Questions and Answers on Treatments for Timber Bridge Construction:

Q: Why did the industry make this transition?

Preservative manufacturers have been in discussions with the EPA as part of the periodic review and re-registration process for CCA, the most widely used preservative on the market today.

Since early 2001, the policy debate about new standards for arsenic in drinking water has prompted substantial media attention.  Although treated wood represents a tiny fraction compared to all the natural sources of arsenic in the environment, the preservative manufacturers have developed new lines of non-arsenic-based preservatives.  To be responsive to current and anticipated customer interest, the manufacturers told EPA they would complete the transition to these new-generation preservatives for non-industrial wood products by the end of 2003.

Q: Is CCA-treated wood safe?

Absolutely.  Study after study has shown it is safe.  One analysis by the Florida Department of Health shows that a child would have to eat a spoonful of dirt - taken from right next to a CCA treated play set - every day, for 30 years, before there would be a potential health effect.

Q: If CCA-treated wood is safe, why change?

The fundamental safety of CCA-treated wood has not changed, but perceptions in the marketplace have.  The preserved wood industry stands by the safety of all wood products treated with CCA, which have been used for nearly 70 years.  Manufacturers have made a decision to be responsive to customer interest in new preservatives that provide the same benefits of CCA-treated wood.  The time is right now because the industry has developed this new generation of preservatives and can begin the transition.

Q: What are these new generation preservatives?

The manufacturers have developed a number of excellent new preservatives that have been in use for more than a decade.  Wood treated with the new-generation preservatives is marketed under the names ACQ Preserve^®, NatureWood^® and Wolmanized^® Natural Select™ wood.  These products use copper-based preservatives with organic co-biocides.

Q: Are the new preservatives safe?

The new preservatives have been studied extensively and approved for use by EPA. Like CCA, they protect and extend the life of wood products for decades.

Q:  Are these products available today?

Yes, sufficient supplies of wood products treated with the new preservatives are on the market today.

Q: Will the new generation preserved wood products cost more?

Yes, the price difference is approximately 10 percent to 20 percent higher.

Q: Will CCA pressure treated wood still be available for consumer use?

Yes.  Wood treated with CCA before December 31, 2003, can continue to be processed through the normal commerce chain.  However, by mid-2004, these inventories will be exhausted and only CCA treated plywood, shakes and shingles will be available for consumer use.

Q: I understand wood products intended for non-consumer applications may continue to be treated with CCA.  Can you give me some examples?

Yes.  Examples would include: lumber and timber water use only; piles and poles; wood for highway construction; poles, piles, posts and plywood used on farms, wood for marine construction; lumber and plywood for permanent wood foundations; round poles and posts used in building construction; sawn timber to support residential and commercial structures, sawn cross arms, structural glued-laminated members; lumber, timbers and plywood for cooling towers, structural composite lumber, shakes and singles.  Keep in mind, two-inch dimension material is no longer produced.

Q: Can I do anything to prevent exposure from CCA-treated wood?

First of all, studies show that people could be exposed to 30-times more arsenic from food and water and other natural sources than they get from contact with CCA-preserved wood.  But if anyone is still concerned about exposure, there are simple steps that can be taken to minimize it - such as covering wooden tables before eating and regular hand washing.  If you work with preserved wood, safe handling instructions are detailed in the EPA-approved Consumer Safety Information Sheet.  For a copy, visit http://www.ccasafetyinfo.com. Industrial users should request a Material Safety Date Sheet (MSDS) from their supplier.

Q: Do you recommend the use of sealants?

While EPA has mentioned this possibility, the agency has also stated that CCA-treated wood doesn’t pose “unreasonable risks to the public” as is.  Sealants are not necessary from a health standpoint.

Q: Why use preservatives at all?

Preservatives make - and keep - the wood products sturdy, stable and safe.  They prevent decay, termite damage and extend the life of the products from just a few years to decades.