USG Launches Formaldehyde-Free and Low-VOC Ceiling Panels

[Guest guest]

I do not know anything about this company, what caught my eye was

the formaldehyde-free title. This would be great (if it is true) for

those of us with MCS.

Sharon C.

USG Launches Formaldehyde-Free and Low-VOC Ceiling Panels That

Perform to the Highest Level of Antimicrobial Protection

Company Also Launches Sustainableceilings.com Web Site and Extends

Its Leadership In Using Innovation to Support Healthier Indoor

Environments

11/15/2006: Press Release from USG Corp.

SocialFunds.com

http://www.socialfunds.com/news/release.cgi/6854.html

(CSRwire) CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2006--USG Corporation

(NYSE: USG) announced today that with its newly reformulated ceiling

panels, it is the first manufacturer to offer formaldehyde-free

ceiling panels and the highest level of antimicrobial protection

available today. These USG enhancements will help customers further

reduce VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions and increase mold

and mildew protection, key strategies in creating healthy,

sustainable environments through improved Indoor Environmental

Quality (IEQ). The company also announced the launch of a new Web

site - www.sustainableceilings.com - to serve as an industry

resource.

" USG offers the widest selection of ceiling panels that outperform

or meet the strictest IEQ guidelines for VOC emissions, including

the most stringent requirement in the market, the California Office

of the Environmental Health Hazard Assessment standard, " said J.

Mark Kemerling, USG's product marketing manager, Ceiling

Panels. " While other manufacturers simply apply additives or surface

treatments, USG uses patented formulations and coatings technology

to increase mold and mildew protection in our ceiling panels. "

Formaldehyde-Free Ceiling Panels an Industry First

More than 25 USG ceiling families now deliver formaldehyde-free or

low-formaldehyde performance, which comes standard on these products

with no additional charge or lead time.

Of those, eight product lines exceed the California Office of the

Environmental Health Hazard Assessment standard. Classified as

formaldehyde-free, these products can help qualify and meet the

intent of several LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design) credits. These panels and the other USG product lines also

meet or exceed the guidelines set by the Collaborative for High-

Performance Schools (CHPS), the State of Washington, OSHA

(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and the GREENGUARD

Environmental Institute.

" As one of the largest surfaces in an indoor space, a ceiling using

no- or low-formaldehyde panels helps create a healthy, sustainable

space and meets the needs of the most demanding building and design

professionals, " said Kemerling.

USG Is the Industry Leader in Mold and Mildew Protection

To further help building professionals in their quest for

sustainable design, the company now offers two distinct levels of

anti-microbial protection. Most of USG's ceilings in the CLIMAPLUS

product line are designed and formulated to stand up to heat

and humidity extremes (conditions that foster mold and mildew

growth) and inhibit the growth of both mold/mildew and odor/stain-

causing bacteria.

For a superior level of protection, USG's new CLIMAPLUS Superior

Performance ceiling panels are the only standard panels on the

market to feature a lifetime-warranted, high-performance

antimicrobial treatment and achieve a no-growth " 10 " rating in ASTM

International mold/mildew testing.

" Assuring a high level of indoor air quality is critical to

achieving sustainability because spaces that deliver comfort and

functionality are likely to meet occupant needs long into the future

without requiring extensive upgrades or renovations, " said

Kemerling. " USG has long supported sustainable building by

emphasizing innovation, from the raw materials and resources we use

to the manufacturing and recycling processes we employ. "

USG Launches Sustainableceilings.com

USG has also launched a new Web site, www.sustainableceilings.com,

to further educate the building community about sustainability. The

easy-to-navigate site includes information on products and issues,

including commentary from industry experts Mike Italiano, CEO of The

Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability, and J.

Kobet, AIA, chair of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED-NC for

Schools initiative and co-author of the LEED for Contractors and

Construction Managers Workshop.

USG's latest sustainability efforts follow the company's launch this

past summer of its Ceiling Panel Recycling Program. USG accepts

panels from the continental U.S. and areas of Canada, where

customers simply need to stack and wrap the panels, then call for

pickup. The company is using the recycled panels to manufacture new

ceiling products. Many of USG's ceiling panels also use recycled

paper and contain mineral wool made of slag, a byproduct of steel

production.

" USG's commitment to health, safety and environmental responsibility

is evident at every stage in the product life cycle chain, " said

Kemerling.

USG Corporation is a Fortune 500 manufacturer and distributor of

high-performance building systems through its United States Gypsum

Company, USG Interiors, Inc. and L & W Supply Corporation

subsidiaries. Headquartered in Chicago, the company serves the

residential and non-residential construction markets, repair and

remodel construction markets, and industrial processes. USG's wall,

ceiling, flooring and roofing products provide leading-edge building

solutions for customers, while L & W Supply center locations

efficiently stock and deliver building materials nationwide. For

additional information, visit the USG Web site at www.usg.com.