WASHINGTON, DC, November 6, 2006 (VNS) – The recent protests at Target stores for selling products made of vinyl (PVC) reflect the protesters’ political and ideological agenda, not genuine health or environmental concerns, according to Greenpeace co-founder and longtime leader Patrick Moore.

Moore’s comments are cited by Tim Burns, president of the Vinyl Institute, in a letter appearing today in a leading Washington suburban paper that had reported on a protest at a local Target store.

“The untruthful claims and street theater of protesters are meant to intimidate consumers and retailers,” Burns writes. “Target and other retailers should be applauded for putting their customers’ needs above the bullying of people with an ideological agenda.”

Burns notes that vinyl products sold by Target and other stores across the country are perfectly safe for their intended use, according to all the relevant government agencies, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration, as well as numerous scientific studies.

“They have been tested and used for decades with no evidence of harm to anyone. Their numerous benefits range from affordability, convenience and reliability to improving health care and the environment.” In short, Burns concludes, “the protesters are wrong.”

His letter appears in today’s Montgomery County Gazette. ENDS 110106