by Web Editor | Jun 25, 2018 | News
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new federal formaldehyde emissions regulations took effect on June 1st, 2018. As of this date all composite wood products must be certified as compliant with these regulations.The EPA defines composite wood products here as both domestic and imported particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and hardwood (decorative) plywood.
Structural engineered wood products made for construction applications are exempt from this regulation, including structural plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), wood I-joists, laminated veneer lumber, and glued-laminated timber. All of these products are manufactured with low-emitting, moisture-resistant adhesives in accordance with existing product standards and building codes, according to The Engineered Wood Association (APA).
For quick reference, structural engineered wood products marked with the APA Mark of Quality are considered exempt from the new regulations. If unmarked products from APA member mills are sold into applications that do not require a certification mark, the product invoice and an APA certificate of conformance can be used to identify the product as exempt.
The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act was signed by President Barack Obama on July 7th, 2010, based on the Air Toxic Control Measure developed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The first phase of regulation rollout, now in effect, allows for compliance with either the CARB ATCM Phase II or the U.S. EPA TSCA Title VI. Starting March 22nd, 2019, only the U.S. EPA TSCA Title VI will be permitted as a path to compliance.
From Builder: https://www.builderonline.com/building/regulation-policy/structural-engineered-wood-products-exempt-from-new-epa-formaldehyde-regulations_o
by Web Editor | Jun 8, 2018 | News
As of Friday, June 1, it is illegal to manufacture or import composite wood products in the U.S. if they contain excessive amounts of formaldehyde.
An agreement has been reached in the case of Sierra Club v. Pruitt that sets new Formaldehyde Rule “manufactured by” dates for producers and fabricators of composite wood panels to June 1, 2018, for CARB Phase 2 or TSCA Title VI compliant materials, with only TSCA Title VI compliant and labeled products allowable after March 22, 2019.
“CPA and its members are pleased with the terms of the stipulated agreement, which, if accepted by the Court, will ensure that North American composite panel manufacturers and their customers can manage inventories and comply with TSCA Title VI in a timely manner. The settlement represents a remarkable example of cooperation between environmental groups, industry, and the government, which has characterized the efforts on this issue since 2008,” said Jackson Morrill, president of the Composite Panel Association.
“This has been a collaborative effort between Sierra Club, EPA, KCMA and a number of other trade associations,” said Betsy Natz, CEO of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA). “Our collective associations were able to provide EPA and the Sierra Club with critical information on the practical implications of setting a compliance date that would be unworkable to our respective industries.”
The agreement results from a lawsuit between the Louisiana non-profit Sierra Club and the EPA, in which Sierra Club challenged the EPA’s delay of the formaldehyde limits. Many Sierra members are survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Formaldehyde was used to treat wood products in FEMA trailers deployed shortly after the hurricane struck in 2005.
Read more on this from Woodworking Network at https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/formaldehyde-enforcement-begins-now?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news.
by Web Editor | Apr 6, 2018 | News
If you manufacture finished goods that contain particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) or hardwood plywood (HWPW), then you likely have been preparing to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Formaldehyde Emissions Standards for Composite Wood Products rule. If this is the first time you have heard of this Regulation, known also as “TSCA Title VI” after the statutory authority for the regulation, there is still time to prepare for compliance, but time is of the essence. This article provides a general outline of the TSCA Title VI requirements applicable to manufacturers of finished products containing composite wood panels, as well as the key dates for compliance, which have only just been finalized through recent litigation.
TSCA Title VI covers all finished goods and component parts made with particleboard, MDF and HWPW. Fabricators that make component parts using a wood or woody grass veneer (such as bamboo) attached to a composite wood core that is later used in a finished product may also meet the definition for “laminated product” producers, which triggers several additional requirements starting March 22, 2024. TSCA Title VI does include a “de minimis” exemption for finished goods or component parts sold directly to end users if its composite wood content does not exceed 144 square inches on its largest face. This exemption applies only to labeling; products such as small picture frames and others that meet the de minimis definition must still be made with compliant composite wood and comply with recordkeeping requirements.
The central requirement for manufacturers of finished goods is that they use compliant composite wood and that this is documented throughout the supply chain. On March 13, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order altering many TSCA Title VI compliance dates, including those related to sourcing. Fabricators must either begin using TSCA Title VI certified composite wood panels in all component parts and finished goods by June 1, 2018, or be able to prove that the composite wood panels or component parts were manufactured before, or were in inventory prior to, that date. The Court has now also allowed California Air Resources Board Airborne Toxic Control Measure Phase 2 (“CARB 2”) certified composite wood panels to be considered TSCA Title VI compliant until March 22, 2019.
Read more on this from Woodworking Network at https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/quickguide-to-epa-formaldehyde-regulation-what-woodworkers-need-know?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news.
by Web Editor | May 26, 2017 | News
EPA issued a proposed Direct Final Rule, concerning formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products, extending all of the TSCA Title VI compliance deadlines to account for the delays to the originally published effective date. The rule was published in the Federal Register May 24. The new compliance dates are as follows:
• Emissions, recordkeeping and labeling provisions – March 22, 2018
• Import certification – March 22, 2019
• Laminated products – March 22, 2024
The rule also proposes to extend the transitional period for CARB-certified third-party certifiers (TPCs) to March 22, 2019.
This proposed rule will enter into effect within 45 days of publication in the Federal Register if EPA does not receive any adverse comment within 15 days.
“The federal regulation that definitively addresses formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products sold in the United States was first published in the Federal Register on Dec. 12, 2016, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If properly enforced, the regulation can ensure that all products – both domestic and imported composite wood panels and the finished products containing them – meet the world’s most stringent standards for formaldehyde emissions. It also marks the culmination of over 30 years of product stewardship by the composite wood industry, which through voluntary efforts and consistent and progressive work with regulators, has successfully developed products that consistently meet or exceed these tough standards,” said Jackson Morrill, president of the Composite Panel Association.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/epas-final-rule-extends-formaldehyde-compliance-dates?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
by Web Editor | Jan 27, 2017 | News
President Trump issued an Executive Order over the weekend that freezes all recently published EPA regulations for a 60-day review period. This review period delays the initial effective date for the EPA formaldehyde rule, pushing it from February 10 to March 21, 2017, according to the Composite Panel Association.
This change in effective date will only impact the deadline for accrediting bodies and third-party certifiers to register with the EPA. The December 12, 2017 implementation date for all panel producers and fabricators to comply with the regulation’s emissions and other requirements remains unchanged.
Since the formaldehyde rule was published in the Federal Register, it cannot be changed without further action by the Congress through the Congressional Review Act, which is highly unlikely, or through rulemaking by the EPA. At this point, there is no clear indication that EPA will open the docket for further comment or initiate a rulemaking to make changes to the existing regulation.
CPA will continue its advocacy efforts with EPA during this implementation delay to seek changes to the final regulation that address a handful of editorial and/or substantive issues, such as the restriction on labeling TSCA Title VI compliance until December 12, 2017.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/trump-administration-issues-regulatory-freeze-epa-formaldehyde
