Nearly 4 years after the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the date for the implementation of its final rule which updates the country’s formaldehyde emissions standards under Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
As of February 10, 2017, all composite wood and composite wood-based products, including finished goods such as cabinets, must begin the process of meeting new requirements that will provide the market with safer products.
The EPA’s new rule requires all composite wood product manufacturers to demonstrate their compliance through third-party certification and labels that inform consumers that their products meet TSCA Title VI requirements. The new rule also requires suppliers to adopt the on-site quality control tests to demonstrate its compliance with low formaldehyde emissions standards.
Since 2009, when early evidence that the resins traditionally used to bind engineered wood continue to off-gas after production, Timber Products has worked to meet consumer needs in a healthy, sustainable way. Our architectural plywood panels, for example, began using alternative adhesives that met requirements by emitting only .05 ppm (or less) of formaldehyde. We were one of the first U.S. hardwood plywood manufacturers to have its entire product line certified under the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Phase II requirements, upon which the EPA modeled its new rule. Today, all the hardwood plywood and particle board manufactured in our facilities meet and exceed CARB requirements.
Suppliers of these regulated composite wood products must comply with the EPA’s new rule by December 12, 2017, and with a strong track record of CARB compliance, Timber Products Company is on schedule to not only meet these stringent regulations, but to also help facilitate a smooth transition with our partners. Timber Products Company looks forward to continuing to be a leader in adapting its products to meet and exceed wood products environmental standards.
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