OnJuly7,2021,EnvironmentCanadaandtheMinistryofHealthapprovedthecompoundwoodformaldehydeemissionregulations.TheregulationshavebeenpublishedinthesecondpartoftheCanadianGazetteandwillcomeintoeffectonJanuary7,2023.Thefollowingarethekeypointsoftheregulations:
1.Scopeofcontrol
Thisregulationappliestoanycompositewoodproductscontainingformaldehyde.MostcompositewoodproductsimportedorsoldinCanadamustmeetthecorrespondingrequirements.However,theemissionrequirementsforlaminateswillnotcomeintoeffectuntilJanuary7,2028.
Inaddition,aslongastherearerecordstoprove,productsmanufacturedorimportedinCanadabeforetheeffectivedatearenotsubjecttothisregulation.
2.Formaldehydeemissionlimit
Thisregulationsetsthemaximumformaldehydeemissionstandardforcompositewoodproducts.Theseemissionlimitsareexpressedintermsoftheconcentrationofformaldehydeobtainedbyspecifictestmethods(ASTMD6007,ASTME1333),whicharethesameastheemissionlimitsoftheUSEPATSCATitleVIregulations:
0.05ppmforhardwoodplywood
Particleboardis0.09ppm
0.11ppmformediumdensityfiberboard
0.13ppmforthinmediumdensityfiberboardand
0.05ppmforlaminates
3.Labelingandcertificationrequirements
AllcompositewoodproductsmustbelabeledbeforetheyaresoldinCanada,orthesellermustkeepacopyofthelabelandprovideitatanytime.Therearealreadybilinguallabels(EnglishandFrench)indicatingthatcompositewoodproductsthatcomplywithTSCATitleVIregulationsintheUnitedStateswillberecognizedasmeetingCanadianlabelingrequirements.
Compositewoodandlaminateproductsmustalsobecertifiedbyathird-partycertificationbody(TPC)beforebeingimportedorsold(note:compositewoodproductsthathaveobtainedTSCATitleVIcertificationwillbeacceptedbythisregulation).
4.Recordkeepingrequirements
ManufacturersofcompositewoodpanelsandlaminateswillberequiredtokeepalargenumberoftestrecordsandprovidetheserecordstothemattherequestoftheMinistryofEnvironment.Importersandretailerswillneedtokeepthecertificationstatementsfortheirproducts.Forimporters,therearesomeadditionalrequirements.
Inaddition,theregulationwillalsorequireallregulatedcompaniestoidentifythemselvesbyinformingtheMinistryofEnvironmentoftheregulatedactivitiestheyparticipateinandtheircontactinformation.
5.Reportingrequirements
Thosewhomanufacture,import,sellorsellcompositewoodproductscontainingformaldehydemustprovidethefollowingwritteninformationtotheMinistryofEnvironment:
(a)Name,address,telephonenumber,e-mailandthenameoftherelevantcontactperson;
(b)Astatementastowhetherthecompanymanufactures,imports,sellsorprovidescompositewoodpanels,laminatedproducts,partsorfinishedproducts.