Document ymRR3przM2KMYpQ4bawjOnyBE

l lo INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM MARCH 8, 1990 FROM: R. M. KINGSBURY - GENERAL MANAGER DEER PARK MANUFACTURING COMPLEX TO: HEAD OFFICE GENERAL MANAGER MANUFACTURING - OIL - R. J. BANDUCCI GENERAL MANAGER HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT PRODUCTS - W. A. CARPENTER, JR. SUBJECT: HOUSTON AIR TOXICS RESEARCH CENTER This is to provide you with an update on the subject. Attached are (1) correspondence from the Texas Chemical Council's Environmental Health Committee Chairman, Jim Woodrick (with Du Pont) which gives the current status of the proposed description of the Center, and (2) a copy of the newspaper article from the March 7, 1990, Houston Chronicle telling of the U. S. Senate's approval of the Center for Houston. DPMC had agreed to join Exxon, Du Pont and Union Carbide in providing up to $10,000 each toward providing "seed money" to help sell the Center. Judging by the Senate's action, it appears the effort is paying off. Shell's support of this Center would appear to be consistent with our recently announced Environmental Policy. I will keep you informed of the progress on this matter. PHF:ikg Attachments cc: Head Office W. F. Butin R. D. Fowler R. R. Kienle C. G. Walls T. R. Williams D. R. Wood ClAU9006702 - 0001.0.0 DPMC T. M. P. H. J. M. Dossey Fischer Sowle LAM 016301 DPMC-13062 Senate OKs W. I't . plan'for toxics center here . .ii i" Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau .' WASHINGTON The. Senate" voted Tuesday to approve creation of .a" National Urban' "Air"-Toxics Research Center in Houston. 'r:," SetC Lloyd M. Bentsen, D-Texas,: had asked the Senate to amend the Clean Air Act to authorize the cen- ter- - a One of the issues in the clean-air. legislation,jbeing debated in the Sen ate,is the degree to which airborne poisonous substances need to be reg ulated. - r,, a . .n r;,*V The center, Bentsen said, would carry out research on human health effects of the toxic pollutants. It would be a joint operation of the federal government and the Univer sity of Texas Health Science Center, with participation from other re search groups at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Bentsen said. "Houston, with its large metropoli tan population and the nation's larg est concentration of petrochemical plants and refiners, is a natural -- ` perhaps'unique area for this re-, search," Bentsen said. j. ;li.' NO. S99 P002/007 E. 1. du Pont de Nemours & Company lNC0O<UT*6 Gulf Coast Regional Manufacturing Services One Kingwood Place Suite 116 Kingwood, TX 77339 (713) 358-1243 To: Dave Goris Ron Kingsbury Larry Wright From: Jim Woodrick^*^ March 2, 1990 Re: National Urban Air Toxics Research Center Attached is the latest thinking from the Houston Chamber group on charter for the Air Toxics Center. Wallt Buchholtz and I (and Dave by long distance) have worked fairly closely with the group to get to this point. This week they took the story to the Texas delegation in Washington, and had a preliminary meeting with some of the CMA folks. It still looks like we are on a productive path - I'm not so sure we'll get anything in the Clean Air Act. Comments and suggestions are solicited. You should each have recently received from Rosie Barrera at the Chamber a nice letter asking for your $10,000. We've stressed to them that that's all we have from this source, so use it wisely. If anything new arises in the near term, I'll contact you. If not, I plan to report status to the TCC Board at El Paso. BETTER THINOS FOR BETTER LIVING LAM 016303 DPMC-13064 Greater Houston Partnership Gitalei Houston Ciwntw ol Convuciw Houston Economic DcvtfOfunenl Council Houston Woild l(,Kk AssocilUon To: Participants In Discussions To Establish A National Urban Air Toxics Research Center From: Rosie Barrera Re: National Urban Air Toxics Research Center Date: Revised, February 23,1990 Enclosed is the third draft of an outline describing the proposed National Urban Air Toxics Research Center. Your comments are included in this draft. It is anticipated that this draft be used in conversations with Members of Congress and their staff, other associations, and other researchers. The following are consensus points reached during our February 14 discussion and the revisions which were suggested at the time that this document was first mailed to all participants. Mission The center would focus on community-based health effects associated with air toxics. The "niche" into which the Center would fall would be Houston's "uniqueness as a laboratory setting" for the Center. In Houston, you have a large, urban population base; ambient air emissions from an extensive petrochemical infrastructure; data from an established monitoring network; company disease incidence studies; and long-established research institutions. The long-term objectives of the Center would be to utilize research findings in developing air quality regulations designed to control and prevent health problems. Rgscacghfacua/Sirfiiighs Given that the private sector is interested in funding research on the human health effects associated with air toxics, the Houston-area's research strength might well focus on epidemiology. Studies can be conducted in other areas, such as biostatistics, toxicology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, and pathology in order to support the epidemiological focus of the research effort. (Group membership needs to be expanded to better develop research focus.) Amhorizaiign/Appropriatioas The optimum vehicle for obtaining authorization for the National Urban Air Toxics Research Center would be authorization through the federal Clean Air Act. Specific authorizing language can be included in the Committee or Conference Report in the appropriations bill for funding EPA The Report can include funding levels, research objectives and other specifications. Funding Levels While ten million dollars/year may well be necessary for ongoing studies after the Center is established, a more realistic amount of $3-4/miliion from the public sector would be used for the first year's planning/start-up effort. IlClOMiljni i'S.i ri..: Houston, lews' .'30.' 713 l.M 1313 lo m yffi LAM 016304 DPMC-13065 12: J4 UUPONT REGIONAL MANUFACTURING NO.693 P004/007 NUATRC Discussion Page Two Public Sector Funding/Sources While funding can be obtained from other federal agencies such as the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the National Institute of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency may be the best vehicle for funds because it may soon have a higher status with the federal government. EPA Administrator Bill Reilly is a firm advocate of such public/pnvate efforts. The Health Effects Institute-Asbestos Research was similarly established and funded. Private-Sector Funding The Greater Houston Partnership will undertake to seek private sector funds to secure the leveraging of the public sector funds. It is anticipated that assistance from the local chemical industry will continue, and be directed to partnering with the chemical industry at the national level. While initial seed money has been committed by the business community, long term funding can only be secured by commitment on a national scale by the Chemical Manufacturers Association or headquarters of chemical companies. Strategy o Revise draft document to incorporate updated consensus o Circulate among group for comments o Seek advice from Congressman Fields/Senator Bentsen, other Delegation members (Include Senators Frank Lautenberg/New Jersey and Pete Wilson/ California if appropriate) o Seek advice from the Chemical Manufacturers Association, other medical researchers o Seek advice from Bill Ruckelshaus on obtaining EPA approval o Seek Environmental Protection Agency approval o Seek Authorization/Appropriations in appropriate chamber /krn cc: Eileen T. Crowley, President and COO, Greater Houston Partnership, Chamber of Commerce Division Dan Hagan, Vice President of Government Relations, Greater Houston Partnership, Chamber of Commerce Division LAM 016305 DPMC-13066 03/05/90 12:35 DUPONT REGIONAL MANUFACTURING NO. 699 P005/007 Fourth Draft Outline For A Proposal For A National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (a federal/private sector partnership for research on air toxics) The National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (Center) would be a federal/private sector partnership for the purpose of conducting air toxics and related research. Based in Houston, the Center would have as its purpose studying the effects of air toxics on human health. The proposed Center would be funded t>y federal grants and by private sector contributions. Purpose of the Center and Scope of Its Research The Center, a non profit corporation, would be a federal/private sector partnership organized and operated to support the conduct of, and to evaluate, research and testing related to potential community health effects from air toxics. The Houston area is a natural, perhaps unique, laboratory for this research. Houston has a large metropolitan population with the nation's largest concentration of petrochemical plants and refineries, over one-half of the United States' petrochemical capacity and nearly a quarter of its petroleum refining capacity. The ambient air emissions from these manufacturing facilities are being, ana for several years have been, measured by the most comprehensive monitoring system in the nation. Additionally, air measurements have been used for the evaluation of employee health in their facilities for years. Finally, the scientific research capability, particularly in the areas of epidemiology and biostatistics, creates all the critical factors to support the kind of long term epidemiological research that is essential for understanding the acute and king-term chronic health impacts of air toxics on a community. Research findings would be of great benefit in developing scientific data on which to base future air quality regulations designed to prevent health problems. Research Capabilities of the Center The Center would contain intramural and extramural components. The intramural component would have a resident scientific program working with the Greater Houston Laboratory. The Center would conduct studies related to epidemiology, biostatistics, toxicology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, pathology, and others. International studies would also be conducted. This component would also include a Literature Review Panel to collect and determine the studies already conducted in this field, as well as indicating future directions for research efforts. The extramural component would include carefully selected specific research projects to advance scientific inquiry in these and related fields. These research projects would include control studies in areas that do not have the population or industrial base found in Houston. LAM 016306 DPMC-13067 03/05/90 12:36 DUPONT REGIONAL MANUFACTURING NO.699 P006/007 Outline Draft Four Page 2 Houston's research components may include the University of Texas School of Public Health (epidemiology,biostatistics, toxicology, environmental/occupational health), the University of Texas Medical School at Houston (pulmonary), Baylor College of Medicine (pulmonary.pathology) the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (mechanisms of environmentaTcarcinogenesis), and Texas A&M University. Other proposed components may include the University of California at Los Angeles and the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Newark/Piscataway, New Jersey. Administrative Structure and Governance The Hou$ton*based Center would be governed by a Board of Directors who would be advised by a Scientific Advisory Panel. The administrative offices and the intramural component of the Center would be based in Houston. Affiliate university support would be located in the other designated metropolitan areas. Board of Directors The Center's Board of Directors would be comprised of representatives of selected governmental, medical and scientific entities; participating universities; and representatives of the private sector. The duties of the Board of Directors would be to secure funding, determine policy and research guidelines, select the members of the Scientific Advisory Panel, issue Requests for Applications and award funding for studies based on advice received from the Scientific Advisory Panel, submit views from sponsors and the public, and issue periodic reports to same. Scientific Advisory Panel Appointed by the Center's Board of Directors, the Scientific Advisory Panel would include eminent representatives from the scientific and medical community. Panel members may include scientists with relevant experience from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Environmental Protection Agency, Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others. The panel would conduct high-level peer review and evaluation of research results. The panel would assist the Board ofDirectors in developing the research agenda, reviewing proposals or applications, and advising on the awarding of research grants. LAM 016307 DPMC-13068 le.* uuruiNi r\ca i uinml. nni'iur ml i ufunu NU. 23 rt^tJ rV^kJ Outline Draft Four Page 3 Funding The proposed Center would be a federal/private sector partnership with both federal and private participation. The first year of operations would need to be funded with an initial federal grant. $10 million/year would allow for ongoing studies. Recognizing that private sector support is important to the creation and long-term success of the research Center, the Greater Houston Partnership, which includes the Greater Houston Chamber cf Commerce, would lead the private sector search for private research contributions in Houston. The chemical industry may be asked to assist in securing private research funds. February 26,1990 LAM 016308 w 0 N $ IN. ft M 'J? c. Ul + k> $ 'iP --o LAM 016300 D P M C 13061.1