Recently, Intertek US (TPC No.CARB TPC 41), Intertek Shenzhen (TPC No.CARB TPC 33), Intertek Shanghai (TPC No.CARB TPC 31) are approved by EPA as recognized Third-Party Certifier (TPC), Both Intertek US and Intertek China could provide certification services under the Formaldehyde Emission Standards for composite Wood Products Rule – (TSCA) Title VI Formaldehyde.
Background
On December 12, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a final rule to reduce exposure to formaldehyde emissions from certain wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States.
When does the rule requirement go into effect?
| Item | Compliance Date |
| Formaldehyde Emission | Dec. 12, 2017 |
| Recordkeeping | Dec. 12, 2017 |
| Labeling | Dec. 12, 2017 |
| Import Certificate | Dec. 12, 2018 |
| Laminated Product | Dec. 12, 2023 |
What are the specific composite wood products that are covered by the final rule?
There are three composite wood products that are regulated:
What are the formaldehyde emission requirements for covered composited wood products?
| Product | Emission Standard |
| Hardwood Plywood – Veneer Core (HWPW-VC) | 0.05 ppm of formaldehyde |
| Hardwood Plywood – Composite Core (HWPW-CC) | 0.05 ppm of formaldehyde |
| Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF) | 0.11 ppm of formaldehyde |
| Thin Medium-Density Fiberboard (Thin MDF) | 0.13 ppm of formaldehyde |
| Particleboard (PB) | 0.09 ppm of formaldehyde |
Who are subject to the final rule requirements?
All the entities along the supply chain, from the manufacture to the sale to the sale of composite wood products, will be affected by the final rule requirements. This includes importers, distributors, retailers, panel producers, fabricators, third party certifier.
Comparison with CARB ATCM
The EPA TSCA formaldehyde rule seems very similar to California CARB ATCM as they have same emission limit and testing method. However, the labeling, reporting, recordkeeping are different. Also, in the EPA TSCA formaldehyde rule, the importer need to issue certificate after Dec 12, 2018 while in CARB, the importer only need to verify the product has go through the CARB certification program.
Intertek’s Service
Intertek can provide certification service and professional assistance to comply with the EPA requirement including following,
Contacts:
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact:
Intertek-Shenzhen
Ms. Cicy Tao-Customer Service and Project Leader
Cicy.tao@intertek.com
Intertek-Shanghai
Ms. Sophia Wu
sophia.l.wu@intertek.com
