S. W. McCallie to J. C. Jackson on the Utah Asbestos-Cement Pipe Cancer Study (1981)

A two-page Johns-Manville internal memo of September 25, 1981, from S. W. McCallie to J. C. Jackson of the "AACPP," commenting paragraph by paragraph on a Utah study of asbestos-cement pipe and cancer that Jackson had sent him on September 8. McCallie proposed wording that would read more favorably: instead of calling the results "nonconclusive," the abstract should say they "provided no consistent evidence that asbestos/cement pipe use was linked to cancer." He wrote that the study's conclusions were "beneficial to the industry," but that it looked "like it was written to please Jim Millette" and contained phrases that, out of context, "would seem to bolster the idea that, all things considered, it would be prudent not to use A/C pipe."

What it shows

McCallie closed: "Rather than have the entire study printed in the AWWA Journal, I would prefer to see a short news article about the study quoting the unequivocal conclusion on page 14." (The AWWA is the American Water Works Association, whose journal reaches water utilities that buy pipe.) The memo went to T. Dougherty of CertainTeed Corporation, another pipe maker, and to J-M's J. P. Leineweber, J. F. Reis and Dr. Paul Kotin. A year later McCallie advised keeping another pipe analysis from citizens opposing asbestos-cement pipe (McCallie on withholding the Crump analysis, 1982).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

S.W. McCallie writes a memorandum to J.C. Jackson on 9/25/81 re Utah A/C pipe cancer study. McCallie reviewed the study on A/C pipe suggesting the study and its conclusions be published in excerpt form. "Rather than have the entire study printed in the AWWA Journal, I would prefer to see a short news article about the study quoting the unequivocal conclusion on page 14."