Treaters To Phase Out CCA

The nation's largest wood preservative manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to phase out CCA for treating non-industrial wood products by the end of next year.

By January 2OO4. the EPA will no longer permit the popular preservative for residential uses, including decks, fences, landscape timbers, picnic tables and play structures.

Congressmen in Florida and California have introduced bills to make the CCA ban immediate.

CCA will be allowed for industrial uses, such as utility poles, pilings and guardrails.

The industry still stands behind the safety of CSI, but has been bombarded of late by unfavorable media reports and lawsuits. A voluntary withdrawal allows the industry and the EPA to attribute the transition to increasing demand lor new wood preservatives. The top chemical producers all offer arsenate-free alternatives-CSI' s ACQ Preserve, Arch Wood Protection's Wolmanized Natural Select, and Osmose's new Nature Wood.

The EPA continues studying CCA, but so far has not identified any "unreasonable risks" to the public.

The transition certainly will change the face of the $4 billion-a-year treating industry, as the nation's approximately 350 CCA treaters begin switching to new preservatives. Conversion costs-including engineering. permitting, cleanup, installation of stainless steel valves and pumps, and downtime-could total more than $ 100,000. Yet many treaters have already made or begun the switch.

Some retailers also intend to phase out CCA products early, anticipating

Treater To Sell Composites

Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Ga., has agreed to distribute Eon composite decking throughout the U.S.

Great Southern, the nation's second largest wood treater, will use its eight southern manufacturing facilities to distribute Ontario. Canada-based CPI Plastics Group's decking system.

"We've spent a considerable amount of time and energy looking for the impending ban gives them a "black mark." Home Depot vowed to "stop selling CCA-treated wood well in advance of the EPA deadline," but offered no specifics. a product we could confidently recommend to our customers. and in Eon. we found it," said Great Southern's president and c.e.o. Jimmy Rane.

"About six months ago, we began phasing out CCA and selling ACQ," said Hap Veley, owner of Central Builders Supplies, Gainesville, Fl. "People are buying it. We just figured that regardless of how strong CCA was over the years, how dependable it has been, and how much it's saved people in replacement costs, it was time to move on."

The distribution agreement covers deck boards, t-clips and handrail components. In addition the two companies will coordinate their marketing efforts, by sharing product knowledge and jointly conducting contractor trainins sessions.

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