Louisiana Residents Fight Massive Plastic Facility and Associated Pollution
Environmentalists and residents recently forced Formosa Plastics, a plastics supplier described by judges as a “serial offender” against the environment, to suspend the construction of a proposed 2,400 acre petrochemical complex in St. James Parish, Louisiana.
How Does Plastic Cause Air Pollution?
There are many factors that contribute to air pollution: the burning of fossil fuels, the release of chemical pesticides, and now plastic pollution. But how does plastic cause air pollution?
Building Materials Matter: Firefighters Burdened by Facility Infrastructure
The leading cause of occupational deaths for firefighters is cancer, killing two out of three firefighters who die in the line of duty. Plastic fuels much of the toxic smoke that threatens firefighter health.
Top Piping Safety Researcher Urges Awareness & Action on Post-Wildfire Water Contamination
Top Piping Safety Researcher Urges Awareness & Action on Post-Wildfire Water Contamination When wildfires rage through areas with plastic water infrastructure, populations lose access to clean drinking water due to toxic contaminants that leach from the melted pipes. In recent years, wildfires such as the Tubbs Fire (2017) in Santa Rosa and the Camp Fire […]
Plastic’s Environmental Burden Covers Land, Sea, and Sky
Plastic is attacking our environment from all angles. As seen in Houston, the amount of harmful toxins being emitted into the air continues to grow in conjunction with the expanding plastic industry.
Why would Congress add more dangers to firefighting?
A 2019 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) statement highlighted that plastic piping is a dangerous material in construction that causes airborne and waterborne contamination. Additionally, the IAFF notes that gasses released from plastics can cause long-term health risks to workers exposed to these products.
Study: PVC Pipes Emit Dangerous Contaminants in Air, Water, Amplifying Fire Risks
The study urges that the presence of plastic piping (HDPE, PP, PVC) in areas prone to fire risks creates “serious impacts on environment, public health and infrastructure.
Plastic Pipes – A Fire Safety and Cancer Causing Health Risk?
Developers, builders, and code officials need to reduce and restrict the use of plastics installed in buildings before they cause harm to either firefighters or building occupants.