CAMPAIGNERS protesting against controversial plans to build houses on the old Turner Brothers site are opening up their archives to the public.
Members of Save Spodden Valley are reacting following controversial claims that the firm covered up the dangers of asbestos.
The campaigners say the papers reveal company directors and management were aware of the dangers of developing asbestos-related cancer from as early as the 1960s.
Jason Addy, a spokesman for the group, told the Observer that the documents, which date back to the 1890s and form part of the Turner and Newall archives, are a damning indictment of the firm.
He said: "The documents demonstrate a clear understanding of the health and cancer risks from asbestos and the corporate response to this deadly knowledge. They give a damning insight into Turner and Newall’s emerging knowledge, attitude and reaction to cancer and health throughout the 20th century. As the SSV campaign and others state, history should not repeat itself regarding asbestos and the Spodden Valley site."
Some of the documents are taken from the letters pages of the Observer in the 1930s.
Mr Addy added: "The pages of the Rochdale Observer saw several accounts of asbestos worker cancer deaths in the 1930s, including that of TBA worker William Pennington, whose death in 1936 from ‘endothelioma of the pleura’ was later recognised by Turner and Newall as its first mesothelioma death."
Anyone who wishes to view the documents should email savespoddenvalley@hotmail.com
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Facts are facts, not "claims" or "opinions". The importance of ensuring that substantiated facts, from ORIGINAL documents, see the light of day is so that history does not repeat itself on that site.
There is no "turning the heat up". This unfairly suggests the release of the documents is some sort of tactic. There is no agenda. This is clearly a matter of setting the record straight on an issue that could have profound effects for Rochdale if all the facts about this site are not acknowledged.
My promise, to make these facts available, was posted on this website under the Observer article "Cyril: There was no cover up on asbestos".
Here is what I wrote in the comments section on 8 September 2008:
"As I have already publicly stated, I want to ensure the primary source documents and facts are available so that informed debate and decision making can occur that ensures we do not repeat mistakes from history. whoever was, or wasn't, to blame.
The papers that I am currently going through fall into 3 categories:
1. -T&N knowledge of the health and cancer risks, especially low level exposure.
2. -The T&N archived papers relating to Parliamentary matters.
3. -The aftermath of the Television broadcast 'Alice, Fight for Life'
There has been 4 years of very hard work done to raise the issues of asbestos in Rochdale in as responsible, fair and balanced manner as possible. Too much could be at stake for too many people, and future generations in Rochdale for proper, reasoned discussion of complex issues to degenerate into slurs, slanging matches and petty, party political name calling or personal abuse. All current health and safety issues regarding asbestos in general and the Spodden Valley in particular, must NOT be casually dismissed or disregarded."
I also posted the following comment:
"It is important that all the facts are investigated without rumour, innuendo or malice".
The headline about there being no asbestos cover up came within a fortnight of the Rochdale Observer (15th August) reporting on the launch of a book by Dr Tweedale. In the article there was a controversial and unsubstantiated claim:
"However, staff were unaware of the risks of asbestos dust and its effects on health in later life".
That claim by the Rochdale Observer was simply not true. Yet the only right of reply for that article came in the letters page of the Observer.
Also missing from the article was comment from a press release made by our MP Paul Rowen, a man who has worked tirelessly, with politicians off all parties, to ensure the cruel injustices caused by asbestos disease are acknowledged.
Asbestos should never be a petty party political issue.
SSV has never been party political. The issues are far too important for a descent into the gutter with mud slinging and name calling. Victims of asbestos cancer deserve more compassion and respect than.
As promised, I researched the archives and made the documents available to the Rochdale Observer. They were presented without comment. They were made available for all to view and decide for themselves.
I respect the Rochdale Observer's editorial decision not to print or take transribed excerpts from any or all of the documents or to make them available online via this website. I don't agree with it yet I respect it. However I must correct a point made in the article based on the documents I supplied:
Third paragraph: "company directors and management were aware of the dangers of developing asbestos-related cancer from as early as the 1960s".
No, it was not the 1960's. T&N first began to link asbestos exposure with cancer in the 1930's.
Here is a list of the documents I gave to the Rochdale Observer:
1. 1898 HM Factory Inspector's report (excerpt, 2 pages) 2. Commerical Union Letter to TBA dated 23rd March 1932 (4 pages)
3. T&N letter to Factory Inspector, Rochdale Town Hall. 11th March 1957 (2 pages)
4. T&N 'Confidential' memo 15th August 1957
5. James Chapman & Co. solicitors letter to T&N 10th September 1964 (2 pages)
6. T&N archived autopsy notes Re: William Pennington (inc 1936 Rochdale Observer article). (2 pages)
7. T&N letter to Raybestos-Manhattan Inc. dated 27 th October 1961.
8. T&N Memo dated 27th September 1971
9. T&N letter dated 17th September 1962 Re: mesothelioma 10. T&N Board minutes, 25th May 1967: “Asbestos and health- Publicity problems” (4 pages)
11. T&N Board minutes 25th January 1968: “Asbestos and Health - Progress Report” (1 page)
12. T&N Board minutes 25th April 1968: “Asbestos and Health – Progress Report” (1 page)
13. “confidential” staff pamphlet: “Putting the Case for Asbestos”, AIC 1968 (2 pages)
14. Dr Tim Goffe T&N letter dated 11th May 1983
The documents speak for themselves. It is a great pity that Rochdale Observer readers do not have the benefit of being able to view the papers for themselves rather than reading headlines such as "Asbestos firm did all it could".
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