Document re21bVXjBBjZym9ebro28oQ37

FILE NAME: Eternit (ETER) DATE: 1981 Mar 12 DOC#: ETER116 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Asbestos International Memo RE Company Statement - Eternit is Setting the Record Straight 0000 0063 1330 ASBESTOS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION (Lim ited by G uarantee) 6S GLOUCESTER PLACE, LONDON W iH jHL - MEMORANDUM 1 3 MAR 198i TO: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS 1ROM : DIRECTOR GENERAL 12 March 1981 H A /U 4/ 9/POL May we refer you to out ueoo dated 2 March 1981, concerning the recent press conference given by the German M inister o f the In te rio r, We are pleased to en close 4 copy of the E nglish tran slation of the pamphlet issu ed by E te r a it (see item (c ) on Anne* 2) to counteract the odsinfom ation given by the M inister. ETERKIT SETS THE RECCED STRAIGHT! MINISTER HAKES BLANKET STATEMENT. SOME MEDIA GIVE SENSATIONAL REPORTS, ENVIRONMENTAL HYSTERIA FLOURISHES. STIRRING UP THE FEAR OF CANCER AS A TOOL FOR POLITICAL ENDS? EJTTO1T IS SETTIHfi THE RECORD STRAIGHT BECAUSE: 1. Medically approved research s ta te s : workers In the asbestos-cement Industry have th e sane l i f e expectancy as th e so rw l population. These workers were employed in asb e sto s-c e m e n t p roduction fo r any y e a rs . C oncentrations o f f in e d u st found today a re 100 to 1000 ti n e s lower th an a t t h a t t i n e . And f i b r e concentrations in th e environment a re again 10,000 times lower. I t is hig h ly unreasonable to draw conclusions fro th is about a th r e a t to the p u b lic a t la r g e . Even th e re p o r t by th e Federal Environment O ffice s t a te s on th is point th at: "The p o ss ib le e x is te n c e o f an environm ental r i s k w ith re g a rd to th i s tumour ^ th e re fo re be e stim a te d , perhaps in d ir e c t l y , fro th e r e s u l t s o f research frm the world a t work, using a h y p o th etical dose-frequency r a t i o ." (page 20?). 2. The te l e v is io n showed w orkers who had been p e rso n a lly a f f e c te d , .hey obviously cane from th e a sb e sto s spray in s u la tio n In d u s try , which i s now p ro h ib ite d in Germany. E te r n it n ever had anything to do w ith th e a sb e sto s spray method, which has o x tren ely high concentrations of fin e d u s t, compared with the g u id elin es in the asbestos-cem ent industry. Although th e y were aware of th e se co n n ectio n s, th e e d ito r s f a i le d to make any d is tin c tio n . ,, 3. Even i f a s b e s to s f ib r e s a re removed f r o m i w e r b y th e e f f e c ts o f w ea th e r, th ere Is no danger - in s p ite o f what is claimed to the contrary. The rep o rt by th e Federal Environment O ffice has th i s to say: 'Since, however, average asb esto s f ib r e concentrations a t th e measuring p o in ts w ith and w ith o u t asbesto s-cem en t ro o fin g and in th e open a re below th e d e te c tio n l i m i t ( 0.1 f l b r e / m r e a i r ) , can be 91ven o f environmental p o llution* (page 145). And t h i s means: Hone o f our tr ie d - a n d - te s te d products p re s e n t any danger to h e a lth . RESULT The demand by F ederal M in iste r o f th e I n t e r io r Baum t h a t a sb e sto s should not be used - in p a rtic u la r asbestos-cem ent products - is u n ju s tifia b le and untana le . Any a c tio n t o s t i r up th e f e a r o f can c e r as a to o l f o r p o l i t i c a l ends i s re p re h e n sib le . Vie a re supported in t h i s view by th e re a c tio n o f la r g e s e c tio n s of the public. ' SO EVEN IH THf FUTURE WE SHALL REMAIN VOW TRUSTFO FARTHER FOR ETERK1T PRODUCTS Cancer 1s a term that causes more an x iety than any o th er in our age. Since th e re is no u n iv e rsa l c u re , th e re is a Widespread fe e lin g o f helplessness, sometimes to the p o in t o f h y s te r ia . To o v er-h asty p o l i t i c i a n s th i s means: demand p r o h ib itio n s : F ederal M in is te r o f th e I n te rio r Baum, f o r example, a t a press conference on 19.1.81: "Asbestos is a danger to the public a t largel" Inasmuch a s he was r e f e r r i n g to a sb e sto s-c e m e n t, th i s i s an u n ju s tif ia b le and u n tenable c la im . The M in iste r bases h is statem en t on in fo rm atio n from th e WORLD AT WORK and from t h i s draws in c o r r e c t conclusions f o r th e ENVIRONMENT.