The Sun Journal’s Dec. 9 article, “Plastic, dioxin dangers cited,” carried no facts or comment from the vinyl industry. If you had contacted us for more balance, we would have pointed out that vinyl products, from blood bags and medical tubing to PVC pipe, have been used safely for decades, vinyl products currently account for only about 1 percent of municipal and construction wastes, and projected future vinyl waste volumes will be manageable through recycling and environmentally protective disposal.

Furthermore, vinyl can’t be a major source of dioxin because EPA figures show dioxin emissions in this country have fallen dramatically since the 1970s. During this time, vinyl production has soared.

Tim Burns, Vinyl Institute,

Arlington, Va.