NewslineVolume IV, Issue 17 - August 1, 2003The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
In This Issue: Congressman Isakson in DaltonJohnny Isakson, U.S. Congressman from the 6th District of Georgia, was in Dalton on Tuesday, July 29, to meet with civic and business leaders. In January of this year, Congressman Isakson formally announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in the 2004 election, a race to determine a successor to Senator Zell Miller who will be stepping down from that position. The Congressman conducted a meet and greet during the morning, spoke at the Dalton Rotary Club at the invitation of CRI, and met with local carpet executives during the afternoon. He was the Guest of Honor at an evening reception sponsored by CRI and other business leaders and individuals. During the reception, he spoke to the attendees about the upcoming election and his vision for the future of the State of Georgia and the Nation. The Congressman served the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate and was first elected to the U.S. House in 1999 during a special election. He was then re-elected in 2000 and 2002. He currently serves on the Transportation Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee. He is one of nine members of the House of Representatives to be selected to draft legislation for No Child Left Behind. Contact John Miller at 706.428.2109. Acoustical Benefits of Carpet Recognized in The Wall Street JournalThe Wednesday, July 30, 2003, edition of The Wall Street Journal features an article on page B1 entitled "School Districts Spend to Ensure Good Acoustics," by Alex Frangos. According to Frangos, carpeted floors in classrooms limits background noise and reverberation, while carpet in hallways reduces "foot noise." The article also states that more architects and designers are worrying about how classrooms should sound. CRI is mentioned on page B4 (column 4, paragraph 3) of the article. "The Carpet and Rug Institute, an industry trade group, puts acoustics at the top of the list in promoting its products to schools." Contact CRI's Senior Communications Director for Health Sciences, Steve Phillips, Ph.D., at 706.428.2115. Visit our website for more information about carpet and sound. REACH Comments SubmittedThe July 15 deadline for submitting comments to the European Commission with respect to the proposed European Chemical Initiative, REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals), has passed. CRI made its comments through the U.S. Government effort. Many more comments than anticipated were received by the Commission. The comments are now under review and consideration. It is expected that a revised version of the proposal will be prepared sometime in late fall of this year. It is not clear at this stage if further comments will be received by the Commission. The Commission is also now considering how it plans to administer the program at such time as it is implemented. Contact John Miller at 706.428.2109. Legislative Success in ConnecticutConnecticut House Bill 6426, "An Act Concerning Indoor Air Quality in Schools," was passed nearly unanimously in the Connecticut House (147-1) and Senate (35-1). The legislation was signed by Governor Rowland earlier this month. This past spring Jennifer Mendez of CRI met with bill sponsors and offered CRI's support for the legislation. She will follow up with letters of congratulations to bill sponsors and offer our continued support and access to the technical expertise CRI has regarding IAQ as the legislation is implemented. Contact Jennifer Mendez at 703.875.0634. Clinical Study of Floor Covering EffectsFirst stages are underway in setting up a clinical study to examine the clinical response of asthma patients over hard and soft floor coverings seeded with particulate matter (PM). The working title for the study is "Effects of Residential Floor Covering on Airborne Fine Particulate Matter (PM) and Airways Inflammation in Healthy and Asthmatic Young Adults." Participating institutions will include Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Centers for Disease Control. This is a coordinated effort between CRI Government Affairs and Issues Communication, Emory, and our Washington lobbying group, Dutko. Contact Steve Phillips at 706.428.2115. Commercial Caucus Participation SoughtCRI's Commercial Caucus met on Thursday, July 24. Incoming chairman, Steve Bradfield of Shaw Industries, emphasized the need to address the barriers to profitability and growth in the commercial sector. The group's mission statement is: to identify, review, prioritize, and evaluate relevant issues affecting the commercial carpet marketplace; discuss and communicate commercial industry consensus through the CRI at-large; and implement appropriate actions to promote the growth of commercial carpet floor covering in concert with other CRI committees. CRI is looking for interested member company representatives willing to contribute to the work of this committee. The ideal person to serve on the Commercial Caucus is a sales/marketing-oriented person with an understanding of technical issues. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 3, 1:30-3:30 p.m., at CRI. Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428.2123. Last Call for Special Edition "Green" NewsWe are still trying to put together a Special Edition of Newsline to recognize all CRI members for their efforts in promoting environmentally friendly products. If your company has received an award or recognition for your "Green" efforts, please send us the information. We would like to salute you and share the news with all our readers. Contact Sally Fortenberry at 706.428.2108. CRI Meetings* CRI Executive Committee, August 21, 9:00 a.m., CRI Boardroom CRI Participation in Upcoming Events* National Recycling Coalition Annual Congress & Exposition, September
14-17, Baltimore, Maryland If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Louise Dobbs at 706.428.2104. p>Check our website calendar for other industry related events |
 |
|
|