IRG Newsletter 0306

03/2006 30 June

Member News

New members
IRG welcomes the following new members.
READ INFORMATION

Gareth Williams Scholarship Award
The Gareth Williams Scholarship Award by Arch Chemicals is given to the best student presentation at an IRG Annual Conference. At IRG 37 in Tromsø, Norway, the Award went to Mr Christian Welzbacher, Federal Research Center for Forestry and Forest Products (BFH), Hamburg, Germany for his excellent paper on 'High-energy multiple impact (HEMI) -test - Part2: A mechanical test for the detection of fungal decay', co-authored by Christian Brischke and Andreas Rapp, see IRG/WP 06-20339.

Honorary Life-Long Membership
During the 37th Annual Meeting in Tromsø, Norway, Prof Dr John N R Ruddick, University of British Columbia, and Dr Rolf-Dieter Peek, BFH Hamburg, were honoured with Life-Long Membership for their outstanding contributions to the IRG.

Regulatory News

Europe: Chromium - active substance or fixative?
The UK competent authority (HSE) has published a newsletter on chromium approvals in wood preservation. In summary, the HSE state:
'The UK CA has evaluated some data submitted by industry and our preliminary conclusion is that, consistent with label claims made on wood preservatives currently on the market, chromium is an active substance. We have sent our opinion to the EC and informed them that all UK chromium containing wood preservatives will have to be removed from the market by 1st September 2006.
Read more here

Australia: Changes with timing for CCA restrictions in Australia
The APVMA have announced that the declaration of CCA products as restricted chemical products (RCP) in Australia has been deferred until the end of September 2006.
(From Friday Offcuts – 16 June 2006.
Read more here

Australia: Dealing with CCA structures in the playground
As Australia tightens up on the use of copper-chromium-arsenic (CCA) treated timber in places where regular human contact is likely, Ensis scientists are seeking to clarify the fate of existing structures. The Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) recently completed a review of the use of CCA treated timber. The outcome of the review is that CCA can no longer be used to treat timber for applications such as playground equipment, handrails, picnic tables and decking.
Ensis wood treatment leader, Dr Laurie Cookson says that in the wake of this ruling, there is now a need to clarify whether existing structures are safe or should be removed. "While the USA Environmental Protection Agency took a similar approach in restricting the use of CCA-treated timber for new domestic structures, they did make a clear statement that existing structures need not be removed". In a bid to quantify the health risk posed by existing structures, Ensis investigated soils in a number of kindergarten playgrounds.
(From Friday Offcuts – 16 June 2006.
Read more here

Australia: Quarantine restrictions on NZ pine and Douglas fir
In March the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) imposed an import restrictions ban on New Zealand Radiata pine and Douglas fir which had not been heat treated. The move follows the discovery of Phytophthora kernoviae, a plant pathogen, in New Zealand. However, after a week of negotiations between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and AQIS, product "on the water" at the time the ban was implemented was released without heat treatment requirements. All future shipments must be heat treated before leaving New Zealand.
Australia only has three AQIS-approved heat treatment plants - one each in Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria. The Victoria plant, however, was unable to treat the size and scale of New Zealand product, and no plant exists in the major market of New South Wales. Discussions between AQIS and MAF continue regarding the ongoing implementation of the restrictions. Source: NZT&E, 25 May 2006
(From Friday Offcuts – 09 June 2006.

Australia: Shake-up of the NZ Leaky Homes Service
The Minister for Building Issues announced on the 12 May 2006 that the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service will receive NZ$30.5 million investment from government.
(From Friday Offcuts – 09 June 2006.
Read more here

Australia: Fumigation treatment for logs into China
Xiuyu Port, located in Putian, Fujian province, is the only place that accepts imported logs coming directly to China by sea without fumigation treatment. Currently the fumigation facility, which has been officially put into operation, can treat 3 million m3 of imported logs per year. Recently, the Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) indicated that logs from Alaska, US can be exported directly to this area without fumigation treatment. To form a complete facility with the fumigation area, a timber processing area has been under construction since April 2005, with a total planned area of 13,340 hectares. The first stage of the development will cover an area of 3,335 hectares. To date, the area has attracted investors from the United States and Japan. Thirty three investment contracts have been signed, worth US$283.6 million (RMB 2.3 billion). This provides an opportunity for companies to export logs to China without fumigation treatment.
Source: NZT&E, 4 May 2006
(From Friday Offcuts – 26 May 2006.

Australia: Wood packaging requirements for Australia
Biosecurity Australia has released their final report for the Technical Justification for Australia's Requirement for Wood Packaging Material to be Bark Free on 3 May 2006. The review provides the technical justification to support the continuation of Australia's long standing requirement that wood packing material be bark free.
Copies of the memorandum and the final report "Technical Justification for Australia's Requirement for Wood Packaging Material to be Bark Free" are available from Biosecurity Australia
(From Friday Offcuts – 19 May 2006.
Read more here

Business News

Situations Vacant:

Arch Timber Protection: Development Chemist or Wood Scientist
Arch Timber Protection based in the UK at Castleford, West Yorkshire, has a job vacancy for a development chemist or wood scientist to work in their Technical Centre. This challenging role will involve work on projects for across Europe. Consideration will be given to both recently qualified and experienced personnel.
For further information please contact Andrew Hughes.

Lonza: Product & Application Development Chemist
Lonza Inc. has a Job Opening in Allendale, NJ, USA for a Product & Application Development Chemist to conduct original and independent research that results in new products and applications needed to support Lonza's Wood Business. The applicant must be able to initiate, manage and execute experimental programs needed to create new or improved products and formulatons. He has to actively participate in industry organizations and customer interactions.
Read more here
For a full detailed specification please contact Terri Romeo.

Japan: Technology transforms wood into plastic-like material
A technology which transforms wood into plastic-like three-dimensional forms has been recently developed by the Aichi Industrial Technology Institute, Japan. The form is obtained by applying steam to the wood to accentuate certain properties such as heat flow and self adhesiveness. To adjust the wood form, the wood material is turned into powder and processed with steam. Then, it is shaped in a container with heat and pressure. In initial tests, plastic-like forms were obtained from lingo-cellulosic material such as wood, rice hull, cut grass and newspaper.
Source: ITTO Tropical Timber Market Report (TTM) 11:10 16-31 May 2006
(From Friday Offcuts – 02 June 2006.

Australia/New Zealand: Timber treatment technology updates
Timber Preservation 2006 will involve all the major chemical and service suppliers to the Australasian industry, key researchers, the two associations in Australia representing the industry and treated timber producers. The technology series will be the third independent Timber Preservation series of practical workshops and managed exhibitions run in the past six years. Two years ago, there were full houses at both venues. Discussions on new technologies, process improvements and issues facing timber treatment operations were certainly controversial. This latest series will be even more contentious and comprehensive. Timber Preservation 2006 will run in Rotorua on 13-14 September, again in Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast on 18-19 September, and in Brisbane, Australia on 18 - 19 September.
(From Friday Offcuts – 05 May 2006).
Read more here

Brazil: Wood preservation vital in major economic sectors
A recent study from the Brazilian Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) revealed that wood preservation is vital in at least four major economic sectors, namely agri-business, railroad, electricity and civil construction. In the agri-business sector, there are growing opportunities for trade in treated wood products used for fencing. Moreover, the performance and durability of agricultural equipments made from treated wood, such as poles for electricity and phone lines, can generate competitiveness in this sector. In the railroad sector, the opportunity is associated with modernisation of the national infrastructure, particularly in main railroad projects currently under implementation: the New TransNordestina and North-South railroads. These projects will provide opportunities for almost 3.3 million of treated wood pieces. With regards to the electric sector, Brazil is heavily investing in new power plants to expand its energy capacity (over $4 billion up to 2008), bringing up opportunities for increasing demand for treated wood poles. Meanwhile, in the civil construction sector, new credit lines for middle-class housing and the reduction of the Industrialized Product Tax (IPI) for a basket of 26 retail products, including materials for civil construction, are expanding wood product demand throughout the country. The study points out opportunities of increasing demand for wood components and parts such as structural wood, beams, doors and treated wood frames.
Source: ITTO Tropical Timber Market Report (TTM) 11:10 16-31 May 2006

Scientific News

European Platform on LCA – networking workshop in The Hague
On 10th May, the status of this European Commission project was presented to a stakeholder workshop in the context of the SETAC Europe Annual Meeting. One task of the Platform project is the development of a European reference core database (ELCD).
Read more about LCA

People in the News

Carl Bechgaard dead
Carl Bechgaard, one of the Group's Honorary-Life Long Members, died on 31 May 2006. An obituary will be published in the next issue of the Newsletter.

IRG Secretariat News

IRG 37 in Tromsø, Norway

The 37th Annual Meeting in Tromsø on 18-22 June 2006 attracted a total of 273 attendees (inc 43 companions) from 39 countries. Fred Evans and his team can now relax after a successful event. Nearly 100 papers were presented in plenary and working party sessions and a special session on composites chaired by Mr Paul Merrick was arranged.

During the Plenary and committee meetings the following was decided:

All fees will remain the same in 2007. A special conference fee for corresponding members will be introduced.
Three new members were elected for the Executive Council: Mr Jack Norton, Australia, Dr Ina Stephan, Germany and Dr Jeff Lloyd, USA.
A new team for Section 3 was approved by the Plenary: Prof Dr Marko Petric, Slovenia, and Dr Radu Craciun, USA.
Mr Jöran Jermer was appointed to another term as Secretary-General.
The Plenary endorsed an application from China to host the meeting in 2009.
Revised guidelines for the Secretariat and Trustees were approved.
The guidelines for membership and travel awards will be reviewed before the next meeting.

As potential themes for special sessions at the next meeting, the following were discussed in the Scientific Programme Committee (SPC):

Coatings
Coatings and aesthetics
Quality control for non-biocidal treatments
Review of promotional activities
Prediction of Service Life
Life Cycle Analysis of treated wood and competing materials

Members interested in those themes and ready to present papers are advised to contact Dr Gérard Deroubaix, chairman of the SPC.

The organising committee will put some pictures taken at the Tromsø Conference at the IRG37 web-site after 3 July.

IRG 38 in Jackson Lake, USA
Please mark 20-24 May 2007 in your diary for the 38th Annual Meeting of IRG in Jackson, Wyoming, USA.

The Secretariat is moving to a new location
From 1 July 2006 The IRG Secretariat will be located at SP Trätek, Drottning Kristinas väg 67 in Stockholm. Postal address, e-mail, tel and fax will remain the same.

IRG Secretariat new location

New location of the IRG Secretariat

The Compendium updates
The web-based Compendium will be updated with all documents issued for the 37th Annual Meeting in Tromsø by 1 August.
Please note that log in information to the Compendium has been e-mailed to all fully paid-up members and sponsors. Click on "Search an IRG document" on the IRG website and then on "Sign in".
Please report any difficulties you may have to get access to the Compendium.

Sponsor the IRG e-Newsletter!
IRG regular sponsors and members' institutes are kindly invited to sponsor the production of the IRG e-Newsletter in order to cover the costs involved for production of the same.
The IRG e-Newsletter is scheduled for six issues per year, and for each issue a sponsor is welcome. The fee for sponsoring the e-Newsletter is USD 275 (SEK 2.100) in 2006. The e-Newsletter sponsor will then get the company/institute logo on the front page and a link to the company/institute website.
For sponsoring the third 2006 issue of the e-Newsletter, Troy Corporation is kindly acknowledged. Please contact the IRG Secretariat, if you are interested in sponsoring the e-Newsletter.

Legal Information
Read legal information here

Editorial
If you have information related to wood protection being of general interest for Regular Members, Student Members or IRG Sponsors, please email to the NiB editor with the name of the web page and the URL.