Dr. Paul Kotin to J. M. Fletcher on Tying Health Controls to Profits (1976)

A short confidential memo of April 1, 1976, from Dr. Paul Kotin to J. M. Fletcher. Kotin wrote: "I am frustrated and puzzled by J-M's operating philosophy which relates environmental control development to a division's profit-and-loss statements. I am particularly distressed that systems to safeguard employee health and safety are not implemented until an operation is shown to be profitable." He said he understood the pressure Fletcher was under to produce profits and offered to meet with him and "Moke" Harris to discuss appropriating "sufficient funds to correct environment hazards."

What it shows

The memo records J-M's senior health officer objecting, in writing, that spending on dust and safety controls waited on a division's profits. It was later used as a trial exhibit (stamped "Exhibit 12").

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

Confidential memorandum from Kotin to J.M. Fletcher regarding talc operations, dated 4/1/76. "I am frustrated and puzzled by J-M's operating philosophy which relates environmental control development to a division's profit and loss statements. I am particularly distressed that systems to safeguard employee health and safety are not implemented until an operation is shown to be profitable. I fully realize the pressure that you are under to produce profits for the corporation. I am more than willing to meet with you and Moke Harris to discuss the necessity for creating sufficient funds to correct environment [sic] hazards."