New formaldehyde rules begin, will match California's requirements
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WASHINGTON - As of March 22, only third-party certified panels that meet the stringent TSCA Title VI Formaldehyde Emissions Standards may be sold in the U.S.
 
The standards are nearly identical to those set forward by the California Air Resources Board. They require any seller, supplier, offeror, manufacturer or importer of composite wood products to undergo third-party certification before sale in the U.S. Composite wood product manufacturers also are required to establish and maintain a quality-control program to ensure compliance with the standards. Companies must also provide third-party certifiers with the program's quality control manager's contact information.
 
All composite wood products made in the U.S. or imported in are required to be labeled with the producer's name, lot number, an EPA-recognized third-party certification number, and a compliance statement. 
 
"Today marks an important day for U.S. consumers, as only products made with composite panels that have been third-party certified as meeting the EPA’s TSCA Title VI requirements for formaldehyde emissions may be imported and sold in the U.S," said Composite Panel Association President Jackson Morrill. "This outcome, which CPA’s North American panel producing members have actively supported for years, marks a major milestone and ensures all U.S. consumers benefit from what is widely considered the most stringent formaldehyde emissions standard in the world today. 
 
"North American panel producing members have taken it a step further, with a commitment under the voluntary Eco-Certified Composites (ECC) program to comply with U.S. emissions regulations 100% of the time for 100% of production, even if manufacturing occurs in a country where these regulations do not apply," Morrill continued.
 

 

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Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].