Less Formaldehyde-- breathe easier!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Whalen, my esteemed classmate and friend at BGI, for playing a pivotal role in setting limits on the use of formaldehydes in wood resins in California. This legislation, just adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), protects public health, given that formaldehyde is linked to cancer.

All wood has some naturally occurring formaldehyde. But more formaldehyde is added to composite wood in the form of certain resins, which are used to bind wood particles together. New methods are available and others are quickly being developed that reduce and even eliminate the need for formaldehyde. When ARB's standards are in full effect in 2012, annually there will be 500 fewer tons of formaldehyde in California's air.

This was a several-year battle. Thanks, Elizabeth!