This week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved, the “Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act” (HR 4805), a bill that would require all finished wood products to comply with California’s CARB standard for formaldehyde emissions by 2012. MHI was successful in having the bill amended to provide that HUD as opposed to EPA would continue to regulate formaldehyde standards for manufactured housing. It requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to update regulations on formaldehyde emission controls for certain wood products used in construction of manufactured homes to ensure that they reflect the formaldehyde emission standards established by this Act. At MHI’s urging, the legislation states that the effective date for manufactured and modular homes shall be based on a designated date of manufacture of the finished good, rather than a “sell-by” date whereby all existing inventory which does not comply with CARB must be sold.

The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act amends the Toxic Substances Controls Act (TSCA) and requires that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conduct a rulemaking process to implement regulations that ensure compliance equivalent to compliance with the California standard, including its provisions relating to labeling, chain of custody requirements, sell-through provisions, ultra low-emitting formaldehyde resins, no-added formaldehyde-based resins, finished goods, third-party testing and certification, auditing and reporting of third-party certifiers, recordkeeping, enforcement, and laminated products.

MHI members with questions can contact Rae Ann Bevington at rbevington@mfghome.org.