Are there air pollution regulations established specifically for wood furniture manufacturing?
In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a regulation known as the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) to control air emissions from wood furniture manufacturers in 40 CFR 63 Subpart II. This regulation affects wood furniture manufacturers who are classified as “major sources” due to their emission levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are emitted during the application or use of paints, lacquers, stains, solvents, glues, etc. in the wood furniture manufacturing process. For a source to be classified as a “major source” and therefore fall under the NESHAP, it must have a potential to emit more than 10 tons of any one hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or more than 25 tons of all HAPs combined. Common HAPs often found in the coatings used in wood finishing operations include toluene, xylene, and methylene chloride. If a company’s emissions cause it to fall under the NESHAP, then it will be required to comply with the rules set fort
