc: z. G. Bell W. D. Harris M. N. Johnson C. D. K*try G. TerHaar W. M. Smith R. N. Wheeler Dear Joe: The attached October 12, 1977 letter front Richard L. Davis of Equitable Environmental Health indicates that the questions raised in my letter to Clark Cooper on Septenber 28 have been taken care of satisfactorally. Since the September 28 letter summarized all of the comments received from the Research Co ordinators, you may consider the new draft as acceptable for distribution to the entire Technical Panel on Vinyl Chloride Research. When the yeport is distributed to the Panel, I suggest you in clude a request that each company be prepared to vote on accepting the report at our next Panel meeting January 5. URL 16870 T. R. Torkelson, Chairman MCA Research Coordinators on vinyl Chloride Research Enclosure QUUADL NVIRONMNTAL HCALTH INC Chicago Hons (on New York San Francisco Washington, D.C. A Subsidiary of The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States RICHARD L. DAVIS Regional Director October 12, 1977 EEH/S-77-L439 Theodore Torkelson, Sc.D. Dow Chemical Corporation 2030 Dow Center Midland, Michigan 48640 Dear Dr. Torkelson: We have edited the final report on the Mortality Study of Vinyl Chloride Workers in line with the suggestions contained in your letter of September 28. This letter responds in sequence to the comments of the research coordinators. Page 2. Suggestion incorporated in report. Page 4. Determination of the actual numbers of recordswould be most difficult to obtain at this time since the original study design did not anticipate such a situation. We believe that Dr. Gaffey's method of handling the population eliminates any bias. In our opinion, this is adequately explained by the final sentence in the first paragraph of Page 4. Pages 5 and 6. The correct number is 669. The text has been corrected. Page 6. We believe that the text adequately covers this point. Among those whose vital status was reported as "unknown" there are certainly some who died and for whom no death claims were filed. Page 10. We have not defended the use of the SMR but have made refer ence to the controversy and included the appropriate citations. This question, in all of its ramifications, cannot be dealt with adequately in this report. Page 14. To include any of the age breakdowns suggested in your letter would require extensive data analysis involving considerable expense and time. However, we allude to the probability of an age differential because it would be obvious to any reviewer who checked the tables. We suggest that this question be left to a follow-up study. Page 18. We have eliminated the column "Years From Beginning of Exposure." URL 16871 2020 Mil via Street, Berkeley, California 94704 Telephone: 415/845-3355 QU(TADl 04ViP0NMOTAL HAITH INC Theodore Torkelson, Sc.D. Page 2 October 12, 1977 Page 19. Text changed so that 7+2+2+1 12. Page 20. A comment that no conclusion can be drawn from the CNS data has been included along with the suggestion that this deserves further study. Pa^e 21. The first paragraph has been rewritten to accommodate the suggestion. Page 22. The last paragraph has been rewritten to accommodate the suggestion and an additional paragraph has been added to suggest a follow up study. Page 27. No action was taken on this suggestion since we feel that Tables 5 and 20 cover different populations, the last being confined to a group at higher risk. Table 20. The title of this table has been amended to clarify beginning of exposure. We believe that with these changes the report should be published in final form. We are proceeding with typing the revised version and expect to have the typed original available by Friday, October 14. We suggest that, for contractual purposes, all copies be sent to MCA in Washington for distribution. If you feel otherwise, please call us at your earliest convenience. Our contract calls for the delivery of 40 copies of the final report. Should MCA so desire, we will be pleased to provide the original typed copy in unbound form for additional reproduction, or reproduce additional copies at a cost of $5 each in minimum order units of ten copies. Again, EEH expresses its appreciation for the opportunity the MCA has given us to be of service. Dr. Cooper, who did much of the revision, joins me in sending best wishes. Sincerely, URL 1687 ro RLD:bw cc: Dr. Joseph Seawell Richard L. Davis