These regulation aims to promote the use of ultra-low emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) resins or no-added formaldehyde (NAF) based resins for items installed in a project.
CALGreen Code Section A5.504.4.5.1: No added formaldehyde, Tier 1.
Use composite wood products approved by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) as no-added formaldehyde (NAF) based resins or ultra- low emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) resins.
Notes:
1. See Title 17, Section 93120.3(c) and (d), respectively.
2. Documentation must be provided verifying that materials are certified to meet the pollutant emission limits. A list of manufacturers and their NAF and ULEF certified materials is provided at: www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/compwood/ naf_ulef/listofnaf_ulef.htm.
Intent:
The intent of this measure is to encourage the use of no-added formaldehyde (NAF) based resins or ultra-low emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) resins for products installed in a project. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted regulations for low-formaldehyde-emitting composite wood products in Title 17, California Department of Public Health. Those products and emission limits are reprinted in Section 5.504.4.5. A list of approved NAF-based resins or ULEF-resin products can be found on the website listed in the code.
Compliance Method:
Specify no-formaldehyde-emitting composite wood products on the construction documents. Builders should show documentation verifying that materials are certified to meet pollutant emission limits, expressed on the CARB website, as noted in the code.
Retain product data sheets at the job site for verification by the enforcing agency and for the operation and maintenance manual.
Enforcement:
Plan intake: The plan reviewer should confirm in the construction documents that any composite wood products and/or resins are specified to meet the requirements on the CARB approved list.
On-site enforcement: The inspector should verify that any composite wood products specified on the approved construction documents are installed, or stored on site with the ability to be verified.
(Excerpted from ‘Guide to the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code Nonresidential’ – Appendix A5)
