Oct. 1 – California: Furniture industry seeks formaldehyde rule extension

From Furniture Today:

Furniture industry officials in California are still pushing for an extension of the deadline to sell products that don’t meet the state’s strict new limits for formaldehyde emissions. California’s law – which the U.S. Senate is considering as a model for a possible national formaldehyde rule – is in the early stages in enforcement. The regulation sets caps on emissions allowed from composite panel products, including hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF), materials that are commonly used in furniture.

Ernie Montano, vice president of Del Valle, Kahman and Co., an importer and distributor of composite panel, said his customers have been boycotting the purchase of uncertified board and many now only want Phase II certified stock, even though the rule is still only in its Phase I period. Montano said the company has written off hundreds of thousands of dollars in obsolete inventory and has $1.2 million in Phase I stock that it can’t sell.

Meanwhile, the Western Home Furnishings Assn. is working with other groups in California to extend the rule’s sell-through dates for finished goods, including furniture, by one year to July 1, 2011, said Sharron Bradley, executive director of the WHFA…

We will keep you informed of any regulatory changes.

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