[greenyes] Fwd: urgent: US Green Building Council gives credit for PVC!

[Alexis Petru <alexis_petru@no.address>]

This is an urgent call for support of a very crucial issue.  The US Green Building Council is voting next week (2/18) whether to include PVC in its LEED green building standards.  Even if you know nothing about green building, you know that PVC is bad stuff and it should NOT be included in any ?certified green building.?  If industry wins this one, they will forever be able to call PVC a ?green building material? and discredit our efforts to get it off the market.
 

Please consider sending the letter below (even an email).

 

Thanks so much,

Alexis Petru

 


-----Original Message-----
From: Pfbogart@no.address [mailto:Pfbogart@no.address] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 1:51 PM
Subject: US Green Building Council PVC letter

 

Hi All,

Attached (and pasted below) you will find the sample letter to the U.S. Green Building Council Technical Science Advisory Committee.  Please include a specific statement about your individual organization's interest as noted in the attached letter and e-mail it to tsac@no.address as well as nhoward@no.address Of course, feel free to personalize the letter in any other way you see fit. The TSAC has also requested paper copies.  If you cc me (pfbogart@no.address) I will print your letter and hand deliver them all  to the TSAC on the 18th.

Finally, if you would like more information on this issue, including a copy of HBN's detailed comments to the USGBC, please visit our website www.healthybuilding.net. You can also access a copy of a sample letter for members of the green building community.  Information from the USGBC can be found at www.usgbc.org

Thanks again for your interest and quick response on this.  Please feel free to forward this request and sample letter to any other individuals or organizations you think may wish to weigh in on this critical decision.    
Best,
Paul




Nigel Howard, Vice President
U. S. Green Building Council
1015 18th St. NW, Suite 805
Washington, DC 20036 

Date 

Dear Mr. Howard and TSAC Member,
I am writing in response to the US Green Building Council's Solicitation for PVC Stakeholders inviting comment on the proposed methodology for evaluating a PVC related credit within the LEED Rating System. 

[Describe why your group is a stakeholder in this process, i.e. describe your work as it relates to PVC, POPs or PBT elimination] 

It is our understanding that presently the US Green Building Council's building rating system known as LEED does not encourage the avoidance of materials such as PVC that generate environmental releases of persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). We request that the proposed methodology for evaluating a PVC-related credit specifically give significant weight to the use and release of these uniquely dangerous chemicals during production, use, and disposal of PVC and its alternatives. No less than four PBTs are directly associated with PVC manufacturing, use and disposal: cadmium, lead, mercury, and dioxins & furans, which are also classified as POPs. 

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, signed by the Bush Administration- along with officials from 90 other countries in May 2001, commits signatories "to reduce the total releases [POPs] with the goal of their continuing minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination." The US Green Building Council's Standards should follow this US and international directive. 

Our organization supports the recommendations which the Healthy Building Network has made in its extensive comments. Please keep us informed of the Council's actions on this issue, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions or require further information. 

Sincerely,






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