United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
July 2016 (Revised January 2017)
EPA-950-F-17-001
EPA's RULE TO IMPLEMENT THE FORMALDEHYDE
STANDARDS FOR COMPOSITE WOOD PRODUCTS ACT
The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, signed into law July 7, 2010, by
President Obama, added Title VI to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The law established
limits for formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products: hardwood plywood, medium-
density fiberboard, and particleboard. The national emissions standards in the law are designed to
reduce exposures to formaldehyde, avoid harmful health effects and mirror standards previously
established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for products sold, offered for sale,
supplied, used or manufactured for sale in California. Congress tasked the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) with developing regulations to implement this Act.
Specifically, this rule will:
•	Limit formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products that are sold, manufactured, or
imported in the United States.
•	Require labelling these wood products as TSCA Title VI compliant one year after the rule is
published.
•	Set testing requirements to ensure that products comply with those standards.
•	Establish a third-party certification program to ensure that composite wood panel producers
comply with the new emissions limits.
•	Level the playing field for domestic manufacturers who have a high rate of compliance with the
California standard.
•	Ensure that products outside of California will meet the new standard and thus, not emit
dangerous amounts of formaldehyde.
•	Include exemptions from some testing and recordkeeping requirements for products made with
ultra low-emitting and no-added formaldehyde resins.
What are composite wood products and what types are covered by this rule?
•	Composite wood products are created by binding strands, particles, fibers, veneers, or boards of
wood together with adhesives (i.e., glues) and include hardwood plywood, medium-density
fiberboard, and particleboard. Formaldehyde is found in the adhesives used in a wide range of
composite wood products.
•	Composite wood products are commonly used in the manufacture of furniture, kitchen cabinets,
flooring, picture frames and wooden children's toys, among other products.

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How will formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products be tested?
All panel producers are required to have their products tested by an EPA TSCA Title VI Third Party
Certifier to ensure their products are certified as compliant with the emissions standards.
Panel producers are also required to conduct quality control tests on a regular basis to ensure that
regulated composite wood products meet emissions standards.
To ensure quality control, third-party certifiers (TPCs) are required to establish quality control
limits for formaldehyde emissions as well as determine a process to ensure panel producers and
laminated product producers are meeting these limits. TPCs must also inspect panel producers'
products and records and verify quality control test results.
How do I know if the wood products I'm buying comply with the regulation?
After December 12, 2017, when shopping for composite wood products or finished goods
containing composite wood products, EPA recommends that consumers look for products that are
labelled TSCA Title VI compliant. Composite wood products and finished goods containing
regulated composite wood products are required to be labelled as such by one year after the final
rule is issued.
Are renovators and contractors who install regulated composite wood products subject to
the final rule requirements?
Under this rule, persons or entities in the construction trades are neither fabricators nor retailers by
selling, renovating, or remodeling buildings. TSCA Title VI is intended to regulate goods that move
freely through the product supply chain and that are produced through a manufacturing process at
a manufacturing facility. By regulating the manufacture of a product, the regulation works to
ensure that only compliant composite wood products enter the marketplace.
When do the rule requirements go into effect?
The formaldehyde emissions standards go into effect after December 12, 2017.
How does EPA ensure that composite wood products do not exceed the emissions
standards?
EPA established a third-party certification program for laboratory testing and oversight of
formaldehyde emissions from manufactured and/ or imported regulated composite wood
products. This helps to ensure only composite wood products compliant with the formaldehyde
emissions standards enter the supply chain.
For more information about EPA's formaldehyde standards, visit www.epa.gov/formaldehyde.

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