CARB stands for California Air Resources Board, also known as Air Resources Board (ARB). It is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. It was established in 1967 with the purpose of maintaining and improving air quality, and researching causes and solutions of air pollution. CARB's mandates, such as CARB 2 compliant MDF, are strict and usually are considered the standard across the United States.

What is CARB Phase 2 Compliant?

CARB Phase 1 and Phase 2 are a part of California's Composite Wood Products Regulation (CWP Regulation), which took effect in 2009 with Phase 1. The regulation has to do with reducing formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products, hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF). In the 2009 rollout of the CARB's Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM), formaldehyde emissions were capped at .08 parts per million (ppm). CARB Phase 2 went into effect in 2010 and has much lower formaldehyde emissions than the previous phase; set at .05 ppm. A main reason why the CARB ATCM is the strictest air quality measure is because it CAPS emissions levels. Other air quality standards are averages.