CARB Air Toxic Control Measure

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
On January 1, 2009, the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, implemented regulations on formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products sold or used in finished goods in California. All particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), thin MDF, hardwood plywood with a veneer core, and hardwood plywood with a composite core are now regulated under the “CARB rule.”

This mandate requires cabinet manufacturers and other fabricators to use materials only from manufacturers certified by a CARB-approved third-party certifier and to provide documentation of that use.

The Composite Panel Association, or CPA, was designated by the CARB as the first third-party certifier of the emission regulations. The CPA has developed an educational website – www.CARBrule.org – to answer questions about the regulations and the certification process as well as provide a list of CARB-compliant manufacturers under the Testing & Compliance Certification tab. The website explains in detail the requirements and deadlines for compliance for both Phases 1 and 2 of the formaldehyde emission standards, spanning from 2009 to 2012 (see table below). These standards apply to both domestic and imported materials.

According to the CPA, fabricators – or companies such as Timberlake Cabinetry that manufacture products made with composite wood panels for the California market – must comply with these specific CARB mandates:

• Must use composites that comply with the emission and certification requirements of the rule
• Must label every product or product box with a stamp, tag, sticker, or bar code that includes the fabricator’s name, product date, and compliance standard
• Must keep records for at least two years showing the dates of composite purchases and to whom finished products were sold
• Must include a compliance statement on bills of lading or invoices as a record of the sale of compliant products

The CARB rule also recommends that fabricators ask for written compliance documentation from suppliers and, in turn, provide that documentation to customers.

For manufacturers of composite wood products to be verified by an approved third-party certification agency, their mills must pass regular quality tests and quarterly third-party audits and emission verifications. Each certified mill must have in place a quality program that includes a quality control manual describing the quality systems, specified facilities, and trained personnel. The CARB also requires these manufacturers to retain quality records for two years.

Some green advocates are lobbying for a mandate similar to California’s CARB rule to extend to all states. While most U.S. cabinet manufacturers already are compliant or nearly compliant, according to sources, many imported materials still do not comply.

All fabricators, in California and elsewhere, are subject to inspections by Air Resources Board inspectors.

HOW TIMBERLAKE MEASURES UP
Timberlake Cabinetry purchases composite wood products from only CARB-certified suppliers.

• www.hpva.org - Hardwood Plywood Veneer Association

[ View a printable CARB Air Toxic Control Measure PDF ]