Treated Wood in Transition:
Less Toxic Options in Preserved and Protected Wood

An Executive Summary is available for this article.

The treated wood industry is in the midst of major changes today. The leading treated wood product, chromated copper arsenate (CCA), was taken off the market for many uses at the beginning of 2004 (see EBN Vol. 11, No. 3). The mainstream, copper-based replacements for CCA corrode fasteners more rapidly than CCA, increasing the risk of collapse for thousands of decks and other structures. Some of the new chemical treatment systems are entering the market with very little scrutiny from regulators, while one of the most promising treatment alternatives, TimberSIL™, is the target of a campaign by the industry to get regulators to reclassify it as a toxic chemical—even though it isn’t toxic. And meanwhile, the 60 billion board feet (140 million m ³) of CCA-treated lumber that’s been put in service over the past 40 years is getting old; huge quantities are coming out of service and being disposed of, posing an environmental nightmare.
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