Chip Wood
Elwood “Chip” Wood
Chip Wood was the executive vice president of Grace’s Consumer Products Division from 1977 until early 1982. He studied chemical engineering at MIT, and has a master’s degree and an MBA. When he began working for Grace, Wood said getting to the bottom of the tremolite issue was his top priority.
Wood is a key witness for the defense, as they say he was the executive in charge of overhauling the vermiculite production plants at the Libby, Mont. mine. Wood was central in establishing guidelines for curtailing asbestos release at the Montana mine, even in the 1970s when there was no federal regulation.
Wood is an important witness for the defense, which will work to use him to demonstrate that Grace worked with the government to learn more about tremolite, rather than conspiring, as charged, to hide vital information.
On the witness stand, Wood serves as a foil to Robert Locke, the unindicted co-conspirator who proved a problematic witness for the prosecution.
– Josh Benham