Document EqV058EzNV2p92XNznaKGYqBL

Occidental Chemical Corporation September 17) 1966 Ms. Marlene C. Carter 1939 U. 59th Street Chicago It 60636 Dear Ms. Carter: ft tL C el I V' l D 5p `A o 1986 yjfC' * Re: CHICAGO PLASTIC PIPE ORDINANCE The opponents of plastic pipe focus their arguments around three points: (1) plastic pipe can be perweated by organic soil contaainantSi (2) contaainants froa plastic pipe aanufacture or installation can leach froa the piper and (3) plastic pipe is an unusual hazard in a fire. The Vinyl Institute! an industry organization and division of the Society of the Plastics Industry* has sponsored outside research to obtain factual inforaation regarding these concerns. I would like to share or to introduce these scientific facts to you. PVC is a coabustible aateriali but its coabustibiIity is low when coapared to the bulk of other construction aaterials. Uhen the source of flaae is reaoved froa PVC pipe> it aill not Support coabustion. Its heat value is lower than the wood studs which surround it* and wood studs clearly could spread a fire. Tests at the National Bureau of Standards reflect the views held by aost scientists that there are few* it any* unusually toxic saokes. Host aaterials are roughly equivalent. In the University of Pittsburgh test* PVCj wool* and aany coaaon aaterials are found to be siailarly toxic. Finally) the aain coabustion product of PVC has been found to be less toxic to priaates than the aost coaaon coabustion gas* carbon aonoxide. PVC pipe is safe for drinking water. PVC is non-corrosive and non-conductive. In nOraal soil there is virtually no chance of contaainants peraeating PVC for several decades. In contaainated soil no jointed pipe sy$tea> whether iron> ceaent or plastio is recoaaended for potable water systeas. In head-to-head leaching studies in California) plastic pipe (CPVC) is safer for drinking water than aetal pipe (copper with tin-lead solder). Neither pipe systea poses a problea for introducing carcinogens. All of the these facts are technically sound. They are available because the Vinyl Institute has over the past three years funded Over one ail I ion dollars worth of research to define the strengths (and weaknesses) of PVC. These facts are now being put forward in the technical coaaunity in peer-reviewed journals and professional neetings. They are equally defensible in the political/regulatory arena. In suaaary* PVC is a safe* durable) econoaical> and easy to install product that has proven itself in applications around the world for over a quarter of a century. I urge you to accept the proposed change in the building code. Very truly yours) %mald feedean Manager* Technical Projects PVC Resins l Compounds Divis ion Occidental Cheeical Corporation Chairaan* Diffusion Science Sub-Conwittee The Vinyl Institute PVC Resins and Compounds/PVC Fabricated Products Armand Hammer Boulevard, Box 699, Pottstown. Pennsylvania 19464 215/327-6400 OCC 3342