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"I wish more Canadians knew about these studies," says Henry Walthert, Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Treated Wood (CITW). "There‘s been so much misinformation about pressure treated wood and that has caused a lot of needless worry. Canadians should know that treated wood is safe to use and safe for children‘s playground equipment. The test results are there to Still, the experts advise, it‘s important to be informed and to use common sense. You want to make sure the treated wood is completely fixed before it is worked with and make sure it is free of surface deposits," Cooper says. "Beyond that, there is nothing to be concerned about." ‘"The best tests were done bu the U.S. Consumer Product Safety commission in 1990," says Cooper. "They were specifiâ€" cally related to playground equipment and the risk of skin cancer and they determined the risk was less than one in a million. Even in the worst case scenarios, it was nine in one million. That compares to 8,600 per million who contract skin cancer from the sun and other sources." In other words, is it safe for children to ‘crawl around playground equipment that is made from treated wood? And if your child touches the wood and then licks his or her hands, is there any danâ€" ger? studies. Most of the risk assessments Cooper Examined were based on soâ€" called "dislodgeability" tests. These tests examined whether the toxic components of wood preservatives can be dislodged from treated wood in significant amounts when the product is wet or rubbed. (Contined from page 22) Preserve forests by extending life of wood Today, every tree counts. Our forests must be protected and the wood we harâ€" vest wisely used. It‘s a question of proâ€" tecting the environment and conserving one of nature‘s most valuable and versaâ€" tile resources. The fact is, there are preâ€" cious few substitutes for wood. That‘s when pressure treated wood comes in. According to Walthert, carefulâ€" ly selected timber, pressure treated with a preservative after it is cut and before it is used, "will last up to four times longer than untreated wood." Each year, that saves hundreds of thousands of trees â€" not to mention millions of dollars in "One of the best ways to help conâ€" serve Canadian forests is simply to extend the service life of the wood we used," says Henry Walthert, Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Treated Wood (CITW). "If we just make sure the wood we use stays strong and lasts a long time, we‘ll end up cutting down a lot less trees." The pamphlet, called Treated Wood Saves Trees, is available free of charge by calling 1â€"800â€"463â€"TREE. As part of its consumer information program, the CITW has produced a brochure that examines the health, safety and environmental aspects of pressure treated wood products. Wood preservatives used in Canada meet all the requirements and standards of the Pest Control Products Act adminisâ€" tered by Agriculture Canada. Doâ€"itâ€"yourâ€" self carpenters have been using pressure treated wood for decades to build everyâ€" thing from outdoor decks and activity centres to storage sheds, fences, gazebos. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFTTS "Let‘s take an average backyard deck," Walthert continues. "That might call for two or three trees to begin with, but you‘ll probably need to replace all or part of your deck every few years if you‘re working with untreated wood . On the other hand, if you‘re using pressure treated wood to build the deck, it could last up to 50 years." The CITW launched a strong environmental program several years ago. The goals of the program, called Treated Wood Saves Trees, are to establish firm environmental guidelines for CITW members and to provide inforâ€" mation to consumers about the benefits of treated wood products. The CITW also works with government agencies to proâ€" mote health and safety standards. A wide maintenance and replacement Lowest pri badekrmRobinsmTa'mlbedmthheldtdmwi&wngxm mmymgtw\mzflebya i, large balcony. Convenient downtown Efstyk,walkbh&tbmmmstammdsfig{gkmwdpmandflm}ietflms. CHRISTOPHER INVIDIATA Saes Rep. 3389000 _ $125,000 HALL fpoutaune Over $10 million in sales in 1993 [€EALNY CORP. Thanks To You Although some species of trees are more naturally durable than others, timâ€" ber is never completely immune to decay. While the heartwood from dense, impermeable darkâ€"colored timber tends to be more resistant than light, porous, paleâ€"colored timber, no wood is indeâ€" structible as it battles natural enemies. Fungi, insects and millions of microorâ€" ganisms feed on wood and cause rot and decay. That‘s especially true wherever wood comes in contact with the ground or water. variety of information about pressure treated wood is available to the public free of charge from the CITW in Ottawa. This includes a useful brochure that addresses issues of health, safety and the environment. CHRISTOPHER INVIDIATA cles Representative