Document pB6ogVDaOJz5LQgvD3gVrYogX

FILE MEMORANDUM REPORT OF TRIP TO UNITED KINGDOM June 23 - July 1, 1973 Subject trip was made in company with Ivan Sabourin, our Canadian legal-environmental counsel; John H. Marsh of Raybestos-Manhattan in his capacity as President of the Asbestos Information Association/North America; and Matthew M. Swetonic, Executive Secretary of the AIA/N.V. Purpose of the trip related almost entirely to the reopening of the OSHA Asbestos Standard in the U.S. He wanted to meet with members of the British medical group, with British government officials and British asbestos industry personnel to review the situation and prepare in advance for what we believe will be quite a rigorous confrontation at the public hearings on the asbestos standard which are coming up in the near future. Following are brief comments on the meetings we held in the course of our stay in the United Kingdom. 1. Meeting (June 25. 1973) with Dr. Hilton Lewinsohn and Stephen`Holmes or Turner Brothers Asbestos; Alex Cress of Cape Asbestos; klchael Howe and Wilfred Howard of Turner SKewall. For background -- Dr. Lewinsohn had issued some pre liminary figures on a re-study he is making of workers at the Rochdale, England plant of TBA. . Dr. Selikoff had put these figures into a graph which he presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Industrial Hygiene Association in Boston last May. Selikoff said these new figures changed the entire picture on asbestos standards and that the present OSHA standard places "U.S. asbestos workers at serious risk of irreversible, often fatal disease't^ny (Selikoff*s) opinion, it should iwsdiately m reconsidered." Wo had forwarded'lo DrV ^s^nsohn a few days prior to our meeting, a verbatim transcript of Dr.Sellkoff's pre-. sentation at Boston with a dopy of the slide he had used there which he said had been made from Dr. Lewinsohn'a data; File Memorandum - Pag* 2 Report of trip to United Kingdom Juno 23 - July 1. 1973 NO reviewed this at our meeting and handed out to attendees a copy of Or. George Wright's memo to me on the Lewinsohn-Selikoff matter. We suggested that Or. Lewinsohn and Steve Holmes, who had worked with Or. John Knox of TBA in the original study of Rochdale workers, prepare a joint letter to Dr. Selikoff on this matter. This they readily agreed to do. Matter of fact, their first draft was handed to us two days later for review and forwarding to George Wright for comment before final drafting and Bailing to Selikoff. The British group are more than unhappy about this action by Selikoff. The present British Asbestos Regulations are based largely on the original studies at the Rochdale plant of TBA. Selikoff's misuse of Lewinsohn's preliminary figures places the British regulations, the British Occupational Hygiene Society and H.M. Factory Inspectorate in an extremely poor light. The British intend to take this matter bright down to the wire -- matter of fact, David Hills, Managing Director of TBA, had a personal hand in drafting some of the most direct statements in the letter to Selikoff, ' ~ `-^s v *r- Flit Memorandum - Page 3 Report of trip to United Kingdom Juno 33 - July 1, 1973 3. Mooting (Juno 2$. 1>73) with Drs. David Muir and John Pavia, Institute of Occupational Mediclr*. Edinburgh, Scotland. _ - " - 'jgsjsau: Wo reviewed the Lewinsohn-Selikoff matter. Muir and Dovlo wore glad to bo informed and particularly pleased that a letter was being written directly to Selikoff. they drove us to their experimental farm on the outskirts of Edinburgh to see the animal experimental work they are carrying ont Initially with amosite fiber, under sponsorship of the Asbestosis Research Council. 'i ATt, -.- v rv- *- 1*1? "Cc- - .. . r -14,1.' r'S^-` ^43rsSk$ ~- - -r*e X -~- .. lyriHWipamini ;r ... . - i-- i % x^' t ^,4w ,"3^- fcr*V$* - Pile Memorandum - Page 4 Report of trip to United Kingdom June 23 - July 1, 1973 3. Dinner Meeting (June 27, 1973) with Dr. J Hc5onSm 2 1 We reviewed the Lewinsohn-Se 1`kof* matter with Dr. McDonald who is on sabbatical leave from McGill University, Montreal. He was in full accord with our strategy and thought the idea of a strong letter to Selikoff from Lewinsohn-Holmes was excellent. As a matter of information, Dr. McDonald' sabbatical involves international work on population growth, requiring extensive travel. Even though on sabbatical, he still directs the work of his group at McGill. So, John Marsh told him of the pure chrysotile exposure at the R/M Stratford plant, asked if Corbett's McGill group, led by his wife, Allison, might tackle the study. He sparked to the idea and a meeting was arranged the week of July 8 between R/M and the McGill group to explore possibilities of such an epidemiological study. sgifei'S sS--1- ~ ytft. &fkp' *X'?T ary. dfeS:" - >& ' Pile Memorandum - Page 5 Report of trip to United Kingdom June 23 - July 1. 1973 4. SPSNS`,` g. ;**$? ??;. He reviewed the Lewinsohn-Holmes draft of a letter to 8elikoff and immediately dispatched a copy to George , Wright for his review and comment. -VAl** AZC is Increasing its budget next fiscal year frosi "; 50,000 to 80,000 pounds (130,000 to $208,000 approxi mately). They plan to spend 26,000 pounds ($68,000) for ads in their national dailies and in specialised publications on fire protection. He had a preliminary discussion about a tri-partite conference of AIC, AIA/NA and QhMA sometime in the future. the AIC is producing new movie - "Asbestos At Work%f which will |e Issued under the name of the Asbestosis'v Research .Council. y- -v y 1... .. . 'A He learned from Alex Cross that Stuart Luxon's job> had changed' with B. M. Factory Inspectorate. Torn Director of Industrial HygieneService, he .is " Chief Inspector lateral a^ sllghtly ^ ^^ ,ysaiAhe"' hadrece1 Tork Acai Biological tfI joined Iji itation,,froei tltllxed whiter. the tyoh that Selikoff r ./: -git A -A* '' sSt vy: /Krsltiii;, rile NiMorandw - Page C Report of trip M United Hlngdoa *r June 21 - July 1. 1973 S. MDoeootuin_t_vectfh(J1iuenf-eT 2n7p.jee1cci9t.wo73tr>). w-H._iM-t_h.___aFSateuctaorrtyGI-.nsLpuxeocnto. rate [Mf vwiiIfe, Mrs. Maitland Luxon) , labour in, Marsh', Iwetonic; Solon. Luxon was the British government official who, at `4#- the request of Saboor in and Swetonic, appeared as an expert witness at the March 1972 OSHA Bearings on the Asbestos Standard. &?. >-'K- Kr. V At this dinner meeting* Luxon told-me his recent promotion had been brought about largely by Great ferltain's entry into the Common Market, and gives him international responsibility for Safety and Health for the U.K. ' * Luxon believes that he would still be the one British official to come to the U.S. public hearings on asbestos standard reopening should the testimony of H. M. Factory Inspectorate be needed. "T .. -- Be believes we in the U.S. should be actively seeking negative evidence to show why it is not necessary to go below 2 fibers per cc in our asbestos standard. He dwelt at some length on the study being carried ovt by his Government,of the entire British asbestos industry (10,000 workers) to determine if their . goal-standard of two fibers is.sufficient. Though they may get indications in the meantime, the final determination from the study is at least-20 years away. _ . . -J ... t; - Luxon learned from John Marsh that the Raybestos- Manhattan SO-year oldjplant in Stratford, ^Connecticut i a pure chryeotlle exposure"exceptfor the pas f of lO .yearr*r-and' that $he Bendix brake lining was also pure chrysbtile *ft the Show ehjtha'joad" sri ........ studiSa ..w..o. rkers at these twb loetf ^ - - i -r : . r. '-v-s-;-'?;.(S3Ptbe^preeeure off the tSSVTf - call the msaheri of thi.industry together, set atlas , liadf and SaS that by such-and-such data (long before the ^uly 7, 1974 deadline), J-M will anhounea that all its plants ars at the 2 fibars par ce standard or that workers are provided good protection at those.locations we're still working on. Ha believes the press will be Interested in such a story. : . - -v-i a 4~- - ^ rile Memorandum - Page 7 Report of trip to United Kingdom June 23 - July 1, 1973 Luxon says it's too bad we don't have a better dialogue with high labor union officials as trey -- do in the U.K. In ms work, he said, he has found his off-the-record dia'ogue with both industry and organized labor has been of inestimable value. ' To get the total rationale behind the BOHS recommenda tion that the British asbestos standard not be changed at this time, Luxon suggested we write* Dr. Dereck Turner, Secy. British Occupational Hygiene Society BP Research Center Sunbury-on-Thames London, England and ask for documentation. Ha said that H.M. Factory Inspectorate`was taking the recommendation of the BOHS and was not reopening the British Asbestos Standard at this time.. Luxon said if we wanted him to come over for the up- coming OSHA Hearings, it would have to be done through: John Garcia Labour Attache British Embassy Washington, D.C. I'f- . v v. A* : !v '* *- .. Pile Memorandum - Pago 8 Report of trip to United Kingdom Juno 23 - July 1. 1973 8. Mooting (Juno 28, 1973) with Alex Crooo (Cape) and Wllfroa Howard (T s ^representing both AIC ai.~ ks'bestosla Research Council (with Solon, Sabourin, Swefconic). Purpose of this meeting was to review the various ways in which the British group might help us at the time of the OSKA Hearings on Asbestos Standard Re-Opening. Wo reviewed the OSHA procedures on standard settirg, told them we understood there would be no new criteria package on asbestos in connection with the reopening of the standard. We said it would be a minimum of seven months until public bearing; that the new 15 man Advisory Committee could take 9 months to deliver its report to the Secretary of Labor; that meetings of the Advisory Committee would be public as far as listening was concerned but that participation in the Advisory Committee hearings was by invitation only. * Cross and Howard suggested that since the BOBS was instrumental in influencing H.M.Factory Inspectorate hot to reopen the British Asbestos Standard at this time, it might he helpful to arrange for three people, all members of the Asbestos Subcommittee of BOHSt 7 Or. Hilton Lawinsohn Stephen lloIsms ~ 0. Berry. (Statistician on Dr. Gilson's staff) to appear before the Advisory Committee and present the rationale for their not changing the present British StiMari..of, two fibers. They also far the mc^it on asbestos and would the final OSHA public necessary""'........ .VC- :*tohh Gilson was by the 0 .a. f jtfy isr at":" <**&*:*'-. - -.ivu- - %K -w^2L;?`.. O : 4$ * i* File Memorandum - Page 9 Report of trip to United Kingdom June 23 - July 1, 1973 _ i- k'T*' fcSr*:*: Meeting (June 29. 1973) with Dr. John Gilson and Dr. J. Chris Wagner ^t the MRC Pneunocont.jci.j Research Unit. Penarth, Wales (Sabourin, Solon, Harsh. SwetonicTI We reviewed the Lewinsohn-Selikoff matter and stressed the fact that we looked on Selikoff's action as an attack on the British Asbestos Standard and on the reputation of H.M. Factory Inspectorate and the BOHS in the setting of proper standards to protect their workers. Dr. Gilson agreed it appeared to be so. He said he was glad to be informed of these matters but had no interest in the medico-political area. He prefers to devote his time to pure medical research. We talked about the reopening of the OSHA Asbestos Standard and again he stressed that he had no interest in the medico-scientific. However# Z got the feeling that in light of his warm regard for George Wright, should Dr. Gilson be needed to testify in the upcoming OSHA Hearings and should his health'permit it, he would react favorably to a request directly from Dr. Wright. At the end of the meeting. Dr. Gilson asked that his secretary make a xerox of the following LewinsohaSelikoff material - - transcript of Selikoff's presentation.at the AXHA Meeting at Boston. x - Copy of the slide material, usedror Dr. Selikoff 'vV-'7 jr* `:3!PiT?i - Copy of tbe article by Dr' from which SellkofjT claims to have takeClthe info: ition Jostsp^' the IBs didnot ask to .** drafttOSelik t^SsAAW'JSch^wi' le thlTliorhihg and was~ St to Dr. Oilson,; .. * "'*?? ' Dr. Gilson was in full agreement with our strategy In" the Lewinsohn-Selikoff matter. . 1*8 SfflP F. J. Solon, Jr. fI