WARNING: This site deals only with the corporate corruption of science, and makes no inference about the motives or activities of individuals involved.
    There are many reasons why individuals become embroiled in corporate corruption activities - from political zealotry to over-enthusiastic activism; from gullibility to greed.
    Please read the OVERVIEW carefully, and make up your own mind.

Billing's association, the National Forest Products Association , seems to have been caught up in this war through its historical role in setting standards for the wooden evaporative air-cooling towers (using water flowing over wooden slats) used in many of the older buildings. These systems were found to harbor the bacteria which caused Legionairre's disease — a fact that the tobacco industry exploited by promoting a scare-campaign about " sick building syndrome ".

Another reason for the NFPA's interest in indoor air quality (IAQ) was that many manufactured wood products, such as particle-board and plywood, give off poisonous formaldehyde, which was probably second only to tobacco smoke as a serious indoor air pollutant.

The National Forest Products Association had a Washington-based lobby operation which was run by John Showalter.
  Billing's office, however, was at St Charles, Illinois.

1992 /E: Billing was one of 13 voting members of the ASHRAE Standard 62 Committee — looking at the "Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality" . It was to review the old standard known as SSPC62 or Standard 62-89 (done routinely every five years)

    The NFPA set the construction and maintenance standards for water-evaporative air-conditioning towers used on many office buildings (the ones blamed for Legionairre's Disease), and had other related interests in IAQ.

1992 Feb 6: An analysis of the membership of the SSPC92 committee done for Philip Morris by another committee member, Ed Fickes , credits Billing with special status within this group as a "Member with building code experience."

    His association is listed as one "associated with the production of materials, HVAC equipment and systems, and IAQ measurement and control systems or devices.

1993 /E: RJ Reynolds file on each member of the SSPC92 committee lists Billing as having no RJR contacts, and comments "Peter assisted Gene Tucker [of the EPA] as secretary in the first meeting of the SSPC62 committee, seems reaon[able]. "
    They also have question-marks beside the "Smoking Position" entry, so they are not sure whether he is pro- or anti-smoking. Since anti-smokers on the committee were generally outspoken, this would have suggested to the tobacco industry that he was, perhaps, persuadable.

1993 Jan 26: ASHRAE SSPC 62 conference in Anaheim, California
    Peter Billing is listed as the representative of the National Forest Products Association.

1994 Jan 23: ASHRAE New Orleans meeting: File note by Mayada Logue - Philip Morris' in-house IAQ standards expert)

"Letter to ASHRAE President: Letter was sent to Paul Crammer, President, BCIA, Building Council of America. [actually Paul Cammer of Building Council on Indoor Air , a sham organisation run by the Tobacco Institute] He sent a copy to all the members. Simon Turner, chairman of the technical committee received a copy.

    The plan is for Peter Billings, member of SSPC-62-89, to distribute to other committee members or Simon Turner would introduce it as an observor. I instructed him not to do that — discuss with Ted and RJR role of consultant and who is in charge to make decisions on the run at ASHRAE meetings"