|
Go
Back to Previous Page
PRESS RELEASE: Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association
07-09-2010 |
 PRESS RELEASE: Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association July 8, 2010
Contact: Kip Howlett, khowlett@hpva.org
The US Congress has approved legislation (S1660) which President Obama signed into law that limits the allowable emissions of formaldehyde from specific composite wood products, hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium-density fiberboard sold in the United States. The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Woods Products Act amends the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act by requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement formaldehyde emission standards originally established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) by 2013.
The new federal law restricts formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products sold, supplied, or manufactured in the U.S., including those imported from foreign countries.
"HPVA commends the federal government for taking steps to minimize formaldehyde exposure, by creating a federal standard that applies uniformly to hardwood plywood no matter where it is manufactured. With imported Chinese hardwood plywood having a 62% share of imported decorative panels that have about a 60% overall share of the North American market, this levels the playing field,” commented Kip Howlett, President of the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association.
Although the regulations put the national emissions standards in place as early as July of 2011 and 2012, the EPA has an additional two and a half years – until January 2013 – to promulgate regulations to implement the standards and retailers will be allowed to “sell-through” their inventory beyond that date. Other sources of formaldehyde other than its use in building products are not addressed by the legislation.
There is a labeling option in the federal legislation for indicating “no-added formaldehyde-base binder,” and over half of the hardwood plywood manufactured in North America uses these types of resin systems and about 60% of the North American produced hardwood plywood is exempt from the lowest emission standards of the panel products regulated by this new federal law.
# # #
1825 Michael Faraday Drive, Reston VA 20190 703-435-2900
|
|
|
|
|
