Canadian regulators have proposed amendments concerning the Canadian government’s regulations on formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products.
The new regulations took effect Jan. 7. RVIA urged member manufacturers who ship RVs into Canada to review the regulations, which the association said align Canadian formaldehyde regulations with the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976’s Title VI as much as possible.
According to the government, a drafting oversight in the regulations implies panel manufacturers must use an accredited laboratory to comply with quality control testing requirements, which the government said was not the intention.
The proposed amendments would clarify the quality control testing and record-keeping requirements. Without the proposed amendments, regulated parties would incur unanticipated costs to comply with the regulations.
As stated in the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement, the amendments aim to address the following issues:
- Address a drafting oversight by removing the accreditation requirement for laboratories conducting routine quality control formaldehyde emissions testing, to provide clarification for regulated parties and reduce the risk of misinterpretation of the regulations;
- Clarify record-keeping requirements for finished goods along the composite wood products supply chain;
- Maintain the regulations’ close alignment with the Toxic Substances Control Act’s Title VI in order to minimize international trade barriers; and
- Make minor amendments to provide clarification on issues brought forward by stakeholders.
