New Law Sets Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products

(Lexology – Gary Long et al., Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP)

President Barack Obama has signed into law an amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act that sets formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products sold in the United States as of January 1, 2013. Sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the legislation requires manufacturers to ensure via third-party testing and certification that both raw and finished products emit fewer than approximately 0.09 parts per million of formaldehyde. It also directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “to work with Customs and Border Protection and other relevant federal agencies to enforce the standards for imported wood products,” according to Klobuchar’s July 7, 2010, press release. Read more here.