Regulators such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, and the California Air Resources Board have enacted laws and regulations aimed at limiting the emission of formaldehyde from composite wood products. IWPA has actively worked with each of these regulators throughout development of the respective regulations to advocate for regulations that are workable for wood products importers, distributors, manufacturers and retailers.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved the Air Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) to require the reduction of formaldehyde emissions limits from composite wood products including hardwood plywood, particleboard, and MDF. The ATCM applies to composite wood products “that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, used, or manufactured for sale in California ” The measure establishes specific emissions limits and also requires compliance testing, third-party certification, and imposes product labeling and chain for custody requirements for manufacturers.