As reported in a Congressional hearing in June, the EPA has so far been unable to duplicate the results of carpet toxicity studies done by Anderson Labs of Dedham, Massachusetts (see EBN

Vol. 2, No. 2, “Mouse-Killing Carpets”). For reasons that remain unclear, the EPA used different test procedures that included percolating the exposed... Read more

At a July 28 meeting in Pittsburgh the first steps were taken towards the establishment of an association to represent and coordinate the recycled plastic lumber industry. The Plastic Lumber Trade Association (PLTA) was officially formed with approval of all present at the meeting, though membership... Read more

I read your editorial in the recent issue [July/August ‘93] with great interest, since we too are constantly struggling to provide good information at reasonable cost, yet keep the whole operation afloat financially. It’s not easy.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched IAQ INFO, the Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse. IAQ INFO has specialists who can provide information on a wide range of issues relating to indoor air quality: pollutant sources, health effects, testing, control measures, and relevant standards/guidelines. Along with answering... Read more

The Forest Information Resource System (FORIS), a database on the world’s timber resources, will be released by Tree Talk in November 1993. FORIS is intended to provide wood users with detailed information that will encourage the use of lesser-known and environmentally friendly species. Physical properties of each species, appropriate uses,... Read more

Cellulose insulation has been the darling of the green building movement because of its recycled content, low embodied energy, low-tech processing, and excellent energy conservation performance. But concerns are also raised about health risks for cellulose installers and occupants of cellulose-insulated buildings. In fact, some healthy home... Read more

by Peter Calthorpe. Princeton Architectural Press, 1993. Paperback. 175 pages. $24.95.

Peter Calthorpe’s latest book is a guide for planners and designers of communities. It begins with a series of essays outlining all the problems with neighborhoods and... Read more

The first issue of

EnvironmentalBuilding News was mailed out one year ago to a few hundred subscribers. Six issues later, we have a respectable circulation of well over 1,000. Judging from feedback received, we’re succeeding in what we set out to do: provide useful, unbiased information on how to make buildings... Read more

On May 18 EPA Administrator Carol Browner announced a program to control hazardous waste combustion that may eliminate the burning of hazardous waste in cement kilns. Effective immediately, all new permits now require comprehensive risk assessment, and existing permits will be reviewed over the next 18 months, according to an EPA press release... Read more

Dear Mr. MacArthur,

I thought your article in EBN (Vol. 2, No. 3) on “Water-based Poly­urethanes” was useful and timely. We now routinely recommend a water-based finish for health reasons, especially if it is applied in cold weather when adequate ventilation is difficult. Did you try a product called “... Read more

The Drawing-Room Graphic Services, Ltd., Box 86627, North Vancouver, B.C. V7L 4L2, Canada. $40.66/year in Canada (includes GST), U.S. $46 in the U.S.

Sol Plan Review is the thinking builder’s guide to advanced Canadian home­building. Considering how much governmental support there has been for... Read more

The NAHB’s “Builder of the Year,” Realen Homes of Philadelphia, has hired award-winning architect and landscape architect Leslie Gallery to develop a green plan for the company. Early efforts are focusing on protecting vegetation during sitework, but eventually all aspects of the process are to be addressed.

Independently certified softwood lumber from North American forests is being market-tested for the first time this summer by Home Depot, Inc. White spruce 2x4s will be sold in Arizona and ponderosa pine shelving in southern California, both sporting labels with Collins Pine’s sustainable... Read more

Steve Loken. 1993. Center for Resourceful Building Technology, PO Box 3866, Missoula, MT 59806; 406/549-7678. 56 pages. $12.50 postpaid.