/ERAG£PDMROOFINGASSOCIATIONJanuary12,2008Ms.DeborahRabinRegulationsCoordinator,AirandRadiationManagementMarylandDepartmentoftheEnvironment1800WashingtonBoulevard,Suite730Baltimore,Maryland21230-1720Reference:ProposedRegulationforControlofEmissionsofVolatileOrganicCompoundsfromAdhesivesandSealantsDearMs.Rabin:Eachyearforthepastdecade,over22,000,000squarefeetofEPDMor“rubber”roofingsystemshavebeeninstalledinthestateofMarylandaccountingfor35%ofalllow-slopecommercialroofinginstallationsinthestate.Basedonindustryshipmentstatistics,noothersingleroofingmembraneisusedaswidelyinMarylandasEPDM.ThepreferenceforEPDMroofingsystemsbythebuildingownersofMarylandisbasedonanumberoffactors,butindustrysurveyssuggestthemostimportantfactoristheabilityofrubberroofingtowithstandextremeseasonaltemperatureswingswhileprovidingconsistentleak-freeperformanceoverdecadesofservice.ForcommercialroofingcontractorsinMaryland,thefactthatEPDMroofingsystemsmaybeeffectivelyinstalledonayear-roundbasisalsoisanimportantfactorinthepre-eminenceofrubberroofinginthestate.Althoughtherubberroofingindustryhasdevelopedlow-VOCadhesivesandsealantsthataresuitableforeffectiveinstallationduringthelatespring,summerandearlyfallinMaryland,thereisnocurrentlyavailabletechnologythatcansupplementtheneedforhigh-VOCadhesivestobondtherubbermembranetoroofsubstratesduringthecoldermonthsoftheyear.Becauseofthelackofeffectivelow-VOCinstallationtechnologyduringtheearlyspring,latefallandwintermonths,ERArecommendsaseasonalapproachtoVOCregulation,requiringlow-VOCadhesivesduringthewarmer“ozoneseason”monthswhilecontinuingtoallowhigh-VOCadhesivesduringthecoldermonthsoutsideoftheozoneseason.DocumentationforthisseasonalapproachisprovidedintheJanuary12,2007researchreporttitled,“TheLow-SlopeCommercialRoofingIndustryintheNortheastUnitedStatesandtheOzoneTransportCommissionModelRuleforAdhesivesandSealants:AStudyofRisksandOptionsforEffectiveImplementation”conductedbyTEGNOSResearch,Inc.andattachedforyourreview.7315WisconsinAye,Suite400E,Bethesda,MD20814•301.654.5090•Fax:301.951.8401•www.epdmroofs.orgN.InanefforttohelpassurethatsuchaseasonalapproachwillmaximizethereductionofVOCsduringtheozoneseasonandreduceconcernsthathigh-VOCadhesivesmightinadvertentlybeusedduringthewarmer,ozone-pronemonths,theEPDMRoofingAssociation(ERA)proposesthatanindustry-sponsoredprogrambeimplemented.ThemanufacturermembersoftheEPDMRoofingAssociationareresponsiblefortheshipmentofalmostallrubberroofingmembranesandover90%ofallrubberroofingbondingadhesivesintheNortheastUnitedStatesandMaryland.Giventhebroadinvolvementofourmembersinthesaleanddeliveryofrubberroofingadhesives,itwouldbereasonabletocalluponthemtoactthroughtheirtradeassociationtoprovideareliableandeffectiveprogramtoassurethathigh-VOCadhesivesarenotavailableorusedduringthecriticalozoneseason.Keyelementsofthisprograminclude:I.Amoratoriumonshipmentsofhigh-VOCbondingadhesivesbyERAmembersintoMarylandduringthemonthsofMaythroughSeptember.2.Amaximumlimitationonshipmentsofhigh-VOCbondingadhesivesintoMarylandduringthemonthsofMarchandAprilinordertoreducethepotentialforstockpilingpriortothestartoftheozoneseason.ThislimitationwouldbebasedonhistoricalshipmentrecordsofERAmembersalongwithareasonablepercentageincreaseformarketgrowth.Intheeventthataverylargeroofingprojectrequiresanunusualquantityofadhesiveduringthisperiod,anexceptionprogramalsowouldbeestablishedtoassureandverifythattheadhesivesareintendedforspecificidentifiedprojectsscheduledtobecompletedpriortothebeginningoftheozoneseason.3.Areportingprogramtoverifythata)allcustomerstocksofhigh-VOCadhesiveshavebeenusedpriortothebeginningoftheozoneseason,orb)anyremainingstocksofhighVOCadhesiveswillbesafelystoreduntiltheendoftheozoneseasonorreturnedtothemanufacturerfordisposalorre-shipmentoutsideofMaryland.4.AreportingprogramtoprovidetheMarylandDEPwithannualshipmentinformationandVOCcontentofallrubberroofingadhesivesshippedintoMaryland.Webelievesuchaprogramwouldbehighlyeffectiveinrestrictinghigh-VOCbondingadhesiveproductsduringtheozoneseasonwhileallowingroofingcontractorstocontinuetoprovideMarylandbuildingownerswithrubberroofingsystemsandrepairsonayear-roundbasis.Wearealsopreparedtoofferthisprogramtoanymanufacturerormarketerofsingle-plyroofingsystemsregardlessofmembershipinERA,providingthatthemanufacturerormarketerbearsareasonableandproportionatecostofthisprogramandcomplieswiththeregulationsoftheprogram.Inadditiontosponsoringanongoingprogramtoassurecompliance,ERAalsoproposestosponsorastate-wideworkertraininginitiativetoassurethattheapproximately20,000roofingworkersinMarylandareproperlytrainedintheeffectiveuseoflow-VOCbondingadhesiveproductsduringtheozoneseason,withaparticularemphasisonthetransitionalperiodsatthebeginningandendoftheseasonwhenapplicationoflow-VOCadhesivesmaybedifficult.Becauseover75%ofallcommercialsingle-plyroofingsystemsreceiveawarrantyissuedbythemanufacturer,ERAmembersalreadyareengagedinextensivecontractorsupporteffortsonoverL20millionsquarefeetofroofsinstalledeachyearinMaryland.Thesesupporteffortsincludeperiodicformaltrainingseminarsconductedbyexperiencedroofingeducators,on-the-roofandin-shoptrainingsessionsconductedbysalariedtechnicalrepresentativesofERAmembers,andongoingauditsandinspectionsofwarrantedroofingsystemsacrossthestate.Buildingontheseexistingtraining,auditandinspectionprograms,ERAproposestodevelopacomprehensivelow-VOCadhesivetrainingprogramthatcanreachall15,000roofingworkersinMarylandduringthetransitionperiodfrom2008through2010.Aswiththelong-termindustryreportingprogram,ERAispreparedtoofferparticipationinthistrainingprogramtoanymanufacturerormarketerofsingle-plyroofingsystemsregardlessofmembershipinERA,providingthatthemanufacturerormarketerbearsareasonableandproportionatecostofthisprogram.Insummary,ERAproposesthat1)theseasonalapproachtotheuseofrubberroofingbondingadhesivesasrecommendedintheTEGNOSResearchreportbeimplementedbyMaryland,2)anERA-sponsoredcomplianceprogrambeestablishedtoassurethatthisseasonalapproachissuccessfulinreducingVOCsduringtheozoneseason,and3)anERA-sponsoredtraininginitiativebeestablishedtoassurethatMarylandroofingworkersareeffectivelytrainedtouselow-VOCbondingadhesivesduringtheozoneseasonwithoutadverselyaffectingthequalityofroofinginstallationsinMaryland.Webelievethisproposalwillallowforasignificantreductioninroofing-relatedVOCswhilemaintainingtheyear-roundavailabilityofthemostpopularcommercialmembraneroofingsysteminthestateofMaryland.Representativesofourassociationwouldbehappytoclarifyanyelementofthisprogramandworkwithyoutoformallydefineandimplementthiscomplianceprogram.Sincerely,Jared0.BlumExecutiveDirector

# n