USGBC Releases Draft Report on PVC

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee (TSAC) has released a public comment draft of its long-awaited report on polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Commissioned to determine “the availability and quality of the evidence as a basis for a reasoned decision about the inclusion of a PVC-related credit in the LEED Rating System,” the report’s central finding is that “the available evidence does not support a conclusion that PVC is consistently worse than alternative materials on a life-cycle environmental and health basis.” The report also discusses data gaps and subject areas which, “if information became available, could alter the results of the analysis.” The 120-page, highly technical report includes a six-page executive summary outlining the approach and conclusions.

The controversy surrounding PVC and LEED