§770.7. Third-party certification. — Inbound Citations

(3) Has either no change of chemical composition during its end use or only those changes of composition which have no commercial purpose separate from that of the article and that may occur as described in 19 CFR 12.120(a)(2), except that fluids and particles are not considered articles regardless of shape or design.

Assessment means a process to include an on-site review undertaken by an AB to assess the competence of all operations of a conformity assessment body and TPC, based on particular standard(s) and/or other normative documents for a defined scope of accreditation, as defined in ISO/IEC 17011:2017(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99).

Bundle means more than one composite wood product, component part, or finished good fastened together for transportation or sale.

Combination core means a platform for making hardwood plywood or laminated products that consists of a combination of layers of veneer and particleboard or medium density fiberboard.

Component part means an object other than a panel that contains one or more composite wood products and is used in the construction or assembly of finished goods. Component parts that are sold directly to consumers are considered finished goods.

Composite core means a platform for making hardwood plywood or laminated products that consists of particleboard and/or medium density fiberboard, or combination core.

Composite wood product means hardwood plywood made with a veneer or composite core, medium-density fiberboard, and particleboard.

Distributor means any person or entity to whom a composite wood product, component part, or finished good is sold or supplied for the purposes of resale or distribution in commerce, except that manufacturers and retailers are not distributors.

Engineered veneer means a type of veneer that is created by dyeing and gluing together leaves of veneer in a mold to produce a block. The block is then sliced into leaves of veneer with a designed appearance that is highly repeatable.

EPA TSCA Title VI Laboratory Accreditation Body or EPA TSCA Title VI Laboratory AB means an AB that has a recognition agreement with EPA under the EPA TSCA Title VI Third-Party Certification Program, accredits a TPC's testing laboratory or contract testing laboratory to ISO/IEC 17025:2017(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99) with a scope of accreditation to include this part and the formaldehyde test methods used to comply with this part, and assesses the testing laboratory's conformance to ISO/IEC 17020:2012(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99) in order to perform laboratory testing services.

EPA TSCA Title VI Product Accreditation Body or EPA TSCA Title VI Product AB means an AB that has a recognition agreement with EPA under the EPA TSCA Title VI Third-Party Certification Program, accredits a TPC to ISO/IEC 17065:2012(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99) with a scope of accreditation to include composite wood products and this part, and assesses the TPC's conformance to ISO/IEC 17020:2012(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99) in order to perform product certification.

EPA TSCA Title VI Third-Party Certifier or EPA TSCA Title VI TPC means a conformity assessment body that provides both product certification services and laboratory testing services (either directly or through contracted services), is accredited by an EPA TSCA Title VI Product AB and an EPA TSCA Title VI Laboratory AB (unless the laboratory testing services are contracted to a laboratory accredited by an EPA TSCA Title VI Laboratory AB), and is recognized by EPA pursuant to § 770.7(c).

Fabricator means a person or entity who incorporates composite wood products into component parts or into finished goods. This includes laminated product producers, but persons or entities in the construction trades are not fabricators by renovating or remodeling buildings.

Finished good means any good or product, other than a panel, that contains hardwood plywood (with a veneer or composite core), particleboard, or medium-density fiberboard and that is not a component part or other part used in the assembly of a finished good. Site-built buildings or other site-built real property improvements are not considered finished goods.

Hardboard means a composite panel composed of cellulosic fibers, consolidated under heat and pressure in a hot press by: A wet process; or a dry process that uses a phenolic resin, or a resin system in which there is no formaldehyde as part of the resin cross-linking structure; or a wet formed/dry pressed process; and that is commonly or commercially known, or sold, as hardboard, including any product conforming to one of the following ANSI standards: Basic Hardboard (ANSI A135.4-2012) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99), Prefinished Hardboard Paneling (ANSI A135.5-2012) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99), Engineered Wood Siding (ANSI A135.6-2012) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99), or Engineered Wood Trim (ANSI A135.7-2012) (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99). There is a rebuttable presumption that products emitting more than 0.06 ppm formaldehyde as measured by ASTM E1333-14 (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99) or ASTM D6007-14 (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99) are not hardboard.

Hardwood plywood means a hardwood or decorative panel that is intended for interior use and composed of (as determined under ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2020 (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99)) an assembly of layers or plies of veneer, joined by an adhesive with a lumber core, a particleboard core, a medium-density fiberboard core, a hardboard core, a veneer core, or any other special core or special back material. Hardwood plywood does not include military-specified plywood, curved plywood, or any plywood specified in PS 1-19 (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99), or PS 2-18 (incorporated by reference, see § 770.99). In addition, hardwood plywood includes laminated products except as provided at § 770.4.

Importer means any person or entity who imports composite wood products, component parts, or finished goods into the customs territory of the United States (as defined in general note 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)). Importer includes:

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, TPCs that are approved by CARB to certify composite wood products have until March 22, 2019, to become accredited by an EPA TSCA Title VI AB(s) pursuant to the requirements of this part. During this two-year transition period, existing CARB-approved TPCs that are recognized by EPA and CARB TPCs approved during this transition period may carry out certification activities under TSCA Title VI, provided that they remain approved by CARB and comply with all aspects of this part other than the requirements of § 770.7(c)(1)(i) and (ii) and (c)(2)(iii) and (iv). After the two-year transition period, CARB-approved TPCs may continue to certify composite wood products under TSCA Title VI provided the TPC maintains its CARB approval, follows the requirements under this part, submits to EPA documentation from CARB supporting their eligibility for reciprocity and has received EPA recognition as an EPA TSCA Title VI TPC. All TPCs that are certifying products as compliant with TSCA Title VI, both during and after the transition period, are subject to enforcement actions for any violations of TSCA Title VI or these regulations.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, TPCs that are approved by CARB to certify composite wood products have until March 22, 2019, to become accredited by an EPA TSCA Title VI AB(s) pursuant to the requirements of this part. During this two-year transition period, existing CARB-approved TPCs that are recognized by EPA and CARB TPCs approved during this transition period may carry out certification activities under TSCA Title VI, provided that they remain approved by CARB and comply with all aspects of this part other than the requirements of § 770.7(c)(1)(i) and (ii) and (c)(2)(iii) and (iv). After the two-year transition period, CARB-approved TPCs may continue to certify composite wood products under TSCA Title VI provided the TPC maintains its CARB approval, follows the requirements under this part, submits to EPA documentation from CARB supporting their eligibility for reciprocity and has received EPA recognition as an EPA TSCA Title VI TPC. All TPCs that are certifying products as compliant with TSCA Title VI, both during and after the transition period, are subject to enforcement actions for any violations of TSCA Title VI or these regulations.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, TPCs that are approved by CARB to certify composite wood products have until March 22, 2019, to become accredited by an EPA TSCA Title VI AB(s) pursuant to the requirements of this part. During this two-year transition period, existing CARB-approved TPCs that are recognized by EPA and CARB TPCs approved during this transition period may carry out certification activities under TSCA Title VI, provided that they remain approved by CARB and comply with all aspects of this part other than the requirements of § 770.7(c)(1)(i) and (ii) and (c)(2)(iii) and (iv). After the two-year transition period, CARB-approved TPCs may continue to certify composite wood products under TSCA Title VI provided the TPC maintains its CARB approval, follows the requirements under this part, submits to EPA documentation from CARB supporting their eligibility for reciprocity and has received EPA recognition as an EPA TSCA Title VI TPC. All TPCs that are certifying products as compliant with TSCA Title VI, both during and after the transition period, are subject to enforcement actions for any violations of TSCA Title VI or these regulations.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, TPCs that are approved by CARB to certify composite wood products have until March 22, 2019, to become accredited by an EPA TSCA Title VI AB(s) pursuant to the requirements of this part. During this two-year transition period, existing CARB-approved TPCs that are recognized by EPA and CARB TPCs approved during this transition period may carry out certification activities under TSCA Title VI, provided that they remain approved by CARB and comply with all aspects of this part other than the requirements of § 770.7(c)(1)(i) and (ii) and (c)(2)(iii) and (iv). After the two-year transition period, CARB-approved TPCs may continue to certify composite wood products under TSCA Title VI provided the TPC maintains its CARB approval, follows the requirements under this part, submits to EPA documentation from CARB supporting their eligibility for reciprocity and has received EPA recognition as an EPA TSCA Title VI TPC. All TPCs that are certifying products as compliant with TSCA Title VI, both during and after the transition period, are subject to enforcement actions for any violations of TSCA Title VI or these regulations.

(a) Composite wood products may be shipped into and transported across the United States for quality control or quarterly tests. TPCs that ship composite panels into or across the United States solely for quality control or quarterly tests are not considered importers or distributors or importers for the purposes of § 770.7(c)(3)(i).

(1) Such panels must not be sold, offered for sale or supplied to any entity other than a TPC laboratory before testing in accordance with § 770.17, § 770.18, or § 770.20.

(2) If test results for such products demonstrate compliance with the emission standards in this subpart, the panels may be relabeled in accordance with § 770.45 and sold, offered for sale, or supplied.

(3) Any test result that exceeds the QCL established pursuant to § 770.7(c)(4)(i)(C) must be reported to the EPA TSCA Title VI TPC in writing within 72 hours. The panel producer must comply with § 770.22 with respect to any lot represented by a quality control sample that exceeds the QCL. Where multiple products are grouped in a single product type for testing, this includes all products in the group represented by the sample.

(viii) In the event a government entity has identified the existence of unsafe conditions as outlined in § 770.7(c)(4)(i)(G) and in order to conduct the required initial, on-site inspection associated with new certification activities, the TPC may conduct a virtual inspection via on-site video/teleconference technology (operating as directed by the TPC) and that aligns with the standard operating procedure the TPC would normally employ during an in-person inspection to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph (c)(1)(viii).

(e) If a product is certified by a CARB-approved TPC that is also recognized by EPA, the product will also be considered certified under TSCA Title VI until March 22, 2019 after which the TPC needs to comply with all the requirements of this part as an EPA TSCA Title VI TPC under Section 770.7(d) in order for the product to remain certified.