Johns-Manville Environmental Health Task Force Policy Committee Minutes, February 1969 (1969)

Four pages of minutes, issued March 4, 1969, and signed by F. J. Solon, Jr., of the February 18, 1969, meeting of the Policy Committee of J-M's Environmental Health Task Force. Dr. George Wright, J-M's medical consultant, reported on the X-ray study of all J-M employees and stressed the need to measure their lung function; he was to consider what to do "if and when an employee's X-ray shows positive." He also noted that the Industrial Hygiene Foundation, which had done much of J-M's scientific work, "is not too well thought of in the scientific community because of its close association with industry," and urged that J-M's future research be placed where it would be accepted. On caution labels, Solon was to tell the British Asbestos Information Committee "that we will use caution labels on shipments to Canada and U.S. Let the chips fall."

What it shows

The minutes show J-M's senior health group running research, public relations and industry affairs side by side. W. L. VanDerbeek reported that people in the plants "from Manager on down were not taking environmental control seriously," especially the wearing of masks, and a publicity program was planned to "sell" respirators. Solon was asked whether there were other "potentially harmful uses of asbestos fiber like modeling clay, fire bombs, etc." that J-M should stop selling. President C. B. Burnett asked for "one basic positive article" to keep ready, and the committee agreed to find a freelance writer for speeches and articles for Dr. Irving Selikoff. The Quebec Asbestos Mining Association had raised its funding for Dr. Wright's research program to $650,000. The day before, Dr. Wright's subcommittee had heard the first X-ray results from Billerica and Manville (Scientific Relations Subcommittee minutes, February 17, 1969). The label item follows the December decision to label only North American shipments (December 1968 minutes).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Minutes of Environmental Health Task Force, dated 3/4/69, bearing typed signature of F.J. Solon. Numerous asbestos health issues were discussed, including: Item No. 6: Dr. Wright raised question of amount of scientific work done for J-M by "Industrial Hygiene Foundation, which unfortunately is not too well thought of in the scientific community because of its close association with industry. Work by IHF people like Dr. Gross is excellent. Too bad it is not better regarded." Item No. 11: Solon brought up continuing "disquiet expressed by UK asbestos companies with regard to the use of caution labels, even in the States. ACTION: Solon to write Wilfred Howard, secretary of Asbestos Information Committee - UK that we will use caution labels on shipments to Canada and U.S. let the chips fall." Item 12: Van Derbeek expressed feeling that people in plants from Manager on down were not taking environmental control seriously. He specifically mentioned the wearing of masks. He suggested a program be developed to "sell" people on masks and other cautions. PR program to be developed.