Dr. Paul Kotin to H. D. S. Hardie of Turner & Newall on Crocidolite and Mesothelioma (1977)

A one-page letter of May 27, 1977, from Dr. Paul Kotin, Johns-Manville's senior vice president for health, safety and environment, to H. D. S. Hardie of Turner & Newall Limited in Manchester, England, answering Hardie's letter of April 28. Kotin applauded Professor Acheson's efforts to learn the actual exposures of Selikoff's New York insulation workers, but was "somewhat dismayed" that Acheson blamed their excess mesothelioma "exclusively to crocidolite exposure." Kotin wrote: "My present conviction is that all forms of asbestos are capable of causing mesothelioma."

What it shows

As a member of the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board, Kotin offered to ask about the U.S. Navy insulation specifications Hardie wanted, which bore on what fiber the insulators had used. The letter shows J-M's top health officer telling a British asbestos maker in 1977 that he did not accept that crocidolite alone explained mesothelioma among American insulators. Copies went to R. H. Mereness and John H. Marsh, among others.

In Johns-Manville's index

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

Dr. Paul Kotin letter to H.D.S. Hardie (Turner & Newall, Limited, Manchester, England), 5/27/77. Dr. Kotin is responding to Hardie's letter of April 28 in which Hardie mentioned Dr. Acheson's study of mesothelioma among asbestos workers. (Dr. Acheson attributed the excessive incidence of mesothelioma exclusively to crocidolite exposure.) Dr. Kotin applauds Dr. Acheson's efforts "to obtain the facts regarding the actual exposure experience of Selikoff's population of New York insulation workers," but believes that a difference may exist between the disease causing capabilities of crocidolite and chrysotile. Dr. Kotin believes that all forms of asbestos are capable of causing mesothelioma. Dr. Kotin concludes by stating that he will make "inquiries as to the availability of the information you seek with respect to the specifications used by the U.S. Navy."

About this copy

This is document 870 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-004577 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004577.