EPA Proposes Updates to Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products

Released on September 20, 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to update two voluntary consensus standards in its Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products final rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Formaldehyde is used as an adhesive in a wide range of wood products, including some furniture, flooring, cabinets, bookcases and building materials including plywood and wood panels. The Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products Act of 2010 established emission standards for formaldehyde from composite wood products. EPA’s 2016 Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products rule implemented provisions of the 2010 Act to reduce exposure to formaldehyde emissions from certain wood products produced in or imported into the United States.

Voluntary consensus standards are technical specifications for products or processes developed by standard-setting bodies that are incorporated into the rule to assist with defining the composite wood products subject to the rule and to identify quality control test methods.

In March 2022, EPA opened a public comment period on proposed technical updates to the 2016 rule. This rulemaking proposed to update several voluntary consensus standards to reflect current editions that are in use by regulated entities and industry stakeholders.

During the public comment period, which ended on April 28, 2022, the Composite Panel Association, a standard-issuing body that sponsors industry product standards, commented that two of its standards would be updated shortly and recommended that EPA include these newly updated standards in the final rule. Because these two standards were published after the close of the public comment period, EPA is now issuing a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to include these two recently updated standards. These updates are needed to ensure continued consistency with the standards adopted and used by industry.

The two updated voluntary consensus standards for dimensional tolerances, physical and mechanical properties, and formaldehyde emissions are for:

• Particleboard, along with methods of identifying products conforming to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard; and
• Medium density fiberboard (MDF), along with methods of identifying products conforming to the ANSI standard.

EPA will accept public comments on the supplemental proposed rule for 30 days in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0245 on www.regulations.gov.