The Nation - News from Aug. 22, 1985

The use of plastics in building construction “can be a deadly way to save money,” the International Assn. of Fire Fighters said in opening a campaign to warn the public of the dangers of plastics fumes in fires. It charged also that the plastics industry has tried to suppress a film on the role plastics fumes played in such tragedies as the MGM Grand Hotel fire in Las Vegas. A plastics trade group replied that the industry is dedicated to making safe products and noted that natural substances also release toxic fumes while burning. The firefighters urged state legislatures to require tests on all building materials to determine toxicity.