EPA Considers Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products

Washington, DC, May 6, 2015—The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) five-year effort to adopt its Formaldehyde Emissions Standards for Composite Wood Products marks the first time that the federal government has regulated formaldehyde inside American homes, says the New York Times, and would impact the flooring industry within which formaldehyde is used as an ingredient in wood glue.

The proposal would not ban formaldehyde, but it would impose rules that prevent dangerous levels of the chemical’s vapors from those products, and would set testing standards to ensure that products sold in the United States comply with those limits.