Polyurethane | History of Polyurethane | Chemistry of Polyurethane | Polyurethane Affects History | What’s the Controversy?
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Despite Polyurethane’s plethora of uses, it has not completely escaped controversary.
– In 2004, Massachusetts State Representative Michael Connolly introduced a bill to the Massachusetts State Legislature proposing a ban on the use of all polyurethane based materials in public buildings (including the replacement of existing material) in reaction to the Station Nightclub fire in Warwick, RI, which occurred when a pyrotechnics show ignited the nightclub’s flammable sound-proof polyurethane foam.
-The Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry, fearing an industry wide backlash, met with Rep. Connolly and testified before the Massachusetts State Legislature to attest to the numerous beneficial uses of polyurethane building materials. Together they addressed Connolly’s concerns by eastablishing science-based standards for the proper use of acounstic materials in public places as well as a fire safety advisory commitee for the incorporation of flame-retardent material into state building codes.
-As a result of these measures, the bill was dropped.