National Formaldehyde Rule for Composite Wood Products will be Effective on June 1, 2018

As just announced by BIFMA and several other organizations, the U.S. EPA has agreed to a June 1, 2018 deadline for the enforcement of the national formaldehyde rule, Formaldehyde Act of Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The rule sets limits for formaldehyde emissions from most interior use composite wood products sold in the U.S. The agreement was approved by a U.S. District Court on March 13, 2018 and will be published in the Federal Register.

Composite wood products certified by a California Air Resource Board (CARB) third-party certifier (TPC) that also is recognized by EPA will be recognized as compliant until March 22, 2019. After March 22, 2019, only TSCA Title VI compliant and labeled products will be allowed. The agreement preserves the sell-through provision that applies to panels and finished goods manufactured prior to June 1, 2018.

The national formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products under the EPA final rule are identical to the California “Phase 2” formaldehyde emission standards. Berkeley Analytical (BKA) is a compliance test laboratory for an approved CARB TPC. BkA also performs screening tests of composite wood formaldehyde emissions for manufacturers, importers, and retailers that want to monitor their supply chains for compliance to the law. Testing is conducted using ASTM D6007, the small-scale secondary test defined in both the Federal and CA regulations. Contact an expert at BkA for assistance with CARB Phase 2 testing info@berkeleyanalytical.com.