Recently, Spectrum Glass in Woodinville announced that it will be closing its doors, largely because of the aggressive actions taken by the EPA and their anticipated increased restrictions in manufacture. Uroboros Glass and Bullseye Glass, both based in Portland, OR are undergoing similar pressures, as are other art glass manufacturers in the USA. The EPA is not basing these pressures on science, but on kneejerk assumptions. The EPA has yet to produce data showing a correlation between pollutants and manufacture.
The art glass world isn’t very big, and manufacturers are a small family. This industry of just six manufacturers is facing $2.5-$3.5 million of capital investment due to regulatory changes with no advance warning. It is too much for some of them to bear. The industry is willing to meet new regulations but needs time to do so. Spectrum Glass has decided to fold.
I would urge you to take the time to read the press release by Spectrum Glass. It very painfully details the difficult decision they have made, based on the continued depressed economy and the increasingly oppressive EPA. I have attached the link. Similar press releases can be found from Bullseye Glass, Uroboros Glass, Youghiogheny Glass, Kokomo Glass and others. These manufacturers supply thousands of other businesses and craftspeople who depend on their unique glass styles to complete their work. They are now at risk of being put out of work themselves.The very suppliers who have created the iconic glass of the American stained glass legacy are at risk. Lost jobs, foreclosed homes, the downward spiral continues. The USA, the premier manufacturer of art glass in the world, will be out of production and China will continue to make mediocre glass in squalid conditions. http://spectrumglass.com/5-11-16PressRelease.pdf
Many manufacturers have a large body and loud voice. The glass world whispers. No glass artist is asking for anyone to close their eyes to a real problem. The American art glass industry is about to shatter.
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