State of the Union Focuses on Key Vinyl Industry Issues
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 25, 2012 – In his State of the Union Address last night, President Barack Obama spoke to a wide range of issues important to the future of vinyl producers in America, a manufacturing sector that has grown by 75 percent over the past 25 years and has spurred thousands of well paying high-tech jobs throughout our country.
“Our industry was encouraged to hear the President speak last night about reining in federal regulations, increasing America’s sources of energy, supporting the expansion of American exports, improving our infrastructure, and lowering taxes on U.S. manufacturers,” said Vinyl Institute President Richard Doyle. “Manufacturers, including vinyl resin producers and their thousands of customers who formulate many useful and lifesaving products, support these principles and are looking to the federal agencies to follow the President’s lead.”
The Vinyl Institute will be watching closely for signs of the President’s commitment as the Environmental Protection Agency announces its final PVC MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) rule next month. The Vinyl Institute found many areas where EPA missed the mark in its proposed rule, and went to great lengths to help the Agency finalize a rule that makes sense, further improving our environment and not overly burdening the vinyl manufacturing value chain.
Noted Doyle, “The Vinyl Institute has provided EPA with comprehensive and current emissions data for the entire industry, giving the EPA a sound foundation upon which to finalize a rule that complies with the Clean Air Act and is achievable by the PVC resin producers.”
Further, vinyl resin producers in the United States currently export 45 percent of the products they produce. This favorable contribution to our nation’s balance of trade is fully consistent with the President’s commitment to significantly expand our nation’s overall exports. The Vinyl Institute supports this approach, and VI members are doing their part to achieve this goal.
The President also spoke of funding major projects to repair America’s crumbling infrastructure, and nowhere is the need more acute than with the deteriorating water infrastructure systems throughout the United States. An estimated 2.6 trillion gallons of treated drinking water are lost every year in the United States due to pipe leaks and line breaks, which translates to approximately $3 billion in lost revenue to utilities yearly.
On this critical issue Doyle added, “Policymakers and planners need to look for the most effective and cost-beneficial solutions for delivering safe drinking water and removing sewage to treatment facilities for future generations. Lifecycle analyses and widespread experience have shown that PVC pipe is the best and most practical solution for addressing our nation’s water infrastructure needs.”
In closing Doyle said, “We call upon the President to ensure that his Administration follows through with an agenda that supports America’s manufacturing base, and helps achieve his commitment to reduce the federal regulatory burden on U.S. manufacturing, thus creating a brighter future for all Americans.”
The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC vinyl in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC and vinyl products to society.
For more information, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
571-970-3327
jpalmer@vinylinfo.org
Also go to: www.vinylnewsservice.net, and www.vinylinfo.org.