Document ykQmJnzrK7vpwLOz00OJo73e4

Statement delivered by Herbert L. Levies in behalf of the Sprayed Mineral Fiber Manufacturers' Association, P.O. Box 427, Westfield, S.J. 07030, BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF fxE Council of the City of New York, January 27th. 1971. The members of the Sprayed Mineral Fiber Manufacturers ' Association, WHO MAKE ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIALS USED TO FIREPR 0 OF LARGE BUILDINGS, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY. We HOPE THAT THE COMMENTS WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT ASBESTOS WILL MOT PREJUDICE YOUR OPINION AGAINST ASBESTOS. I SAY THIS, BECAUSE IT HAS ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED FREQUENTLY AND FORCEFULLY THAT NEW York City is going to ban the spraying of all materials containing ASBESTOS,, We hope that asbestos will not be convicted without an APPROPRIATE HEARING, AND WITHOUT ADEQUATE CONVINCING SCIENTIFIC PROOF THAI IT IS HARMFUL TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. We find m SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO support a ban on sprayed asbestos. SuPPOSITTIN OR SPECULATION IS INSUFFICIENT REASON TO LEGISLATE A PROVEN PH3DUCT OFF THE MARKET. 3f COURSE, THE HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC IS, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, THE PRIME CONSIDERATION. We APPRECIATE THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE City Couszil and City officials have, but we urge you not to be RUSHED INTO A POSITION THAT HAS NO SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT, AND WHICH MIGHT BE A DISSERVICE TO THE PUBLIC. The situation involving sprayed asbestos has become distorted and emotional. As a result, members of our Association are faced with THE THREAT OF LOSING THEIR RIGHT TO MAKE AND SELL A LEGAL PRODUCT WHOSE VALIE FOR SOCIETY HAS BEEN PROVEN BEYOND QUESTION THROUGH THE CENTURIES* Sew York Zity recently instituted regulations governing the spraying 3F AS BESTS CONTAINING MATERIALS. THESE REGULATIONS ARE BEING FOLLOWED FULLY AND CAREFULLY, AND THEY ARE ACCOMPLISHING THEIR PURPOSE OF KEEPING ASBESTOS DUST FROM ENTERING THE AIR AT CONSTRUCTION SITES. To PROPERLY PROVE THIS, FIELD STUDIES HAVE BEEN MADE IN OUR BEHALF BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES La B CR AT OR Y at Mount Sinai Hospital, which is headed by Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, 9NS OF THE MOST RENOWNED AUTHORITIES IN THE WORLD ON ASBESTOS AND HEALTH. 2ff IS LABORATORY, STUDYING ASBESTOS AIR LEVELS IN THE VICINITY AT SPRAYING OPERATIONS WHERE THE HEW YORK ClTY REGULATIONS HERE BEim CAREFULLY FOLLOWED, WAS UNABLE TO DETECT ANY INCREASE IN ASBESTOS AIR LEVELS IN SURROUNDING AMBIENT AIR. In OTHER WORDS, Sr. SeLIKFFF STATES, ADEQUATE PRECAUTIONS CAN PROVIDE EFFECTIVE CONTROL 2- Our Association recently issued a code of practices for spraying. This com contains provisions nore stringent than txc ciTYrs 3EGULATI&S. Wz HAVE DISTRIBUTED COPIES OF THE CODE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY JBD ARE URGING MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS EVERYWHERE TO ENACT ITS PROVISIONS INTO LAW. HAVE CONE FURTHER IN OUR DESIRE TO HELP HA INTA IN IN New YoRK THE CLEANEST AIR POSSIBLE. Wg HAVE SUGGESTED TO THE NeW YORK ClTT ijILDING COMMISSIONER THAT A SPECIAL INSPECTOR BE EMPLOYED TO CHECK XAILY ONSPRAY FIREPROOFING WORK GOING ON IN THE CITY. THE INSPECTOR 30 ULD ACTSALL Y BE HIRED BY THE BUILDING *S OWNER OR AGENT, BUT WOULD 5 BffSPOJBISLr ONLY TO THE BUILDING COMMISSIONER. ThE INSPECTOR mOULD BEA QUALIFIED PERSON WORKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT, CERTIFIED 25 TING <B INSP ECTION AGENCY APPROVED BY THE ClTY BUILDING DEPARTMENT. AS ALSO mVE RECOMMENDED THAT SPECIAL INSPECTION PROCEDURES BE 3SCLUDED IN THE CITYrS BUILDING CODE. YkE MAIN-QUESTION IS WHETHER AIRBORNE ASBESTOS IS A HEAL TH RISK TO NSE GENEBkL PUBLIC. MaNY SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN STUDYING THIS AND HAVE EXPORTED WINDINGS INDICATING THAT NO SUCH HAZARD EXISTS. Selissff recently wrote: "While there is at present no evidence SH COMMUNITY RISK FROM ASBESTOS FIBRES IN THE AMBIENT AIR, IT IS ONLY mUDENT, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR CONCERN FOR REDUCING GENERAL AIR MLLUTIOX, THAT JOB-GENERATED DUSTS AND FIBRES BE PREVENTED FROM BtlFTING INTO THE COMMUNITY AIR. " 6 HAS NOETHER COMMENTED: "ADHERENCE TO New YORK CiTY's REGULATIONS MR THE A&hICATION OF INSULATING MATERIALS THAT CONTAIN ASBESTOS WILL MEVENT AWBSSTOS DUST FROM ENTERING THE AMBIENT AIR. THESE REGULAT33NS WILL ALSO KEEP ALL OTHER INSULATING DUSTS FROM CONTAMINATING THE CITY'S Alt AND WILL ALLOW THE INSULATING AND FIREPROOFING OF miLDINGS TO PROCEED IN SAFETY." St. Georgw V. Wright of Cleveland, another noted authority who has 2SEN STUDSING ASBESTOS AND HEALTH SINCE 1948, HAS WRITTEN: "THE RISK 3 THE GENERAL PUBLIC POSED BY THE MOSTLY INTERMITTENT EXPOSURE TO TSE LOW CmCENTRATIONS OF ASBESTOS LIKELY TO BE PRESENT IN THE jBBIENT AjB HAS BEEN EXAGGERATED BEYOND THE LIMITS IMPOSED 53% THE BKOWN FACTS. " 2* Theodue Van Dellen, author of a nationally syndicated medical C3LUMN, HJB JUST WRITTEN ONE ON ASBESTOS DUST. He SAID ONLY MINUTE COUNTS OF ASBESTOS DUST ARE INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY AIR POLLUTION AND EM I CAT ED THERE IS -NO HEALTH HAZARD TO THE PUBLIC. XMALE ASmSTOS FIBRES, HE SAID, "TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, XX HARM.V THOUGH PEOPLE MAY THESE BODIES DO -3 I* ADDITION TO SPONSORING STUDIES DURING SPRAYING OPERATIONS, OUR Association also has rad research done inside a building where the PLENUM AREA BETWEEN THE SUSPENDED CEILING AND THE FIREPROOFING' MAStRIAL WAS USED FOR CIRCULATION OF RETURN AIR. THESE PLENUMS, THSEFORE, ARE LINED WITH ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIAL. THIS WORE, DONE BY A LEADING TESTING ORGANIZATION, PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS. The CONCENTRATIONS or ASBESTOS fibres and total PARTICULATE MATTER RAKED FROM 1.2 TO 2.7 FIBRES PER LITER. CONTRAST THESE FIGURES WITH THK THRESHOLD LIMIT TALUS OF 5*000 -- I REPEAT, 5,000 -- FIBRES PER LITER SET BJ THE AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF GOVERNMENTAL INDUSTRIAL Hygienists, this latter limit being for occupational exposure. AlSE^ -OTHER RESEARCH SPONSORED BY THE ASSOCIATION FAILED TO DETECT ANY ASSORT OS FIORES OF RESPIRABLE SIZE IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT OF THE NEW N.J.Femoral Building in Newark, or in the main rotunda of the Trans J.F.ifoBED Airlines terminal at Kennedy Airport, New York, and both of WHTS3 WERE TREATED WITH ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIALS. These is a great amount of scientific literature available on asbestos. Vtt. MTS SUMMARIZED SOME OF IT AND HOPE YOU WILL TAKE TIME TO READ 17*_ Tt IMPORTANT AND PERTINENT. &E WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH FULL COPIES ` PF THE REPORTS AND OTHER MATERIAL FROM WHICH THIS SUMMARY WAS SERI FED . Scientific findings show that airborne asbtstos is not a hazard to THE 3UBLIC. &S HOPE THIS COMMITTEE WILL CONSIDER THESE FINDINGS, AND THE TESTIMONY AT THIS HEARING, AND CONCLUDE THAT BANNING SPRAYED ASBM&OS IS RNNECESSARY AND WOULD NOT SERVE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE whatsoever:' 'We urge you to consider that the city's regulations are BEIJSS FOLLOWED AND THAT OUR INDUSTRY IS HELPING MAINTAIN A CLEAN AIR ENVIRONMENT REGARDING ITS PRODUCT.