H-1746              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1126

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By House Committee on Environmental Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Valle, Ferguson, Rust, Van Luven, Crane, Wineberry, Sprenkle, Kremen, D. Sommers and Wolfe)

Read first time 2/15/89 and referred to Committee on Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to reviewing the combustion toxicity testing of plastic building materials; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that the use of plastic materials in building construction has increased dramatically in recent years.  Plastics are being incorporated into electrical conduit and plumbing piping, wall and floor coverings, tiles, paints, wire insulation, and glues.  Some of these plastic materials may pose unacceptable health risks due to the toxic fumes they emit in the event of a fire.  To ensure that the public health is adequately protected, the legislature intends for the director of fire protection to conduct a review of existing research on the toxicity of plastic materials used in building construction, identify those materials that present an unacceptable health hazard due to factors such as flammability or toxicity, and recommend possible controls to reduce these health hazards.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) The director of fire protection shall conduct a review of existing research on the toxicity and flammability of plastic materials used in building construction.  The review shall include an analysis of:  (a) Testing results from the New York state laboratory; (b) testing results from other laboratories that test the toxicity of plastic materials used in building construction; and (c) testing results from the international conference of building officials.  The review shall be completed by January 1, 1990.

          (2) Based on the review required under subsection (1) of this section, the director of fire protection shall identify those plastic materials used in building construction that present an unacceptable health hazard due to factors such as flammability or toxicity.

          (3) By January 1, 1990, the director of fire protection shall report the results of the review and provide recommendations for possible controls on the use of specific plastic materials that present unacceptable health hazards to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature.