Retailers hit by VOC ozone regulations

sistencies, according to Scott Seman, product manager for DAP Inc. In addition to varying flrom state to state and district to district, some have no grandfather clause to allow any products still on the retailer's shelf at the compliance deadline to be sold without violating the new regulations.

In some regions, only full gallons and up are affected, while in other areas smaller container sizes like quarts have to comply. Products required to comply vary from area to area too. Texas doesn't regulate wood preservatives, but California does.

trol offices are also good sources of information.

Many manufacturers have information and hot lines available to help dealers trying to.keep up with regulations. Dore' Morton at Performance Coatings Inc. in California has an 800 number to answer questions from their retailers. The company's quarterly newsletter also devotes a section to VOC regulation compliance.

With legislation pending in at least halfa dozen other states, industry sources believe that it is inevitable that all states will eventually have regulations on volatile organic compounds. Regulations at present apply to only certain counties or districts in the states with VOC control.

Examples are the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas, Phoenix in Arizona and Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties and the nondesert part ofSan Bernardino county in Southern California

National regulations are in the beginning stages. Spearheaded by an EPA group, the Federal Control Technique Guideline will provide uniform control for all states. However, these regulations will be written so that more stringent state and local laws may supersede them. Because of the variation in air quality throughout the country, various areas feel a need for more VOC regulation.

Retailers have the problem of keeping up with legislation since stores in the areas affected by the regulations could be held responsible for selling coatings that do not comply. Severe fines are applied in many areas.

The problem for retailers is not the VOC regulations, but the incon-

F-red Zimmerman. counsel for the National Paint and Coating Association. advises that retailers seek specific information regarding VOC limits from the manufacturers and distributors of the products which they sell. The local air pollution con-

Manufacturers are developing VOC compliant products to support the regulations. Labels clearly identify the new products which are said to be equal or superior to non-compliant products.

Retailers must keep up with pending regulations in their areas in order to have time to prepare their inventories. The consequences of not complying are serious.

Texas TouEh On Retailers

of non-comIt is illegal complying with to sell any prod new regulations. Interior and exterior stains and varnishes generally regulations as architectural coati defines architectural coatings as "any tective or decorative coating which is applied to the interior or exterior of a building structure, including interior and exterior alkyd and epoxy paints used on homes and office buildings, exterior and interior stains and alkyd varnishes."

One quart and less containers are exempt, along with aerosol spray products, roadway and pavement paints, and swimming pool and similar surface coatings.