2/13/92

WASHINGTON: Lumber companies agreed yesterday to stop using arsenic-based preservatives in the wood used to build decks, playground equipment and picnic tables.

Arsenic causes cancer in people. Industry officials said their action was voluntary and chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood is safe.

The agreement, which followed discussions with the Environmental Proection Agency, would end the use of CCA by December 2003 in almost all the lumber used for residental projects. CCA is a powerful pesticide used to protect lumber from decay and insect damage.

Between now and then, the industry will reduce the amount of CCA-treated lumber produced, replacing it with wood treated with preservatives that do not contain arsenic.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 13, 2002

Answers

I was going to mention this a couple days ago. Two thoughts:

1. For those of you very concerned about the enviornment, this is good news.

2. For those of you who wanted to build with wood & ground in contact, _now_ would be a good time to buy your building materials.

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), February 13, 2002.

Looks like I'd better be down to the lumber yard in the next week or two and get my next poultry colony house materials.

.......Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), February 13, 2002.

Paul: Or live in a state that thumbs it's nose at federal regs.

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), February 13, 2002.

I wonder if CCA treated lumber will still be available for non-consumer applications. With CCA being phased out, what's left?

Anyone know what they'll be using for marine grade lumber? I know regular CCA is .4 but marine is 2.5. What are they going to use for bulkheads and piling?

-- Darren (df1@infi.net), February 13, 2002.

Darren: The short answer is no. They don't want us building anything that "may" destroy nature. That means no pilings for wharves & boat docks; no marine applications at all; no construction on the land or the water. They want America to look pristine like it did 500-yrs ago. It can and it can't. At least not with 270M people living here.

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

Wouldn't pilings and things like that be treated with creosote? As I recall, creosote is a byproduct of making turpentine.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 14, 2002.

Ken: Can't use creosote for pilings or any water application. If they thought CCA was dangerous, creosote is far worse. Railroad ties are still impregnated with creosote. Tip: Don't use old r/r ties for gardens. They leach creosote into the soil and it can poison the veggies. They are just fine for non-edible plants.

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

I was barely listening to the radio yesterday when the segment on this topic was on. They were interviewing someone from Consumer Reports. He said that yes, there was a replacement being made and that consumers should look for "ACQ". Maybe you could find more info on NPR's or Consumer Reports' website.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), February 14, 2002.

Bren: Easier than navigating NPR's site, here's a link that tells the whole story...http://www.bbslumber.com/acq.html

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

I heard on NPR that a replacement will be offered, of course, it will be more expensive. Guess I'll go stock up on landscape timbers (I use them for fence posts).

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), February 14, 2002.

I was thinking about ordering some marine grade 8x8 or 10x10 timbers for a two story pole barn. I figure they won't rot out in my lifetime or the next guy's. I guess I have to get busy.

I wonder if bulkheaders will start stockpiling the stuff. On the Jersey shore a lot of the houses are sitting on CCA treated piling. Replacing piling every few years isn't going to go over well.

-- Darren (df1@infi.net), February 14, 2002.

There is a earlier post & thread on the countryplans.com website about this at: http://countryplans.com/bbs/messages/2168.html

-- Freddie Snevitz (igetspamfrom@webposts.com), February 15, 2002.

Here is one alternative pressure treated wood using a non-toxic copper azole formulation. They call it Natural Select:

http://www.thunderized.com/ns.htm

I wonder how much of a premium it is over the arsenic treated wood.

Freddie

-- freddit snevitz (igetspamfrom@webposts.com), February 15, 2002.

I only have one question: Was it ever proved that children became sick and/or died as a result of coming in contact with playground equipment treated with CCA?

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), February 16, 2002.

Yes, studies proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that exposure ESPECIALLY to children is a definite RISK.

Unfortunately the majority of "proof" that is required is do children fall over dead after playing on contaminated wood or soil?

The answer is an obvious NO...it is the cumulative effect. And children being small cannot tolerate the same ppm as healthy adults.

The same is true for EMF, EMR, and the Chemicals used in agriculture, gardening, fungicides, etc.

In Orlando to heavy an application of chemicals in a park caused INSTANT DEATH to thousands of birds and water foul...too many ppm for their size and metabolism. They literally fell from the sky dead.

The same is with the fungicide "Benlate"...exposure causes a permenant change in a DNA chromosone....the children born of the adults who were exposed (40 States and 11 Countries) are being born without eyes.

It is not that we can go back 500 years...

But it is NOT ALWAYS better living through Chemistry.

-- BC (katnip364@aol.com), February 19, 2002.