Document x55RbRyoaNmVOddRk3MGD5og1

* " Asuastos Information Association/'North America 22 East CivSt'Ml New Yc--. N. V. 10016 ^ .To July 24/ 1973 Nr. Jcr.n H. Stender Assistant. Secretary of Labor Occupatio nal Safety and Health Administration C.S. Department of Labor 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, M.W. v:a3hir.stsr.f 3.C. 20210 Dear Mr. Stenders In recent months it has become common knowledge throughout the asbestos manufacturing industry in the United States/ which the Asbestos Information Association/North America represents# that the Occupational Safety,, and Health Administration is planning to undertake a complete review of the occupational health standards on asbestos promulgated by 08HA in June of 19T2. When the current standards were first published# certain doctors and representatives of organized labor unjustifiably attacked the standards voraciously in the press as being totally insufficient to protect the health of workers in the asbestos industry. The main target of these assaults# which hstve continued down to the present day# was the so-called "two fiber standard* scheduled to go into effect in July of 1979, it was claimed either that this standard should go into effect immediately# or in two years# but certainly not in four. More recently it has been claimed that even two fibers is too high a level to protect industry workmen. With the upcoming review of the 08IA ssbestos regulations# these efforts to discredit the two fiber standard have intensified ' for. obvious reasons. The most serious Assault to date was delivered by Dr. Irving J. felikoff of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Mew York# at the American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference in Soston on May 21* Zn his presentation# a transcript of which la attached# Dr. Sellkoff claimed that new researeh in Crest Britain proved that the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOMS) reooameaded asbestos standard of two fibers per ce# upon which the Ohitod States standard is largely based# was no longer adequate as a safe exposure level. Because of tho seriousness of this allegation, Dr. Balikoff's oommanta wars brought to tho attention of those doctors in Orest Britain whose research was being interpreted by Or. felikoff in this wanner. On July 12, a letter from Or. I. C. Lewinsohn and Dr. S. Holmaa was sent to Dr. Selikoff pointing out serious errors in his interpretation of their research data. Ms refer you specifically to the second paragraph of the letter, a copy of which is attached, in which it is stated thati *Ne are also very displeased at the manner In which you have used the information we provided in order to launch what appears to us to be a political campaign in tha 0.8.A. aimed at discrediting our Bygiene Standard for asbestos, we cannot accept the implication that the HCL (B.C. Lewinsohn) publication allows doubt to be cast on the validity of the BOSS Standard and are of the opinion that sueh a conclusion is unwarranted.* we bring this matter to your attention for the very important reason that the Department of Labor, specifically the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is charged with the duty under the law of protecting American workman from occupational disease, and that in order to discharge this duty properly and without bias, all facts relevant to a particular situation must be examined. Since a number of OSKA personnel attended the AXHA meeting at which Dr. Selikoff made his now discredited allegations, we felt that it was Imperative that OSHA be inanadiataiy inferred of tha true stats of affairs with regard to this situation so that Or. Selikoff's comments could be evaluated in their proper light. Me request, therefore, that the letter of Drs. Lewinsohn and Holros be distributsf within OSKA to all those individuals who attended the AIHA conference or whose duties Involve dealing with the oecupatior.il health aspects ef escestos, especially to Mr. Cerard Scannell and Mr. John O'Neill, with whom we have wor'<-d in the past r- this problem. are takina the liberty of enclosing two additional* copias of cha Salikoff-Lawinaohr. papers for these two gentlemen. Very truly yours. Sv.-etcr.ic txecutiva Secretary Enclosures