HIGH POINT – Companies that import furniture containing formaldehyde will have to pay a fee to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed at defraying the expense of conducting risk assessments for this and other chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Formaldehyde, along with some phthalates and halogenated flame retardants, are among the 20 high-priority chemicals for which the EPA is conducting risk assessments.
Companies that manufactured any of these 20 chemicals – as well as companies that imported finished goods with components bearing those chemicals – within the past five years must pay the fees and thus share a cost in the risk assessments, which are estimated at $1.3 million per chemical. For the full list of chemicals, click here.
The American Home Furnishings Alliance said that the EPA has published a list of formaldehyde producers but is seeking help from the industry in creating a list of importers of finished goods that also contain formaldehyde. The list would include all importers of furniture containing composite wood made with formaldehyde-based resin such as hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium-density fiberboard.
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