The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a massive new effort to test the safety of pressure treated wood infused with arsenic. The Federal agencies say that they will test pressure treated wood used in city parks, public and private schools, and day care centers, as well as wood products sold at home improvement stores such as Lowes and Home Depot. The agencies will also analyze over 750 soil samples taken from possibly affected areas.

Consumer groups and public safety advocates around the country have called for increased regulation of pressure treated wood. Pressure treated wood is sprayed with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) and critics claim that over time arsenic leaches out of the wood and into surrounding soil and water supplies. In addition, anyone who physically comes into contact with the wood could have an increased risk of developing arsenic poisoning, which in turn may lead to birth defects, skin disorders, and cancer.

While critics welcome the government's willingness to further investigate the relationship between arsenic and pressure treated wood, many advocates wonder why such studies were not conducted years ago. Many hope that the renewed interest in testing pressure treated wood will lead to a ban of arsenic infused wood products.