The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a direct final rule October 25 to update a few voluntary consensus standards in the rule governing formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products.
The direct final rule corrects the rule at 40 CFR 770.20(b) by allowing the formaldehyde emissions mill quality control test methods to correlate to either the ASTM E1333-14 test method, or if shown to be equivalent, the ASTM D6007-14 test method. This correlation was inadvertently omitted from the original final rule, EPA wrote.
The correction aligns the mill quality control testing requirements with the California Air Resources Board standards allowing mill quality control tests to be correlated to the less expensive ASTM D6007-14 test method.
These updates apply to emission testing methods and regulated composite wood product construction characteristics. The voluntary consensus standards were updated, withdrawn or superseded to because of new information, technology, and methodology, EPA wrote.
EPA’s final rule takes effect December 11, unless EPA receives adverse comments on it by November 9.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/panel-supply/epa-publishes-final-rule-fixes-place-formaldehyde-standards?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news