D. M. Kelleher to R. H. Mereness Sending Dr. Paul Kotin's Letter on J-M's Asbestos-Health Position (1978)

A one-page letter of February 27, 1978, from D. M. Kelleher, merchandising manager for asbestos fiber at Johns-Manville Sales Corporation, to R. H. Mereness of the Asbestos Information Association, sending a three-page letter that Dr. Paul Kotin, J-M's senior vice president for health, safety and environment, wrote on December 29, 1977, to a European customer (the name is blank on this copy). Kelleher said the letter stated J-M's position "regarding the Asbestos and Health issue very well" and that Mereness could send it to the Association's members if it was reproduced in its entirety.

What it shows

Kotin answered five questions about asbestos disease. He wrote that "Unless asbestosis is also present in a worker, we do not accept lung cancer as having any occupational cause," and that the 2 fibers per cc standard protected against asbestosis. He also wrote "it is my belief that chrysotile asbestos can cause mesothelioma," and that he was satisfied 2 f/cc protected against cancer, adding: "In all candor, I must emphasize that this is a minority opinion." He guessed that the U.S. standard might be lowered to 1 f/cc. The letter shows the position J-M offered to the industry's trade association for wider use.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

T.M. Kelleher (Merchandising Manager, J-M) letter to R.H. Mereness, 2/27/78, enclosing Dr. Paul Kotin's letter of 12/29/77 to one of J-M's customers in Europe stating J-M's position regarding the asbestos-health issue. Kelleher states that Mereness may distribute the enclosed to the members of the AIA if he so chooses.

About this copy

This is document 681 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-002376 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-002379.