CenterforHealth,Environment&Justice(CHEJ) CenterforEnvironmentalHealth CitizensEnvironmentalCoalition CleanNewYork CSEAOccupationalSafety&HealthDepartment EmpireStateConsumerProject,Inc.

EnvironmentalJusticeActionGroupofWNY GrassrootsEnvironmentalEducation GreatNeckBreastCancerCoalition HealthyBuildingNetwork HuntingtonBreastCancerActionCoalition,Inc LearningDisabilitiesAssociationofNewYorkState MajoraCarterGroupLLC MaketheRoadNY MothersontheMove NaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil(NRDC) NewYorkCommitteeforOccupationalSafetyandHealth(NYCOSH) NewYorkLawyersforthePublicInterest(NYLPI) NewYorkPublicInterestResearchGroup(NYPIRG) NYSUT SierraClubAtlanticChapter UnitedFederationofTeachers(UFT) WEACTforEnvironmentalJustice(WEACT)
MarlaSimpson,Director Mayor'sOfficeofContractServices 253Broadway,9thFloor NewYork,NY10007 May9,2011 DearMs.Simpson: WearefollowinguponameetingandpriorcorrespondencewithMariaOsorio,SeniorEnvironmental Analyst,concerningrulesrequiredunderLocalLaw120of2005.Weunderstandthatyourofficeisnow developingrulesrequiredunderthelocallawtoreducethepurchaseofproductsthatformdioxinupon combustion. TomeettheintentofLocalLaw120,itiscriticallyimportantfortheMayorsOfficeofContract ServicestoincludePVCfreepurchasinggoalsandprovisions.Locallaw120of2005states,ByJanuary 1,2008,thedirectorshallpromulgaterulestoreducethecityspurchaseorleaseofmaterialswhose combustionmayleadtotheformationofdioxinordioxinlikecompounds.

Whenitsentirelifecycleisconsidered,polyvinylchloride(PVCorvinyl)appearstobeassociatedwith moredioxinformationthananyothersingleproduct.NYCagenciespurchaseandusemanyproducts madeoutofPVC.Thisincludesofficesuppliessuchas3ringbinders,paperclips,computers,laptops, notebooks,reportcovers,sheetprotectors,andotherproducts.Thisalsoincludesbuildingmaterials suchascarpeting,flooring,furniture,windows,doors,roofing,playgroundequipment,andsiding. PVCisamajordioxinsource.Dioxinsareformedduringnumerousstagesofthevinyllifecycle. FormationofdioxinsinthePVClifecyclehasbeendocumentedin:Productionofchlorine;Synthesisof thefeedstocksethylenedichloride(EDC)andvinylchloridemonomer(VCM);Hazardouswastesfrom PVCproduction;Incinerationofvinylproducts;BurningofPVCproductsinaccidentalbuildingand vehiclefires;andAccidentallandfillfires.PVCisthepredominantchlorinedonorandthereforeamajor andpreventablecauseofdioxinformationinmostoftheleadingdioxinsourcesthathavebeen identifiedbytheEPA. ReducingthecityspurchaseofPVCwillalsoenabletheCitytoimplementLocalLaw534Awhich statestheCityshoulddeveloppurchasingrulesandstandardstoreducetheuseofhazardous substances,persistentbioaccumulativetoxicchemicals(PBTs),andpromoteproductsthatimprove indoorairquality.PVCproductscontainandaremadefromhazardoussubstancesandpersistent, bioaccumulativeandtoxicchemicals,andcontributetoindoorairqualityproblemsinbuildings. NumeroushazardoussubstancesandPBTchemicalsreleasedbythePVClifecycleareonEPAspriority list(identifiedinthelegislation)suchasdioxin,lead,andmercury.Otherknownhazardoussubstances usedtomanufacturePVCincludechlorinegas,vinylchloride,andethylenedichloride.PVCproducts containunnecessaryhazardoussubstancesthatareharmfultoourhealth.CommonhazardousPVC additivesincludelead,cadmium,phthalates,andorganotins. Safer,costeffectivealternativestoPVCproductsarereadilyavailableforNYCagenciestopurchase. Forexample,vinylflooringcanbereplacedbylinoleumandvinylroofingbythermoplasticpolyolefin (TPO).ResearchersatTuftsUniversityfoundthatvinylflooringmaybecheaperupfrontthanother alternatives,butoverthelifeofaproduct,PVCcostsmoreduetotheincreasedcleaningcostsneeded tomaintaintheflooring.Theseresearchersfoundthatalternativesprovidingequalorbetter performanceareavailableforalmosteveryuseofPVC;somearecostcompetitive,whileotherscost slightlymorethanvinyl. ThepublichealthrisksposedbyPVCsadditivesanditshazardouslifecyclehavebeenrecognizedbya growingnumberofinstitutionsandcompanies.Majorcorporationsintheelectronicsindustryare phasingoutPVCinfavorofreadilyavailablesaferandcosteffectivealternatives.Hospitalsand healthcareprovidershavepledgedtoreduceorphaseoutPVCand/orDEHP.Severalgovernmental bodiesaroundtheU.S.andworldhaveenactedpoliciestoreducethepurchaseofproductslikePVC. TheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncilsLEEDprogramprovidesincentivestoavoidbuildingmaterialssuchas PVCthatreleasePBTsandcontainphthalates. TheNewYorkStateInteragencyCommitteeonProcurementrecentlyvotedtoapproveaguidance policyrequiringallNYSagenciestoconsideravoiding85chemicalsofconcerninproductspurchasedby thestate.TheChemicalsofConcernlistincludesdioxin,vinylchloride,ethylenedichloride,and phthalates,allhazardoussubstancesuniquelyassociatedwithPVCproducts.Toimplementthislist,the staterecentlydevelopedPVCfreepurchasingspecificationsforcarpetingcontracts.Wehopeyouwill exploreopportunitiestopartnerwithNYSonstatePVCfreecontracts,asthiswillalsohelpNYC

implementSection6304oftheNYCadministrativecodetopartnerwithothergovernmentsongreen purchasing. Insummary,werequestthattheMayorsOfficeofContractServicesincludepolyvinylchloride(PVC) freepurchasinggoalsandprovisionsintherulestoimplementLocalLaw120of2005.Whenitsentire lifecycleisconsidered,PVCappearstobeassociatedwithmoredioxinformationthananyothersingle product. Werespectfullyrequestanopportunitytomeetwithyoutodiscussthisfurther.Toschedulea meeting,pleasecontactMikeSchadeatCHEJ:mike@chej.org/212.964.3680Thankyouforyour considerationofthisimportantmatter. Sincerely, MikeSchade,PVCCampaignCoordinator StephenBoese,ExecutiveDirector LoisGibbs,ExecutiveDirector LearningDisabilitiesAssociationofNewYork CenterforHealth,Environment&Justice(CHEJ) State AnsjeMiller,PolicyDirector MajoraCarter,President/CEO CenterforEnvironmentalHealth MajoraCarterGroupLLC BarbaraWarren,ExecutiveDirector JavierHValdes,DeputyDirector Citizens'EnvironmentalCoalition MaketheRoadNY KathleenA.Curtis,LPN,PolicyDirector WandaSalaman,ExecutiveDirector MothersontheMove CleanNewYork AlHuang,EnvironmentalJusticeAttorney JanetFoley,Director CSEAOccupationalSafety&HealthDepartment NaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil(NRDC) JudyBraiman JoelShufro,ExecutiveDirector EmpireStateConsumerProject,Inc. NewYorkCommitteeforOccupationalSafety andHealth(NYCOSH) JudithAnderson,ExecutiveDirector EnvironmentalJusticeActionGroupofWNY DawnPhilip,StaffAttorney NewYorkLawyersforthePublicInterest PattiWood,ExecutiveDirector (NYLPI) GrassrootsEnvironmentalEducation LauraHaight,SeniorEnvironmentalAssociate LauraWeinberg,President NewYorkPublicInterestResearchGroup GreatNeckBreastCancerCoalition (NYPIRG) TomLent,PolicyDirector WendyHord,HealthandSafetySpecialist HealthyBuildingNetwork NYSUT RogerDowns,ConservationProgramManager KarenMiller SierraClubAtlanticChapter HuntingtonBreastCancerActionCoalition,Inc

PeggyShepard,ExecutiveDirector ChrisProctor,Director,Safety&Health WEACTforEnvironmentalJustice(WEACT) Department UnitedFederationofTeachers CC:MariaOsorio,SeniorEnvironmentalAnalyst,NYCMayorsOfficeofContractServices CharlesAyes,AssociateDirectorforConstructionReview,NYCMayorsOfficeofContractServices ChristianE.Stover,AssistantGeneralCounsel,NYCMayorsOfficeofContractServices CouncilmemberJamesGennaro,NYCCouncilCommitteeonEnvironmentalProtection Enclosure:CHEJLettertoMayorsOfficeofContractServicesdatedJanuary212011