EPA Tightens Rules on Plywood Factory Emissions
Published Date: 7/6/2026
Rule
Summary
The EPA is updating rules to cut harmful air pollution from plywood and composite wood factories, including lumber kilns. These changes set new limits on dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde and mercury, helping protect the air we breathe. The new rules kick in on July 6, 2026, and could mean some factories need to spend money upgrading their equipment to meet the cleaner standards.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Factories Face New Clean-Air Costs
If you own or operate a major plywood or kiln-dried lumber facility, this rule requires new pollution controls and work practices that will cost industry to implement. EPA estimates the rule covers 219 affected major source facilities and will have total annualized costs of $53 million (2024 dollars), effective July 6, 2026.
Cleaner Air from Less HAP and VOC Emissions
You will breathe cleaner air near plywood and composite wood factories because EPA estimates the rule will reduce about 720 tons per year of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) and 8,500 tons per year of volatile organic compounds (VOC). These emission reductions result from new limits and work practices that take effect on July 6, 2026.
New Monitoring, Testing, and Reporting Rules
If you operate affected PCWP process units or lumber kilns, you must follow new performance testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, and electronic reporting requirements, including continuous monitoring of an indicator of combustion unit bypass stack usage and annual burner tune-ups. These requirements take effect with the final rule on July 6, 2026.
Emissions Averaging Option Removed
If your facility previously relied on emissions averaging to meet the PCWP NESHAP, the final rule removes the emissions averaging compliance option for existing affected sources. The change is part of the amendments finalized July 6, 2026.
New Numeric Limits for MDI and Other HAP Units
If your facility uses MDI resins or coatings (for example, reconstituted wood product presses or blow-line blend tube dryers), the final rule establishes numeric emission standards for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and other previously unregulated HAP for those process units. These standards are finalized as part of the July 6, 2026 action.
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