Better living through (green) chemistry

fn vou'ne LIKE ME. the title of this collumn brings back memories of nerdy high school science films extolling the modern marvels of convenience, value and progress, made possible by the chemical industry. It was a huge post-war economic engine that expandcd its reach into nearly every product category and helped fuel the rise of the American suburb.

There are now about 80.000 chemicals on the market, but only a few hundred have been tested for human or ecological safety. One unintended consequence is that many of these chemicals have reached into our ecosystems, including the very top of our food chain-us.

"Body burden" is the term toxicologists use to describe the toxic load an individual might be canying at a given moment: several hundred substances. some of which will accumulate, others that will be metabolized and excreted. Pregnant mothers pass these substances to their children.

One of the common pathways for exposure to toxic chemicals is through inhaling airborne pollutants. Most people have heard by now that indoor air can be far worse than outdoor air, and that the rise of asthma, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases could be caused by long-term, low-level exposures to the chemicals that surround us in daily life. And, of course, we spend most of our time indoors.

The LEED rating systems aim to drastically reduce potential exposures to building occupants by limiting the use of emitting materials in the first place and promoting active measures for improving indoor air quality. I always recommend stocking products that contribute to LEED credits, especially low-emitting, less-toxic products that appeal to the green builders in your area. Products like formaldehyde-free plywood and cabinets, formaldehyde-

Top 10 Green Products of 2009

BuildingGreen's 2009 Top 10 Green Building Products: o Pozzotive Plus CMUs & concrete brick from Kingston Block

. Thermafiber mineral wool insulation

. Invelope integrated wall insulation & rainscreen system

Rheem HP-50 heat-pump water heater

I Convia energy-management infrastructure o Pentadyne GTX flywheel energy storage

Silva Cell subsurface tree protection & stormwater system

Mobile solar power generator

Baltix recycled- & biobased-content office furniture

. Project FROG modular green classroom free insulation, zero-VOC adhesives, zero-VOC paints and coatings-the list of less-toxic alternatives is long. But the list of emitting products that would not meet LEED's requirements for indoor air quality is much longer.

I invite you now to get up (after reading the article first, ofcourse!) and follow your nose around your store. Pick up a few products and pronounce their ingredients. Investigate the paints, strippers, cleaners, pest killers, weed killers, and plywood you stock. What is the quality of this air that you and your staff breathe everyday? There's a very good chance that some nasty neurotoxins, carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors are floating around in the mix. More importantly, the people who might be exposed to off-gassing chemicals are probably the people you most care about. Swapping out the high-emitting products in your inventory. in favor of those with zero or dramatically fewer toxic emissions, contributes to a healthier workplace with fewer liability issues.

In the long run, there are large-scale initiatives underway that will eventually lead to safer alternatives through greener chemistry. The Toxic Substances Control Act, the current federal chemical oversight regime, will likely be strengthened, giving the EPA more power to eliminate toxics and require manufacturers to prove health and safety before bringing new formulations to market. In California, the Green Chemical Initiative is undertaking a range of activities designed to make rapid progress eliminating toxics and stimulating growth of greener alternatives. However, the positive effects of these efforts won't be felt for years.

In the meantime, the motivated dealer can learn more about body burden, LEED and indoor air quality from dozens of informative online resources-start Googling! Scientific Certification Systems, GreenGuard and GreenSeal publish lists of their certified products. There are other green product databases out there. too.

The consequences of choosing wisely could be felt immediately, leaving those you care most about breathing a little easier

Jay Tompt Managing Partner Wm. Verde & Associates

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A Dec. 7 fire at Weaber Inc.'S sawmill in S. Annville Township, Pa., was caused by a malfunction in a sawdusVwood waste conveyor belt system.

Bradco Supply, Avenel, N.J., purchaseO Garlson Distributors, Rockford, ll., provider of roofing, siding, windows and doors to northern lllinois/southern Wisconsin since 1947.

Tom Healy will head up the facility, with Andrea Wisniewski and the rest of the Carlson staff staying on to work for Bradco.

Georgia-Pacific is mothballing several panel mills in the Southeast.

G-P indefinitely idled its plywood facility in Louisville, Ms.; is shutting down its OSB mill in Grenada, Ms., for six months, and is permanently closing its plywood plant in Fordyce, Ar. About one third of Fordyce's 340 workers could transfer to help launch a plywood line at G-P's Crossett, Ar., plant.

Lancaster Distributing parent Merit Group, Spartanburg, S.C., has agreed to buy painUhardware distributor Five Star Prodlcts, ra6t'Hanover, N.J., from National Patent Development Corp. for 930 mittion.

Five Star operates two DCs in the Northeast; Lancaster has seven DCs in the Americas.

Stella-JoneS has agreed to acquire Tangent Rail Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa., which operates crosstie treating plants in Warrior, Al.; Terre Haute and Winslow, In.; Alexandria, La., and McAlisterville, Pa., and creosote distilleries in Terre Haute and Memphis, Tn.

The deal is set to close at the end of 1st quarter 2010.

Universal Forest Products' Eastern Division is now exclusive national dishibutor of concrete curing blankets, load transfer, and surface protection products from McTech Group, Loganville, Ga.

Snavely Forest Products is now stocking Georgia-Picific's Broadspan l-joist, LVL and Rim Board engineered wood products.

Armstrong Flooring Products' Somerset, Ky., engineered hardwood manufacturing plant received Forest Stewardship Cou nci I chainof-custody certifi cation.

Nordecor, Brainerd, Mn., was granted FSC chain-ofcustody certification.

CertainTeed's Decoustics Quadrillo, Solo and Solo M ceiling products have been FSC certified by the Rainforest Al I iairbe's SmartWood program.

GreenFiber, Charlotte, N.C., had its entire product line of natural fiber blow-in insulation certified Ov Scientific Gertification Systems.

Overhead Door Corp. completed its acquisiton of Wayne-Dalton's door business.

C.R, Mayer & Co., Birmingham, Al., has changed its name to May'er Door.

Virginia's Roper Brothers Folds

Seven-unit, 100-year-old pro dealer Roper Brothers Lumber, Petersburg, Va., closed its doors Dec. l l and filed for Chapter I I bankruptcy protection.

Operations include Roper Lumber yards in Fredericksburg, Petersburg, and Williamsburg; a millwork division in Petersburg; Roper Design Center, Richmond; Valley Lumber, Winchester, and 60-year-old Taylor Brothers Lumber, Lynchburg.

New Owner GetsCelotex Fiberboard Plants Humming Again

W.R. Meadows, Hampshire, Il., has completed the acquisiton of the assets of bankrupt Knight-Celotex and formed a new division, Blue Ridge Fiberboard, to resume manufacture of Celotex-branded fiberboard products.

The firm expected to restart the Celotex plant in Danville, Va., in December and add a second facility in Lisbon Falls. Me.

Blue Ridge's Celotex line will include Structodek roof insulation board, SoundStop fiberboard panels, SturdyBrace structural wall sheathing, and VersaKor allpurpose fiberboard.

Penn Arson Suspect Arrested

A suspect has been arrested in the April 2009 fire in a storage shed at Plassche Lumber, Palmyra, Pa.

Kenneth Larock, 18, was arrested and charged with arson in connection with the fire. According to state police, Larock set the fire that destroyed the 100'xl0' shed and the building materials inside.

Ensure thrt your lumber manufacturer has rsds a commltrnent to dre future of s'*r for$ts thfough the Sustalnabh Forest Inltiatlve llrnklns, Inc. ls proud to have SFl certlffcetlon on lts tlmberg boarde dlrnenslon lumber, and rpecialty prductsall In Southern Yellow Plne.

GenTite