by Web Editor | Aug 1, 2016 | News
The Environmental Protection Agency rolled out a formaldehyde emission standard, working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in setting the rules that are mandated by Congress.
The EPA moved to reduce exposure to formaldehyde vapors from laminate panel and engineered wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States. The agency worked with the California Air Resources Board to make its final national rule consistent with California requirements for composite wood products.
One year after the rule is published, composite wood products that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, manufactured, or imported in the United States will need to be labeled as TSCA Title VI compliant. These products include: hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard as well as household and other finished goods containing these products.
The action was triggered in large part by discovering that Lumber Liquidators’ flooring supply from China has been labeled CARB compliant though it was not. Lumber Liquidators has since settled with CARB and the Consumer Products Safety Commission over its liability for the matter. The new rule requires other sellers of laminate panel to meet the CARB standards for formaldehyde exposure.
EPA says the new rule will level the playing field for domestic laminate flooring manufacturers who have a high rate of compliance with the California standard and will ensure that imported products not subject to California’s requirements will meet the new standard and thus, not contain dangerous formaldehyde vapors.”
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/epa-issues-final-formaldehyde-exposure-rule-guided-carb
by Web Editor | Mar 28, 2016 | News
Hardwood flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators Inc. has paid the California Air Resources Board (CARB) $2.5 million to settle claims that the company sold composite wood products that exceeded California formaldehyde limits, and failed to take reasonable precautions to ensure those products met such limits.
Additionally, Lumber Liquidators has developed and agreed to implement, a “Fabricator Laminate Evaluation and Audit Program” and a “Composite Core Testing Research Program,” requiring the company to conduct regular audits of existing and new suppliers and to randomly test composite core samples in accordance with CARB’s standard operating procedure for preparing finished goods for testing.
This is CARB’s first documented enforcement action on this regulation, and it may be a sign that CARB will begin to ensure compliance more aggressively.
“The California Air Resources Board adopted the ATCM to protect the public from toxic exposures to formaldehyde from composite wood products, and we are enforcing this regulation,” CARB Enforcement Division Chief Todd Sax said. “Companies need to understand we expect compliance with our rules, and we will hold those accountable who do not comply.”
Lumber Liquidators pleaded guilty to both felony and misdemeanor charges back in October 2015. The company paid more than $13 million in fines and restitution earlier this year.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/lumber-liquidators-pays-25-million-settle-california-clean-air-claims?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news
by Web Editor | Mar 27, 2015 | News
From: Panel World Staff
In response to the CBS 60 Minutes news story on formaldehyde emissions that aired March 1, Composite Panel Association developed a new information resource that provides the North American marketplace assurance that CPA-certified composite panels, and products made with those panels, do indeed comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation.
To help protect U.S. consumers and eliminate confusion in the North American marketplace, CPA is working with the Federal Wood Industries Coalition (FWIC) to encourage the U.S. EPA to finalize their national regulation on emissions from composite panels that is now almost three years past the statutory deadline. It is important that EPA finalizes its regulation so that finished goods made with composite panels, made domestically or internationally, are regulated nationwide, CPA states.
In addition, CPA continues to work closely with CARB to ensure harmonization between California regulation, currently being amended, and EPA’s new regulation. CPA’s newest resource titled, “A Message from CPA About Formaldehyde Emissions,” is intended to provide customers, distributors, retailers and end-users of CPA-certified panels the confidence that panels labeled as compliant meet or exceed the CARB regulation.
The paper states that CPA has served as a TPC (third party certifier) and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and by ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) (formerly ACLASS) as a certification and inspection body. It also operates a state-of-the-art testing facility also accredited by ANAB, with yearly assessments.
Read more on this story in the May 2015 issue of Panel World…
