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Author Nancy Mears
Environmental Planner
WA State Dept of Ecology
Nmea461@ecy.wa.gov

 
Comment
Regulators and industry may have to accept that there are not necessarily safe doses of many of the chemicals that are produced. The USGBC needs to enact STRONG policies and standards in order to continue to promote LEED as a rigorous measurement of green building, or otherwise risk losing credibility. There is sufficient evidence that demonstrates PVC is dangerous to human health and the environment through its lifecycle of production, use, and disposal. We should not have to wait for a crisis, such as what has occurred with asbestos, to take appropriate actions.

While I agree with the conclusion that more study needs to be done on the alternative materials, we know enough about PVC to at least not reward its use. PVC is not an acceptable green building material.
Supportive Citations
Update on the Environmental Health Impacts of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) as a Building Material, Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., 2004
Environmental Impacts of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Building Materials, by
Joe Thornton, Ph.D., 2002
Taking Back our Stolen Future - Greenpeace April 1996