Pallet makers welcome USDA discussions

Pallet makers welcome USDA discussions    The wood pallet industry is ready to provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service with plenty of input on how to prevent the domestic spread of pests through untreated wood packaging and firewood.
   The agency recently announced that it would hold several meetings throughout the country in late August and September.

Scholnick

   'We have been fighting for these public meetings a long time,' said Bruce Scholnick, president and chief executive officer of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association.
   The association has long been a proponent of ensuring that pallets for both international and domestic commerce are treated in accordance with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, which requires the use of either standard heat treatment or a fumigation procedure. Pallet makers have become increasingly frustrated by the proliferation of state and regional quarantines of wood packaging materials.
   For dates and locations of the USDA meetings, access the Federal Register notice.