CARB Helps the US Composite Wood Products Industry

In March 2018, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) published two articles to help the composite wood products industry understand the similarities and differences between CARB’s Airborne Toxic Control Measures (ATCM) and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Formaldehyde regulations.

The two documents are:
• Status of US EPA Formaldehyde Regulation and CARB Regulation
• Comparison of Key requirements of CARB and US EPA Regulations to Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products

While the EPA’s formaldehyde emissions standards are based upon CARB’s ATCM, there are some differences:
• EPA regulations require record keeping for three years (CARB requires two)
• EPA requires panels (or bundles of panels) and finished goods (or boxes containing finished goods) to be labeled as complying with TSCA Title VI, CARB Phase 2, or both, until March 22, 2019. After this date – TSCA Title VI only. CARB regulations require labeling as CARB Phase 2
• EPA requires method, such as color-coded edge marking, to identify supplier of each compliant panel and finished good
• CARB requires finished goods to be labeled as containing Phase 2 compliant composite wood materials. EPA exempts finished goods with a surface area of less than 144 square inches, based on the surface area of the largest face
• Fabricators of wood veneer laminated products must comply with requirements for hardwood plywood (HWPW) panel manufacturers after March 22, 2024, under EPA regulations
• EPA requires import certification through the US Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment from March 22, 2019. No such requirement under CARB

The CARB documents state that, where there is a difference between the CARB regulations and EPA regulations, California will accept the more stringent set of requirements.

Stakeholders should be aware that both Californian and Federal law have provisions relating to, among other things, formaldehyde emission standards for:
• Hardwood plywood-composite core (HWPW-CC)
• Hardwood plywood-veneer core (HWPW-VC)
• Particleboards (PBs) and medium-density fiberboards (MDFs)
• Economic operators (panel manufacturers, fabricators, distributors, importers and retailers)
• Third-party certification programs
• Incentives for products manufactured from ultra-low emitting formaldehyde resins (ULEF) and no added-formaldehyde-based resins (NAF)
• Product labeling
• Third-party Certifiers (TPCs)

Stakeholders are now advised to check their products are compliant with the latest regulations for composite wood products in their target market.

SGS EPA and CARB Services
Through a global network of Third Party Certification (TPC) laboratories, SGS provides the full-range of services, including certification, analytical testing and consultancy, for formaldehyde emissions in composite wood products for California, the US and worldwide markets. Learn more about SGS’s CARB Services. [www.sgs.com/en/consumer-goods-retail/hardgoods/home-furnishings-and-houseware/carb]

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full CARB Publishes Two Articles to Assist the Composite Wood Products Industry SafeGuardS. [http://www.sgs.com/en/news/2018/05/safeguards-06818-carb-publishes-two-articles-to-assist-the-composite-wood-products-industry]

Subscribe here, www.sgs.com/subscribesg, to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Hing Wo Tsang Ph.D
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel: (+852) 2774 7420
Email: crs.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines

About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 95,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,400 offices and laboratories around the world.

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This release was published on openPR.