Register for the September 8, 2020 Formaldehyde Laminated Products Virtual Workshop
For Release: July 7, 2020
On September 8, 2020 from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm EST, EPA will host a virtual workshop to collect stakeholder feedback on potentially developing guidance for petitioning the agency to exempt certain laminated products from the Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products final rule at 40 CFR 770.4(b). This virtual workshop is open to the public, with the primary audience being Third-Party Certifiers (TPCs), panel producers, and fabricators or laminated product producers who contract with TPCs to certify composite wood products under the regulation.
If you would like to provide oral comments during the workshop, you must register by August 31, 2020. Select “attend and make a comment” when registering. You may register as a listen-only attendee at any time up to the end of the meeting. For listen-only attendees, select “listen-only” when registering.
EPA is also accepting written comments on this issue in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2019-0470 until November 4, 2020. Please submit comments by August 24, 2020 to have them considered during the workshop.
EPA plans to record the workshop and will post a written transcript in the docket during the comment period that follows the workshop. Should the agency develop guidance related to the rulemaking petitions for exemption under 40 CFR 770.4(b), EPA will provide a draft for public comment.
Background
In 2016, EPA issued a final rule to reduce exposure to formaldehyde emissions from certain wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States. The rule became effective on May 22, 2017. After March 22, 2019, composite wood products must be labeled as TSCA Title VI compliant. These products include hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, and particleboard, as well as household and other finished goods containing these products.
Visit EPA’s formaldehyde website for additional information on the Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products final rule.