PMRA

Released April 5, 2002

OTTAWA- A timely response from Pest Management Regulatory Agency has paved the way for the introduction of the next generation of wood preservatives, the Canadian Institute of Treated Wood said Friday. “By expediting the review to register new preservatives, PMRA has enabled Canadian wood treaters to introduce next generation wood preservatives to the Canadian consumer marketplace,” said a Executive Director of Canadian Institute of Treated Wood. The approval by PMRA parallels a similar action undertaken from discussions between the U.S. wood treating industry and the Environmental Protection Agency announced in mid-February. After December 2003, Canadian wood preservers will no longer treat wood with CCA for non-industrial applications. The industry will continue to provide CCA treated wood products for specific industrial applications such as pilings, highway guard rails and utility poles. “This approval provides time for industry to make the related conversions of manufacturing and treating plants to new preservatives such as ACQ (amine) and Copper Azole. In the meantime, the industry will continue to produce CCA pressure treated wood for all applications until December 31, 2003. Retailers will be able to sell CCA treated wood for consumer applications until supplies are exhausted.

In their announcements, neither PMRA or EPA concluded that CCA treated wood poses any unreasonable risk to the public or to the environment. Moreover, existing structures made of CCA treated wood are not affected by this voluntary action. Neither PMRA or EPA recommended the replacement or removal of any such existing structures. “There should be no concern about the health and safety of this product,” Walthert said. “Based on extensive data and more than 70 years of use in the consumer marketplace, both the EPA and PMRA have not identified any unreasonable health risks associated with CCA pressure treated lumber.

This transition towards the next generation of wood preservatives is responding to current and anticipated market demand,” Director of Canadian Institute of Treated Wood. “Retailers are expecting to carry new treated wood products as they become available.” They said the industry will continue research efforts to develop additional wood preservatives. Pressure treated wood is an important ecological tool. It allows people to continue to build with long lasting, low-maintenance wood while significantly reducing the demand on Canadian forests. Each year, the pressure treated wood industry saves a forest the size of Prince Edward Island from harvest.

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