Webb’s Particleboard Plant Among First for CARB Certification
Webb Furniture’s Particleboard Plant Among First Certified Under New California Formaldehyde Rules
July 2008
Webb Furniture’s particleboard plant is among the first of 13 such facilities among eight companies in North America to gain certification for compliance with phase one of new formaldehyde emissions standards from the California Air Resources Board.
As of Jan. 1, 2009, all particleboard sold in California made from that date forward must be certified to meet CARB Phase 1, a rule that also applies to import goods. All noncompliant particleboard made before Jan. 1 must be sold by particleboard distributors by June 1, 2009, and by July 1, 2010, all retail products made with particleboard must comply with the standard.
“Webb worked very hard this spring to bring their mill to the compliance level necessary for emissions certification,” said Tom Julia, president of the Composit Panel Association, which was the first agency authorized to perform third-party certification of the California formaldehyde standard.
The eight North American companies currently in compliance include Boise Cascade, Collins Products, Masco, Plum Creek, Temple-Inland, Unilan and Webb, Galax, Va., in the United States; and W. Frazier in Canada.
“My expectation is that by the end of the summer, certainly during the fourth quarter, most of the U.S. (particleboard) industry will be compliant, representing 90-plus percent of the industry here,” Julia said. “There’s a lot of pull from retail customers to get in compliance ahead of time ... People aren’t waiting for the deadlines because there’s no way (retailers) want to maintain double inventory” of compliant and noncompliant products.
Phase 1 of the CARB formaldehyde rules really amount to “practice” for Phase 2, a tougher standard set for 2011, Julia noted.
“Phase 2 is the real rule,” he said. “The harder one is coming, and it’s coming just around the corner.”
As of Jan. 1, 2009, all particleboard sold in California made from that date forward must be certified to meet CARB Phase 1, a rule that also applies to import goods. All noncompliant particleboard made before Jan. 1 must be sold by particleboard distributors by June 1, 2009, and by July 1, 2010, all retail products made with particleboard must comply with the standard.
“Webb worked very hard this spring to bring their mill to the compliance level necessary for emissions certification,” said Tom Julia, president of the Composit Panel Association, which was the first agency authorized to perform third-party certification of the California formaldehyde standard.
The eight North American companies currently in compliance include Boise Cascade, Collins Products, Masco, Plum Creek, Temple-Inland, Unilan and Webb, Galax, Va., in the United States; and W. Frazier in Canada.
“My expectation is that by the end of the summer, certainly during the fourth quarter, most of the U.S. (particleboard) industry will be compliant, representing 90-plus percent of the industry here,” Julia said. “There’s a lot of pull from retail customers to get in compliance ahead of time ... People aren’t waiting for the deadlines because there’s no way (retailers) want to maintain double inventory” of compliant and noncompliant products.
Phase 1 of the CARB formaldehyde rules really amount to “practice” for Phase 2, a tougher standard set for 2011, Julia noted.
“Phase 2 is the real rule,” he said. “The harder one is coming, and it’s coming just around the corner.”
