HPVA® eNews Volume IX, Issue VII: Lumber Liquidators Settles With CARB For $2.5M | California Lowers Wood Dust Limits | Drones Plant Trees, Inspect Buildings | Register Now To Save $200 On The HPVA® Spring Conference!

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BREAKING NEWS

EPA Sends Formaldehyde Air Rule For Review

EPA has forwarded a long-delayed final air rule setting limits for formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review.

Source: Inside EPA (sign in for free trial); EPA.

REGULATORY NEWS

Lumber Liquidators Settles For $2.5M

Lumber Liquidators paid $2.5 million to settle the California Air Resources Board's claim that the company sold Chinese-made laminate flooring that exceeded CARB formaldehyde limits. CARB's review ended with no formal finding of wrongdoing. The court battles continue, however, as more plaintiffs join class-action lawsuits against the company.

Source: 24Hours Vancouver, March 28; Louisiana Record, March 25; Corporate Crime Reporter, Retail Dive, March 23, 2016.

California Lowers Wood Dust Limits

California’s Occupational Safety & Health Board recently proposed changing the occupational health and safety limits for all softwood and hardwood dust. Wood dust limits, currently 5 milligrams per cubic meter, would decrease to 1 milligram per cubic meter. The exception: Western Red Cedar, which would decrease from 2.5 to 0.5 milligrams per cubic meter. A public hearing is set for April 21, 2016.

Source: State of California Department of Industrial Relations, March 4, 2016.

INNOVATION

Drones Plant Trees, Inspect Buildings

Drones are becoming more common throughout our industry. This video shows how drones will plant more trees, faster, and monitor growth. The use of drones in architecture, engineering and construction is increasing, particularly in building inspections and site surveys. Experts predict drone sales of 1 million units this year, a 145% leap.

Source: Building Design & Construction, March 18; See video at Futurism, March 11, 2016.

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

Chinese Forests' Slow Recovery

China's rush to industrialize devastated its forests and caused severe, long-lasting environmental consequences. But, the forests are fighting back, with help from the Chinese government. Experts at Michigan State University report that Chinese efforts to roll back decades of deforestation and habitat destruction led to a return of 1.6% of China’s forests.

Source: Timberbiz, March 24, 2016.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Register Now To Save $200!

Don't wait - the HPVA® Spring Conference is coming up fast! Register now for unique events ranging from an inside look at the Fed's plans for the economy to dinner among landing craft used in World War II. Check the HPVA® website for more engaging speakers, fun events, and great networking from May 15-17 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Available Now: Trade Flows Report

Grab your copy of the 2015 International Trade Flows Report, which includes detailed trade statistics for hardwood plywood, flooring, veneer, furniture, kitchen cabinets, and hardwood logs. Order online at HPVA®.

HPVA® MEMBER NEWS

Armstrong Spins Off Flooring

Armstrong's flooring division, which generated $1.2 billion last year, begins trading as a separate entity in April.
Photo © Armstrong Flooring, Inc.

Enter Columbia's PureBond Awards

Demonstrate quality use of Columbia Forest Products' PureBond hardwood plywood to win. Enter by July 15!

AkzoNobel Acquires BASF Division

AkzoNobel will pay €475 million for BASF's industrial coatings business, including furniture foil and panels coatings.

Danzer 3D-Veneer Exhibited In China

It's official: adoption in China confirms Danzer 3D-Veneer’s worldwide use.

NEWS BRIEFS

London Plans 9-Story Wood Building

The uniquely-designed 9-story wood office complex will be constructed using cross-laminated timber and glued laminated timber.
Source: Building Design & Construction, March 28, 2016. Photo © Waugh Thistleton.

VIDEO: Innovation In Architecture

Engineered wood is featured in emerging technologies and sustainability practices. A peek into the future, this video also highlights the here and now in engineered wood.
Source: OZY, February 29, 2016.

NAHB: Reduce Regulatory Burden

Current regulations can add as much as 25% to the cost of a home.
Source: Construction Dive, March 23, 2016.

Canada Leads In Eco-Friendly

Canada is number one in the world in terms of environmental practices and reputation.
Source: Timberbiz, March 24, 2016.

Homeowners Spend Big To Remodel

Two-thirds of consumers plan to renovate, to the tune of nearly $155 billion.
Source: Builder, March 27; CNBC, March 25, 2016.

Sales Slump Of Existing Homes

Sales of existing single-family homes dropped 1.6% in February.
Source: Builder, March 22; Builder, March 21, 2016.

Starter Home Inventory Dives

Inventory of starter homes plunged 43.6% over the past 4 years. Prices are up 5.6%.
Source: Construction Dive, March 22, 2016.

WWF Contests Certification

WWF Austria filed an appeal against the FSC certification of Holzindustrie Schweighofer, questioning the sources of the firm's timber.
Source: Global Wood Markets, March 7, 2016.

Indonesian Group FSC Certified

A Papau lowland forest concession was awarded FSC certification. For the first time, consumers will be able to buy FSC-certified merbau wood.
Source: The Borneo Initiative, March 22, 2016.

Send Us Your Company News, Ideas For Articles, And More

We are always looking for great stories, news about your company, and interesting multimedia. We also welcome feedback on this week's content and suggestions for topics you would like to see in upcoming HPVA® eNews. Email us at innovate@hpva.org.