Houston, Texas USA-22 July 2005—Petroleum Institute, the Society of Toxicology and the Health Effects Institute announced the Speakers Program for the International Symposium on the "Evaluation of Butadiene and Chloroprene Health Risks". The 2 1/2 day symposium will take place at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, USA on 20-22 September 2005.

“We have more than 40 scientific presentations on the health effects of butadiene and chloroprene,” said James L. McGraw, Managing Director and CEO. McGraw, who is the Symposium Coordinator, noted the US EPA and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST, located in Japan) are also co-sponsoring the international event. The Program has been organized under the leadership of Dr. Mathew Himmelstein of DuPont’s Haskell Laboratory who is the Symposium Chair. Co-chairing the event is Dr. Robert Baan of the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Go to www.iisrp.com/symposium for the detailed speakers program and list of abstracts.

The IISRP is an international not-for-profit association with 40 corporate members domiciled in 20 countries who produce 90 percent of the world’s supply of synthetic rubber. Incorporated in 1960 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the Institute supports regional offices in London and Tokyo.