Document rbYJLJOkaOrdmV0jBapxv0Bv

April 29, 1971 P.S.I. Barry, M.D. The Associated Octel Company Limited Ellesmere Port Cheshire L65 4HF, England Dear Pat: Thanks for your letter of April 19th. I'm sorry you didn't come to Cincinnati when you were in Chicago, not because I had any earth-shaking message for you, but because it would have been a pleasure. However, 1 am not being critical, for I would, almost certainly, have done the same thing in the same situation. Meanwhile, Katy has paid us a visit, and has now returned to Qxted. This was a happy event. Just today, we have had a visit at the Laboratory from Dr. Von Sethe of Esso in Hamburg, v/ho left my office only a little while ago. He is indeed a most agreeable person, and I think him intelligent. From him, I learned a bit more about the German situation, not only with respect to lead, but to some of their political attitudes. I am interested in what you have said about the attitude of Dr. Newill of the Environmental Protection Agency. Some of the people in H.E.V'. were as unrealistic wholly ignorant people can be. I am not sure of the present crop in EPA may not be in the same innocent category, but I 'm content to wait and see. The protection of the children is, no doubt, a popular theme, but one cannot but wonder why it comes to the front in this instance, on any other basis than sentiment unaccompanied by knowledge. Incidentally, I am committed, as I know you are, to the principle that the costof removing lead, from gasoline must be borne, regardless of the price to be paid, if there is reason to believe in the existence oi danger to people, but if no such evidence exists, and if such danger can be anticipated before damage occurs, by the expenditure of reasonable time and money, its removal on account of human health is quite unnecessary. I'm glad to know about your efforts to inform Sir Charles Dodds. You might assure him thatif I can be of some service in that respect, I shall be glad to do so. This is not said because I have any doubt about the thoroughness of your efforts, but is rather a matter of courtesy in view of his and my previous association, which I would not wish to terminate. " Incidentally, I think I should inform you, if you are not fully informed without my help, that the group at Albany has done a good job of their initial experiment with prisoners. I consider that they have shown that 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air is too high to be acceptable as a tolerable concentration of lead in air. I visited them, sat down with them and spent a morning going over their manner of carrying out their experiment, and their results. I think it very unlikely that there is anything wrong with their data, and I am satisfied that 10 micrograms is too high. I have advised them and the sponsors (as far as they were available) that the A P.S.I. Barry, M.D. Page 2 April 29, 1971 work should go on further to find out where the proper value lies, whether at 5 micro grams or lower. This in my view is the information which we need, and ori which the future can be planned. It may be that the government, the automobile industry and the petroleum industry will move in another direction, but that, at the moment, is not the issue. We us physicians and responsible investigators need to know the truth, which will then be available at all times in the future. Thanks very, much for Joey Roffey's address. I haven't written to her as yet, but I shall. Thanks also for the word about Errol Gay. Give my love to Anne, to whom, I believe, Lucile has written (or is about to write). With all good wishes, Sincerely, Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Professor Emeritus of Occupational Medicine KB 0006300 ASSOCIATED o c t e l c o m p a n y l i m i t e d ' ELLESMERE PO R T, C H ESH IR E L65 4H F Head Of f ice: 20 Ber keley Square, London W I X 6DT TELEPHONE: 051-355 3611 TELEX NO. 62384 far. U.A. Kehoe, University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, Kettering Laboratory, College of Medicine, Eden GBethesda eves., Lcincinnati, Ohio 45219. TELEGRAMS: O C T E L . E L L E S M E R E P O R T. T E L E X CABLES: O C T E L . E L L E S M E R E P O R T "1 OUR REF. YOUR REF. 19th April, 1971. Dear Ur. Kehoe, Many thanks for year letter of March 29th, which I received following py return fro;: the States just prior to Easter. . I an sorap' that I did not. stay on after the meeting in Chicago to cove and vi si t vor in Cincinnati, but I felt that I should try and vet bach 'nemo to soend Easter with the family. Should I make a visit to the United Stater again this year, 1 shall certainly not make it quite such, a hurried one, and v.'i 11 realee a noint. of coming to see vou 5n Cincinnati. The meeting in Cjiicego, from ny viewnoi.nl, was of mired value, as much of it related to commercial interests rather than those of strictly medical interest, however, 1 was glad to have heard Dr. Neva11 from the Environmental Protection agency giving his talk on April 6th. he marie it as clear as possible that lead should come out- of gasoline in the U.S.A., if only to protect the health: of children who nay be exposer! as a result of playing in streets in which the road dust contained a proportion of lead, assumed to be there iron, the activity of motor vehicles. From what he had to say, it would seem that the authorities are switching the attack on lead in gasoline from possible effects neon the general public as a whole to the specific, and I think more emotive, possibility of the damage to health of children. After his talk I iiad a brief opportunity to speak with Dr. Newill, when he made it plain to me that the EPA expected lead to come out of gasoline in the U.S.A. and that their concern for the future would be the emission of lead from static sources. The EPA H seems quite determined to net lead out of gasoline, and do not appear to have any particular regard for the costs involved or of the bulk of the evidence which r would seem to indicate that such a step is unnecessary. ooo The situation in Germany appears to be progressing, and we believe that by July of this year, legislation will be in force which will restrict the concentration of lead in gasoline from its present level of 0.63 grms lead per litre down to 0.4 grms lead per litre, with a further restriction to 0.13 grms k lead per litre by 1976. The rest of the Common Market countries, however, do k not seem to be prepared to accent the German viewpoint, and, as we understand it at the present time, do not propose to make any changes to follow the German pattern. Switzerland is proposing to reduce their level of lead in gasoline by 10/o, which is really not much more than a token reduction, and I believe at the end of this year Sweden will be reducing their levels again from the present N7712.01 2- - Last week I met Sir Charles Dodds with Dr. Aickin over luncheon. Sir Charles is concerned that our Royal College of Physicians may come out with some statement during the course of this year relating to automobile exhaust emissions, which will be ill-founded with respect to the information that is available, and so put themselves into a position which could be criticised. He has asked me to compile a resume of much of the work that has been going on in various countries, particularly in the U.S.A., ivith respect to the environmental picture, and this I shall try to do for him within the next two weeks. I spoke to Errol Gay while I was in Chicago, and he appears to be progressing very well. He sawhis doctor that week who advised him that he may resume work on a short day basis. In your letter to me of March 29th you asked for Mrs. Roffey's whereabouts. As far as we know, she is staying on at the house in Mallorca and her address is as follows:- Mrs. J.F.J. D'Avon Roffey, Canot, Esclaveta, Mallorca, Balearic Islands Kindest regards to you and Lucile, Yours sincerely, PSIB/dl. XE 0006302