CARB Basics

InterGlobal Forest is pleased to announce that we can provide CARB certification on our panel products.

What is CARB?

The California Air Resources Board has implemented the world's strictest formaldehyde emission standard for composite wood products for sale or use in the State of California. This standard, Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM), takes effect in California beginning Jan. 1, 2009. Even if you are not located or currently doing business in California, any product that will eventually end up for use by consumers in California must be produced with certified panels. This new law applies to panel manufacturers, distributors, importers, fabricators, and retailers of hardwood plywood (HWPW)—both veneer core (VC) and composite core (CC), particleboard (PB), medium density fiberboard (MDF), and finished goods containing those products for sale in California.

What are the requirements?

CARB has established two phases of formaldehyde emission standards for HWPW with a veneer core (HWPW-VC) and with a composite core (HWPW-CC) [also applies to: PB, MDF, and thin MDF]. Complying materials must be used in finished goods made with those materials (see table below):

Exemptions:

• Manufactured homes or mobile homes are not subject to the ATCM. The ATCM does not apply to hardwood plywood or particleboard manufactured, sold, supplied for installation, or installed in manufactured homes subject to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations.

• Federal government institutions such as UNICOR that manufacture furniture for government offices and the military are exempt. Military specified plywood is exempt from the ATCM. However, if UNICOR is manufacturing furniture for government offices, they would be considered a fabricator under the ATCM for products sold to California and must comply with the regulation.

• ATCM includes an exemption for windows and bay windows. Requirements for fabricators include an exemption for any windows if the window product contains less than five percent by volume of hardwood plywood, particleboard, or medium density fiberboard combined in relation to the total volume of the finished window product.  The definition of a window specifies that a frame includes jambs, stiles, sashes, and rails, and excludes sills, window headers and window seats. Because sills, window headers, and window seats are excluded from the definition of a frame, they cannot be factored into the exemption. Therefore, if sills, window headers, and window seats contain composite wood, the composite wood must comply with the ATCM and the finished window product must be labeled appropriately.