permaculture

[John Schinnerer <eco_living@yahoo.com>]

Aloha,

>...popular misconceptions abound. One of the most
> common in Pc circles is that the most common and deadly pollution in
> an urban/suberban lot will be from the street, when frequently if
> there's lead present in dangerous levels, it's coming from 
> housepaint.

...or old plumbing with lead content in pipes, or lead content in
solder for copper plumbing.

> see attached forward of interest

Couple comments...
                    
>   Two new compounds will be, at least for the time being... 
>   The most   common is ACQ   Amine Copper Quat   
>   which will still utilize copper as its primary ingredient. 
>...
>   The second, copper-azole, has been used in Europe and Japan for
>   some time but is fairly new in the United States.

They don't even mention boric treated lumber, unfortunately.  It's the
lowest risk option, probably in related hazards (creation and disposal
of treatment compounds, worker health, etc.) as well as direct use.  It
is being sold by some major lumber sellers in some parts of the country
(world?), HPM Building Supply in Hawai'i for example.  One can also buy
boric treatment solution and apply it oneself as a surface treatment.

There's also older techniques such as charring and saltwater soaking.

>   What about the CCA-treated stuff I already have?
>                    
>   The EPA has stated repeatedly that CCA-treated wood "does not
>   pose any unreasonable risk to the public or the environment". As
>   such, the EPA is not recommending that you do anything with
>   currently existing structures made with pressure-treated lumber
>   containing CCA.  

Meanwhile, some recent research done by UNC-Asheville (reference
available in GreenClips archive) has indicated that arsenic is present
and available on the surfaces of CCA lumber for up to 20 years, a.k.a.
the typical useful life of the product.  (Doh.  If it works that long,
the poison must be present that long.)

>   For more information, check with your lumber dealer or visit the
>   EPA Web site at www.epa.gov.   

Or do some independent research, since the EPA is more often than not
an industry lap dog.


=====
John Schinnerer, MA
-------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Cultural & Ecological Designing
Food - Water - Shelter - Community - Technology
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net

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