The EPDM Roofing Association, (ERA), as part of its advocacy work on the issue of VOC regulations, is alerting the industry to new information concerning implementation dates in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

BETHESDA, Md. - The EPDM Roofing Association, (ERA), as part of its advocacy work on the issue of VOC regulations, is alerting the industry to new information concerning implementation dates in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Specifically, regulations in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire will not be made effective in time for implementation in 2011.

VOCs (volatile organic compounds), found in adhesives and sealants used by the roofing industry, are regulated because high levels of emission of VOCs may contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. As part of the effort to achieve federally mandated standards in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the Ozone Transport Commission developed a Model Rule for Adhesives and Sealants. This model was based on regulations used in California, and incorporated provisions that were effective primarily in the climactic and market conditions of that state. Since the initial release of these model regulations, ERA has supported fair and reasonable efforts to reduce VOC emissions. However, since these conditions and practices differ significantly from those in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, ERA began an intensive campaign to inform individual state regulators of these differences and to ask for modifications in the regulations.

Based on these concerns raised by ERA, several states have incorporated a seasonal implementation schedule into draft regulations, and others have drafted language to incorporate a seasonal implementation schedule into their final regulations. These changes have allowed and will continue to allow sufficient time to test and phase in new low VOC materials, make process changes to meet the new standards, and train state contractors.

ERA will continue to stay abreast of these new regulations for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as they are developed, allowing the industry to know the exact parameters of the challenges it faces, and to work from a base of knowledge rather than guesswork. For more information, visit www.epdmroofs.org.