Document wqRrQpwqrVr2yo3eE952OpyJV

SUMMARY LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND SAFETY MEETING TO DISCUSS ASBESTOS USE April 13, 1971 Submitted by: Joseph J. La Barbera Hill and Know!ton, Inc. CAPCO KIN 0001215 HILL AMD KNOWLTON. Inc. LOUIS ROBINS; Senior Structural Engineer Department of Building and Safety Los Angeles Opened meeting, prompted by the desire of Los Angeles Building and Safety personnel, some California Department of Public Health officials, and research people from the University of Southern California to informally discuss the situation and to determine if all concerned had the latest information available. The Los Angeles Building and Safety Department and the City Department of Health have been concerned with the reported adverse effect on people of the exposure to the use of asbestos and asbestos spray-on substances, particularly in the field of construction. HECTOR P. BLEJER, M.D., D.I.H. (Degree Industrial Health) Medical Officer State of California Department of Public Health Los Angeles Presented a ten-minute lecture accompanied by slides purportedly to show the disastrous effect to the lungs of workers who are constantly exposed to asbestos. The slides wore 0 3APCO KIN 0001216 HECTOR P. BLEJER - Continued indeed dramatic and enhanced the position of those who would use asbestos-free substitutes in building projects. Dr. Blejer referred to numerous research papers by environmental scientists and their anti-asbestos stands --or what he perceived to be anti-asbestos positions. (Later effectively refuted by Clifford Sheckler of A.I.A./N.A.) Dr. Blejer concluded by indicating that while he felt that exposure to asbestos was not the sole cause of lung cancer, it was a contributing factor.- DR. OSCAR BALCHUM: Dr. Balchum, I felt, gave an unbiased University of Southern California Los Angeles evaluation of the situation and even went so far as to point up that asbestos is a very useful substance, particularly as a fire preventative. He did point out, however, that because it is such an effective fire preventative, its use has also been increased, and with this increased use a proportionate increment in asbestosis has resulted, particularly among asbestos workers. He stated CAPCO KIN 0001217 DR. OSCAR BALCHUM - Continued (and I thought rather emphatically) that it would be at least 10 to IS years before research could prove conclusively that there is a definite correlation between over-exposureto asbestos and asbestosis and mesothelioma cancers. Dr. Belchum pointed out that one problem in specifically ruling that asbestos is harmful is the long period of delay from the initial exposure to asbestos and the time the person becomes diseased. Dr. Belchum concluded that with the greater use of asbestos, its exposure should be controlled so far as is possible. CLIFFORD L. SHECKLER: Chairman National Insulation Manufacturers Association Health and Safety Committee Mr. Sheckler pointed out that asbestos has numerous important applications in our modern industrial society. Through the years it has saved countless lives and billions of dollars in property damage by pre venting or checking the spread-of fires. Asbestos-containing acoustical products make a valuable contribution to noise abatement. -3CAPCO KIN 0001218 CLIFFORD L. SHECKLER - Continued Mr. Sheckler stated that the asbestos industry has recognized for many years that there are occupational health hazards associated with the excessive inhalation of asbestos dust over long periods of time. As a result, the industry has sponsored and cooperated in a wide variety of scientific research projects designed to identify these hazards and to eliminate them wherever they may exist, not only inasbestos mines, mills and manufactur ing plants, but also among fabricators and applicators of finished asbestos products. These efforts have resulted in the development of effective measures and technology for the control of asbestos dust throughout industry. The asbestos industry wholeheartedly supports the adoption of regulations designed to protect spray and other construction employees from 'exposure to potentially hazardous amounts of asbestos or.any other form of dust in their work, and also supports efforts -4CAPCO KIN 0001219 CLIFFORD L. SHECKLER - Continued to reduce or eliminate the nuisance of small amounts of dust being allowed to escape into the community air. However, the industry is opposed to the cancellation of approval of any useful material, including asbestos-containing products, on the unproven supposition that its application or use under the proper operating conditions may present a health hazard to the general public. It has not been demonstrated that asbestos is a public health hazard. There is no evidence, scientific or otherwise, that anyone in the general public has ever contracted any disease from exposure to the minute amounts of asbestos that may be released into the air at construc tion or demolition sites. In 'conclusion, Mr. Sheckler called attention to the approach to this problem taken by the City of San Francisco, which after examining the situation quite carefully, -53APCO KIN 0001220 CLIFFORD L. SHECKLER - Continued elected to impose strict regulations on the use of asbestos-containing spray insulations as opposed to banning the material. Past experience has shown that such controls are possible, economically practical and effective. CLIFFORD FARMER: California Division of Industrial Health and Safety Mr. Farmer urged guidelines in the use of asbestos for the greater protection of workers. He pressed for: 1) Areas where asbestos is being used should be enclosed. 2) Workers exposed to asbestos should be supplied with fresh-air hoods. 3) Areas should be cleaned up after work immediately. 4) Waste asbestos should be stored and eventually destroyed. At this point, four spokesmen for spray-on, asbestos-free products asserted themselves to press for the City's adoption of such products to "eliminate the hazards inherent by the continued use of asbestos." (The comments have been paraphrased. However, they do represent the substance of their remarks.) \t CAPCO KIN 0001221 SPOKESMAN FOR METROPOLITAN SPRAY, NEW YORK: "We're encouraging the use of asbestos-free spray-on products because in many New York construction projects, workers refuse to expose themselves to the hazards of asbestos. There should be more consideration for the asbestos workers." EDWARD FELOSA: Los Angeles Contractor "We find regulations concerning the use of asbestos impractical so far as the policing of areas where asbestos has been used. We would definitely be in favor of asbestosfree spray-ons." VAL DEAL: Los Angeles Contractor "I agree with Ed Felosa that the current regulation regarding immediate clean-up is impractical and that we would support an asbestosfree spray-on." LEONARD MICHAELS: Representative of CAFCO (An asbestos-free spray company) (The most vociferous of the spray-on people, in my opinion.) "We have a product that is asbestos-free; why take a chance on men's lives? Eliminate the danger that asbestos poses. Various cities have already banned asbestos, etc." (In effect, what he was- saying was-to have an \' outright ban of asbestos.) -7- CAPCO KIN 0001222 ..PAUL CAPLAN: Mr. Caplan raised the question of Senior Industrial Hygiene Engineer State of California dust problems with the use of Bureau of Occupational Health and Environmental Epidemiology spray-ons. Until these problems have been overcome "it might be a bit premature to suggest one type of product over another." (It's my opinion that Mr. Caplan was not convinced that spray-on techniques would be the answer.) MR. ROBINS: Appreciated the comments of participants and stated that attendees would be apprised of the City's future action. In talking with Mr. Robins today, April IS, 1971, he indicated that every attendee at the meeting would receive a notice of the City's future action as regards the use of asbestos. ***** CONCLUSION It is my feeling that the meeting, which was initially planned as an informal get-together, became a vehicle for the non-asbestos spray-on people to "make hay while the sun shines." I believe the two medical doctors were sincere and objective in their desire to evaluate the asbestos situation. From the demeanor and attitudes of the officials from both the City and the State, I will be surprised if there is an -8CAPCO KIN 0001223 .outright ban of asbestos products. I will forward to. you any further information that I receive from Mr. Robins. #### -93APCO KIN 0001224