Document qa5x3wE74Y528y9Vp1731VDkK

April 21, 1966 RECORD BY: I.-6C B* MD. SUBJECT: Aitcjto- nr..-: Fiber Glass Medical.Research - April 12, 1966 Meeting 1. Dr. Robert ?. ccTrevilie, Managing Director of Lie Industrial H^Ifene F"UK<tai\ or, arranged the subject meeting of member co.-rpard.cS who bad 3la interest, in those subjects. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a r.edical research proposal by the Industrial Hygiene Foundation in hopes of oitilnin; additional financial support from the persons represented ir. this mec-tLar. Attachment 1 is a list of the persons present at the meeting Attachment i is a letter froa Dr. deTreviiie containing both a draft of the research project proposal and a contractual agreement. 2. The following subjects were discussed during .the meeting in addition to a detailed discussion of the proposed rerearch project: a. Lr. Irving J. Selikoff, a physician at the Mt. Sinai Hospital in hrev York, has made unwarranted and un scientifically based claims concerning the health hazards associated with the use of asbestos and fiber glass materials in the construction industry. * He uses as a basis for his claims a three-year study he has been conducting for the Insulation Union Workers. His claims have beer, giver, greater creditability because of a $325,000 research grant he has recently received froa the United States Public Health Service to study the health aspects of asbestos and fiber glass. Dr. Otto Besse is the Director of the Division of Research Grants of the National Institutes of Health.whose division authorized Dr. Selikoff's grant. The Division of Occupa tional Health of the United States Public Health Service, according to Dr. Lewis J. Cralley, feels that Dr. Selikoff's claims are not scientifically based. In fact, the work cf Dr. Cralley on the environmental' aspects refutes the work done by Dr. SeliJcoff. However, Dr. Cralley's work has net received the publicity that Dr. Selikoff's work has. The Division of Occupational Health has not tried to interfere with Dr. Selikoff's research grant. They are, however, calling to the attention of the USPHS Contract Konitor the statements th*t Dr. Sclikoff has made in the past wnich are considered unscientifically based. They will continue to do this in the future. t. Industry has not accomplished and/or published in-plant environmental stuaics nor research laboratory investiga tions which could be used to refute Dr. Selikoff's claims. The Johns-Kanvillc Corporation has been doing environmental 0008044 McrPr->^wrt -fer Record -2- 3 year;'.. T.:is wore was done n an individual plant basis and has no- been brought uegtether for su:dy. o^e^s-Corning Fibere'ac Corporation porforncd a Study in their ble'JZTk, Ofio Plant 9 fJ years ago, but this otudy has not besr. written up for publication as yet. There is considerable reluctance on the part of a cop*fcy to publish such infuneatLon concerning their co:.:paay in -the scientific literature if it is identified as their company's data. This has bocn an important factor in keeping such data out of the litera ture which, if presented, would serve to refute Dr. Selikoff's claires. Dr. Sfelixoff's activities have ezireuiazed an urgent need for txviustry to contribute its expcritr.ee to the scientific literature. This scald be cone ca aa industry vide basis through the Industrial Hygiene Foundation preserving the anonymity of the individual participating companies. c. It was felt the sost serious effect of Dr. Selikcff's claires have been on the custoner and general public rela tions. The public will hesitate to use a procuct that is purported to be associated with serious health inslisaticns. d. Johns-Kanville .Corporation has paid off on five or six reasothelicna cases where they were associated with significant pulmonary fibrosis and jussive dust exposures. They cost on an average of $16,000 per case.' e. The Division of Occupational Health of the USPHS has spent $125*000 per year for envlronaental studies oh asbestos. There have been no funds available for associated medical studies. f. The Research Grants Division of the USPES is supporting two other asbestos studies at the present tine. Dr. Vorvald of Wayne State University is using radioactive tagged asbestos particles in order to study the fate of these particles when they reach the lungs. The other study is by Dr. Clark Cooper who is performing a study of the construction industry in San Francisco with reference to the health hazard associated with asbestos and fiber glass use. This latter study will be similar to Dr. Sclikoff's study which was performed on the East Coast. g. A point was sade that the health hazard to workers involved in the manufacturing of asbestos and fiber glass prcaucus is not ccaparable to the health hazard of the construczio:: workers who use these products. Much higher dust exposures are experienced by the construction workers. 0 Mcmorandura for Record -3- h. Some discussion war. held with respect to the typer, of binders for fiber class materials which might be used in the Industrial Hygiene Foundation research. It was cited that "chrome binders" arc more common with the fiber and "phenol-formaldehyde" resins are more common with the insulation materials. It appeared that some guidance should be provided to the Industrial Hygiene Foundation in regard to .the type or types of binders which should be considered for the research project. 3* The reactivation of the National Insulation Manufacturers Association's Health and Safety Committee was discussed with Kr. F. H. Edwards of Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation and Kr. C. 1. Sheerer of Johns-ManviHe Corporation who will be their conpany's representatives on this Committee. It was felt that our respective companies would be able to contribute significantly by close study of our own experiences in handling asbestos and fiber glass materials. -/&000804S Lunch - University Club, Cambridge Room 12:00 noon Mr. Leon Horowitz Director of Health and Safety Certain-teed Products Corporation 120 E. Lancaster Avenue Ardmore, Pennsylvania Mr. Marshall Lurch Industrial Relations-Personnel Director Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation _17 East Locust Street Newark, Ohio 43055 Mr. C. L. Shcckler Manager, Industrial Health Program Johns-Manville Corporation 22 East 40th Street New York, New York 10016 Dr. G. S. Bishop Medical Director Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation 17 E. Locust Street Newark, Ohio 43055 Mr. F. K. Edwards, Personnel Admin. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. Box 901 Toledo, Ohio 43601 -Dr. Lee B. Grant Medical Director Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company 1 Gateway Center Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania' 15222 / // /Mr. Robert Ay*lcLaughlin Vice President Fibe^Glass Division 1 Gateway Center Pittsburgh, 'Pennsylvania 15222 -- D.-. J. H. Wolfsic Corporate Med.cal Director U.S. Rubber Company 1230 Avenue of the Americas Now York, New York .10020 Mr. Sta/nton /Pcelc. Vice President U.s/Rubber C< Dr. Lewis J. .Crallcy U.S. Public Health Scrvico 1014 Broadway Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Dr. Paul Gross Director of Research Laboratory Industrial Hygiene Foundation 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 * Dr. Robert T. P. deTreville .Managing Director Industrial Hygiene Foundation 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 Dr. William E. Rinehart Asst. Prof. Applied Toxicology University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 .#,0908028 Oyt I-' /1 r / )L\ -ia ?d