For tersr CA

Itr/OOD preservers have until December 31, 2003 to V V discontinue treating with CCA for residential applications-and timing is everything. No one wants to be caught selling products their customers don't want or to be unable to produce what they do want.

Yet while treaters and dealers across the country slowly, often reluctantly wean themselves from CCA products, wood preservers in the West appear to be ahead of the curve when it comes to alternative chemicals.

Royal Pacific Industries, McMinnville, Or., is "almost completely borates," says Keli Von Pinnon. "We phased out CCA at the end of last year. We've been doing borates for the last seven or eight years, and it's been a natural progression for us. Our customers were ahead of the curve."

Pacific Wood Preserving Cos. reportedly produces more borate-treated wood than any other treater in the U.S. and more ACQ-treated wood than any other treater on the West Coast. Among 12 installed retorts at four locations, only one conversion remains-its Arizona Pacific Wood Preserving, which will switch its CCA cylinder to ACQ by September. The Eloy, Az., facility also has been using PacBor borates for eight years.

Pacific Wood Preserving of Bakersfield, Ca., has used Pac-Bor for the last nine years and ACQ for the last five. Nevada Wood Preserving uses Pac-Bor, pentachlorophenol and CCA, which it likely will continue for industrial purposes. Its newest location, Pacific Wood Preserving of Oregon, Sheridan, Or., has five retorts, offering Pac-Bor, ACQ, Hi-Bor (clear and colored), CuNap-8 and staining.

"It has been our position for several years that due to public pressure and the work of environmental advocacy groups, it would be likely that there would be restrictions placed upon the 'traditional' wood preservatives, and hence our early start in the direction of producing low environmental impact products," explains PWP president Dick Jackson. "Also, our success in selling the new generation of preservatives prior to the EPA label change new generation of preservatives prior to the EPA label change demonstrates that there is a market for these preservatives, and that consumers and contractors in many cases prefer them." demonstrates that there is a market for these preservatives, and that consumers and contractors in many cases prefer them."

Last year, Allweather Wood Treaters added NatureWood ACQ at its facilities in Medford, Or.; Washougal, Wa., and Fort Collins, Co. The majority of production remains CCA, but the copper-based alternative is making steady gains.

"NatureWood is 4-57o of production in Fort CoIlins,'l7o

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