J. W. Rannenberg of Electric Boat on a Conference with Johns-Manville About the West Milton Insulation Job (1953)

A two-page memorandum of March 4, 1953, from J. W. Rannenberg of Electric Boat to Mr. Barber, recording a conference at Groton that day with Walker, Zeisenis and Spear of Johns-Manville on the site facilities J-M needed for an insulation job at West Milton. Electric Boat was to supply power, shop and storage space, tables and trash removal, while J-M would keep its work area clean and "handle dust control on tools and in the work area," with Electric Boat providing an air exhaust. The memo records: "Mr. Zeisenis stated that J-M insulation dust is not toxic and has no inherent explosive characteristic beyond that of ordinary dust."

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Memorandum from J.W. Rannenberg (Electric Boat) to Barber, 3/4/53, entitled "Conference re Facilities required by Johns-Manville for West Milton Installation Job." These are notes of a meeting on that date attended by Walker, Zeisenis and Spear of J-M. States that "J-M will handle dust control on tools and in work area. . . . Mr. Zeisenis stated that J-M insulation dust is not toxic. . . ."