Event
The March 1965 meeting of herbicide makers
A meeting Dow called in March 1965 at which it told other makers what it had found about dioxin in herbicides.
- Dates
- Mar 1965
Connections 4
involved
- The Dow Chemical Company called the meeting According to U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Primary record 1
- Hercules Incorporated attended; an internal Hercules memorandum of 12 July 1965 is quoted by the court According to U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Primary record 1
- Diamond Shamrock Chemicals Company attended, then known as Diamond Alkali According to U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Primary record 1
- Monsanto Company invited; did not attend According to U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Primary record 1
Timeline 1 date
- Mar 1965 The March 1965 meeting of herbicide makers
Proof 1 source
-
In re Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation, 597 F. Supp. 740 (E.D.N.Y. 1984), MDL No. 381, decided 25 September 1984, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (Chief Judge Jack B. Weinstein), 25 Sep 1984.
Primary record
Archived copy
Dow shared this information at a meeting it called in March 1965. Representatives of Hooker Chemical, Hercules, and Diamond Shamrock (then known as Diamond Alkali) were present.
By 1965 Dow knew that in cases of continuous exposure, dioxin could be hazardous in amounts as low as 1 ppm, which was at that time the lowest level at which dioxin could be readily detected.
At the meeting, and on a number of subsequent occasions, Dow and other defendants expressed fear that the government, if it learned of the scope of the problem, might intervene in a way disastrous to the entire herbicide industry.
it could be found that defendants had known for some years before Agent Orange production began in 1965 that factory workers exposed to dioxin in concentrations of tens of parts per million could develop chloracne, liver damage and other diseases.
Representatives of Hooker Chemical, Hercules, and Diamond Shamrock (then known as Diamond Alkali) were present.
they [were] fearful of a Congressional investigation and excessively restrictive legislation on manufacture of pesticides which might result.
Plaintiffs' claims against defendants Hooker, Ansul and Occidental were dismissed on the ground that those companies never designed, manufactured or marketed any phenoxy herbicides for use in Southeast Asia.
Dow and Hercules took steps to reduce dioxin content to below 1 ppm, at that time the threshold for dioxin detection, while Monsanto's and Diamond Shamrock's dioxin levels remained significantly higher.
Monsanto was invited, but did not attend.
Page history 1 change
- Add 55 stories, each checked against its sources96e92fe6
Something wrong or missing? Tell us, with a source, or edit this page.