July 2010 (10NB-049)

 

On July 7, 2010, Senate Bill S1660 Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act was signed into law. It amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601) by establishing national limits for formaldehyde emission from composite wood products similar to those established under recent CARB regulation (California Air Resources Board - Airborne Toxic Control Measure to Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products). The affected products are those manufactured using hardwood plywood, particleboard, or medium-density fiberboard.

Specific labeling requirements for finished composite wood products are not provided in the Act, but it is expected that the labeling will also be patterned after the CARB model. The Law sets a date of no later than January 1, 2013 to promulgate regulations to implement the requirements for labeling and emission standards. Those standards will then become effective 180 days after the regulations are promulgated.

Additional Information

To view the Federal law:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111s1660ENR/pdf/BILLS-111s1660ENR.pdf

To view the CARB regulation for comparison:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2007/compwood07/fro-final.pdf

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If you have any questions, please contact your customer service representative or email: cps.info@us.bureauveritas.com

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