Pharos Helps EPA with Insulation Study
by Tom Lent
The Signal: News and notes from the Pharos Team
Pharos is partnering with the EPA to insure that the insulation used in federal stimulus funded home weatherization programs is healthy and low in environmental impact. In a special project with EPA Region 9 and StopWaste, Pharos is surveying cellulose, fiberglass and cotton products to understand the current state of the industry on a variety of key parameters set by the EPA, including recycled content, indoor air quality, including application of the new residential emissions standards, and toxic content. Manufacturers interested in participating in the program are submitting information to Pharos which the EPA will use to evaluate products and modify standards.
Recent improvements in products are starting to show up in Pharos listings. For example, UltraTouch cotton insulation is now being made with 100% post-consumer recycled cotton. Watch for more news of the evolving state of blanket insulation as this project progresses.
Tom Lent, Policy Director, is responsible for defining HBN's guiding philosophy and policies with regard to building materials. Tom was a founding coordinator of the Green Guide for Health Care, sits on the steering committee of the LEED Application Guide for Health Care of the US Green Building Council, and is an advisor to Kaiser Permanente. Tom is currently overseeing the development of the Pharos rating criteria and data entry, working closely with the Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies at the University of Tennessee.
The Pharos Project, a project of the Healthy Building Network, connects you to a network of building professionals and manufacturers committed to transparency as a core value on the path to sustainability. Pharos is not a certification or label, it is information: the critical health and environmental data about the manufacture, use, and end of life of building materials specified and used every day. All delivered in an easy to use web based tool. For more information go to www.pharosproject.net www.healthybuilding.net.
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