WALLCOVERING ASSOCIATION

September 2004

USGBC

■Voluntary Initiative

■Defined set of parameters in guidelines: Where does wallcoverings fit?

Sustainable Sites
Erosion & Sedimentation Control
Site Selection
Urban Redevelopment
Brownfield Redevelopment
Alternative Transportation
Reduced Site Disturbance
Stormwater Management
Reduced Site Disturbance
Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands
Light Pollution Reduction
Water Efficiency
Water Efficient Landscaping
Innovative Wastewater Technologies
Water Use Reduction
Energy & Atmosphere
Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
Minimum Energy Performance
CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment
Optimize Energy Performance
Renewable Energy
Additional Commissioning
Ozone Depletion
Measurement & Verification
Green Power
Materials & Resources
Storage & Collection of Recyclables
Building Reuse
Construction Waste Management
Resource Reuse
Recycled Content
Local/Regional Materials
Rapidly Renewable Materials
Certified Wood
Indoor Environmental Quality
Minimum IAQ Performance
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ) Monitoring
Increase Ventilation Effectiveness
Construction IAQ Management Plan
Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives & Sealants
Low-Emitting Materials, Paints
Low-Emitting Materials, Carpet
Low-Emitting Materials, Composite Wood
Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
Controllability of Systems
Thermal Comfort
Daylight & Views
Innovation & Design Process
Innovation in Design
LEED™ Accredited Professional
Project Totals
Certified 26-32 pts Silver 33-38 pts Gold 39-51 pts Platinum 52-69 pt

■Federal and State Support is strengthening

■Regional Chapters being formed

■Connecting with other existing agencies, networks, organizations

■International network being formed

■Public authority purchasing power guides material selection direction

GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS

  • PVC-related negative credit in the LEED Rating System. The PVC Task group report is anticipated shortly. Alternatives will be provided to the Technical Science Advisory Committee, which will review and forward their recommendations to the Steering Committee. Language regarding PVC use may then be included in future LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ products.
  • Green guidelines for hospitals. Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) is a program developed between EPA and the American Hospital Association. There is an anti-phthalate bias among many of the participants in H2E, which may translate into efforts to have hospitals avoid use of phthalate-plasticized vinyl.
  • California Environmentally Preferred Products list is under development (by USGBC Steering Committee members)

PHTHALATES SCRUTINIZED

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

  • DINP TRI Listing Petition
  • Endocrine Disruption Testing to include phthalates
  • Peroxisome Proliferation Policy direction is unclear
  • Phthalates in Sewage Sludge may lead to more regulations

CHILDREN’S HEALTH STUDIES

  • Children’s Environmental Exposure Research Study – CHEERS to include phthalates
  • NIHstudy on selected chemicals in human pregnancy and fertility to include phthalates.
  • CDC and EPA tracking 100,000 children from birth through age 21 to include effects from phthalates exposures.

CALIFORNIA

  • DEHP was listed under Proposition 65 as causing reproductive toxicity.
  • Indoor Air Quality: DEHP (and phthalates in general) included as examples of indoor organic compounds that can have a variety of health effects, and as examples of endocrine disruptors.
  • Biomonitoring considerations

MASSACHUSETTS

  • Toxic 10 bill: Safer Alternatives for Toxic Chemicals

EUROPEAN UNION

  • REACH
  • SCALE
  • Risk Assessments
  • Toys
  • Cosmetics

UNEP/GEF

  • Reported phthalates as being "persistent",which may provide a basis to add phthalatesto the POPs treaty (Stockholm Convention).

CANADA

  • Domestic Substances List modeled several phthalates, adipates and trimellitates as persistent, bioaccumulative, and inherently toxic.
  • Health Protection Act

REGULATORY STRATEGY CONSIDERATIONS SUMMARY

  • Use and/or rely on science-based advocacy to prevent unwarranted regulation of products
  • Where regulation does occur, insist that the regulation be consistent with the scientific evidence
  • Determine how restrictions in products affect your market
  • Become involved in advocacy programs that are not themselves regulatory, but for which the outcomes may have regulatory implications(VSDN)
  • Establish activities that have interaction with the agencies, submission of comments on proposed regulations or initiatives, and, where warranted, litigation
  • Where products have come under attack by various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), include proactive outreach to agencies responsible for evaluating the safety of products. Encourage agencies to make science-based assessments that provide an authoritative basis for responding to NGO concerns and criticisms
  • Develop environmentally friendly marketing messages based on products energy saving characteristics, cleanable surface, longevity of use, and other characteristics that demonstrate its preferred characteristics as compared to alternatives
  • Develop Internationally recognized Environmental Excellence strategies for manufacturing so your marketing efforts can include proactive environmental language
  • Determine where wallcoverings fits into a green building strategy
  • Determine ways to keep wallcovering from being tied to negative issues by promoting positive issues
  • Develop positive media messages, such as participation with Vinyloop/Teknor Apex to provide post consumer recycling stories
  • Question suppliers on products provided
  • Provide reusable containers or less packaging
  • Reuse or extend the life of the product
  • Provide testing to ensure product meets our needs and is not contaminated
  • Improve the efficiency of chemical or material use
  • Assist with completing environmental, health and safety regulatory paperwork
  • Develop contracts for shared savings from reduction of waste and chemical use
  • Provide ideas for continuous improvement and design of new products
  • Assist in reporting issues associated with product's chemicals to government agencies, especially if they classify wastes from your product as hazardous
  • Ask suppliers about their environmental compliance record
  • Work with suppliers toward developing environmentally friendly product design and life cycle analysis
  • Push to include ISO 14000 company produced materials for a USGBC credit

Environmental Management System Elements

4.2 Environmental Policy

4.3 Planning

4.3.1 Environmental aspects

4.3.2 Legal and other requirements

4.3.3 Objectives and targets

4.3.4 Environmental management program(s)

4.4 Implementation and operation

4.4.1 Structure and responsibility

4.4.2 Training, awareness and competence

4.4.3 Communication

4.4.4 Environmental mgmt. system documentation

4.4.5 Document control

4.4.6 Operational control

4.4.7 Emergency preparedness and response

4.5 Checking and corrective action

4.5.1 Monitoring and measurement

4.5.2 Nonconformance, corrective & preventive action

4.5.3 Records

4.5.4 Environmental management system audit

4.6 Management review

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