Californians, agriculture industry, local governments and businesses now have more options to easily dispose of treated wood waste with the passage of recent legislation.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 332 into law on Aug. 31 after it was approved unanimously by the California Legislature. The bill had an urgency clause, permitting it to go into effect immediately. AB 332 statutorily incorporates the former Alternative Management Standards (AMS) for Treated Wood Waste, which allowed preservative treated wood waste to be disposed in the composite lined portion of an approved solid waste landfill.
“The passage of AB 332 is a huge win for homeowners, contractors, builders, environmentalists and our infrastructure,” said Dallin Brooks, executive director of Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI). “The broad support for this bill reaffirms treated wood waste can safely be disposed while providing environmental benefits.”
For more on the new disposal standards in California, go to the Handling and Disposal section or read the full news release on the passage of AB 332 and future disposal of treated wood in California.
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Get the latest information for specifying Western preserved wood products under the AWPA Use Category system with an easy-to-understand infographic and a detailed PreserveSpec technical guide.
Both feature the up-to-date descriptions of Use Categories from the AWPA Book of Standards and provide specific information to help select the right preserved wood product. The infographic shows the most common uses for preserved wood at homes, including treated decking, posts, timbers, plywood and other wood products. Review the common preservatives available for Western species, as well as the recommended use category for typical construction applications. The PreserveSpec guide is one of a series of guides to assist those specifying preserved wood products for any project.
Download the new publications from our exclusive online Technical Library.
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Get some answers on preserved wood -- and some continuing education units, or CEUs -- with online courses through the Wood That Lasts eUniversity. The campus is open 24/7 for those who need to learn about preservative- and fire-retardant-treated wood products.
Featuring self-directed and narrated courses, the Wood That Lasts eUniversity is offered in cooperation with AEC Daily, an online education service that offers contining education to architects, designers, specifiers, contractors and building product distributors.
Unlike other schools, the campus is always open and the textbooks are available at no charge. The curriculm includes two courses:
- Preservative-Treated Wood: Specification and Use offers a detailed overview on preserved wood products. Sections include how wood is preservative treated, specifying using AWPA Use Categories, Best Management Practices for aquatic uses and the environmental benefits of preserved wood.
- Specifying and Using Fire-Retardant-Treated Wood reviews how wood is protected from fire by pressure treating retardants into the wood fiber. Topics include a history of fire retardant wood, how those products are used in construction and how fire retardants work.
You must complete the free registration with AEC Daily to download the courses and earn CEUs. Those taking the courses can earn continuing education credits (CEUs) available from more than 25 associations, including American Institute of Architects (AIA), Landscape Architecture Continuing Education (LA CES), National Assn. of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).
>> Review the Wood That Lasts eUniversity
Two top publications on preservative-treated wood are now available in foreign language editions for use in three countries.
The guides Preserved Wood: Wood that Lasts and Specifying with AWPA Use Categories have been translated into Chinese, Japanese and Spanish editions. The two guides offer key information about the benefits and uses of preserved wood, as well as important specification details for international customers who want to use the products.
Asian countries have expressed interest in preserved wood, given climate conditions that are conducive for decay and the presence of wood-destroying insects such as the Formosan termite. Also, in Mexico pressure-treated wood is popular in constructing facilities at resort destinations.
The publications will be used within the respective countries by trade offices supported by the Softwood Export Council (SEC). WWPI is a member of the SEC
>>See the international publications
Hear the story of preserved wood and the many advantages in using it in trails and other outdoor structures in a new video.
WWPI Sr. Program Manager Butch Bernhardt was invited to present an 18-minute talk without notes at the 2019 International Trails Symposium in Syracuse, New York. Bernhardt told trails managers and builders about the history of pressure-treated lumber and dispelled the many myths about preserved wood products.
"Despite its wide use, treated wood is often dismissed for being 'too' – too primitive, too much maintenance or too dangerous to the environment," said Bernhardt. "However, the real story of preserved wood today is far different than these perceptions."
Watch the video on the WWPI YouTube channel. The presentation was part of the new TRAILSNext speaker series by American Trails, a national non-profit organization representing the trail industry. The association professionally recorded all of the presentations and is making them available to their members.
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Determining any potential impacts from using preserved wood in aquatic or sensitive environments is now easier with a new, user-friendly Environmental Assessment Model.
The online model streamlines the process of modeling the conditions for a project to estimate the potential migration of preservatives from preservative-treated wood immersed or over water. It is based on pioneering research by Dr. Kenneth Brooks and has been peer reviewed, repeatedly field tested and proven to protect the environment.
The model, which is also available as an Excel spreadsheet, has been used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Park Service, Environment Canada and Canadian Department of Fisheries & Oceans as well as a host of local and state regulatory bodies.
For more information on the model, go to the Aquatics section or review materials in the Online Technical Library.
>> See the model
Corps removes treated wood ban
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has settled a lawsuit brought by the preserved wood industry and has agreed to allow the use of preserved wood over and near waters or wetlands.
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Get the latest developments on preserved wood and the Western Wood Preservers Institute on our Facebook page. Be sure to like us to get our regular updates!
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