New York bans plastic pipe

Governor George Pataki recently signed legislation that will prevent plastic pipe from being used in buildings larger than two units and in all commercial construction in the state of New York. The legislation, which essentially extends current codes which restrict the use of plastic pipe, was signed after heavy lobbying by labor unions. In signing the bill, Pataki reportedly ignored the advice of the state’s Fire Prevention and Building Code Council, which urged the state to adopt a variant of the plastics-friendly International Plumbing Code.