Johns-Manville Policy Statement on Sales of Asbestos Fiber Worldwide (1976)

A short printed "Johns-Manville Policy Statement on Sales of Asbestos Fiber Worldwide," undated but written about 1976, when J-M projected producing 720,000 tons of chrysotile at the Jeffrey Mine and 80,000 tons at the Advocate mine. It describes J-M as Canada's largest producer of chrysotile and the largest single consumer of asbestos in the U.S. and Canada, quotes the company's policy to "discontinue a particular operation rather than knowingly endanger the health or life expectancy of a single employee," and sets out a four-point sales policy.

What it shows

J-M says it will keep selling fiber worldwide, "recognizing that we cannot ask our customers to accept liability properly belonging to J-M for health problems resulting from the responsible use of our asbestos fiber." It promises to keep educating customers on safe use, reserves "the right to refuse to sell asbestos fiber to customers who fail to meet applicable governmental regulations" and so "expose J-M to unwarranted liability," and commits to research on safer forms of fiber such as blocks and pellets and better packaging. The statement ties the company's health policy for fiber customers to its own exposure to lawsuits.