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Woodstoves: Will They be Outlawed?
An overview of EPA woodstove emissions regulations
Q: We'd love to install one of your beautiful wood stoves, but my husband is concerned about upcoming EPA emissions regulations. He says he has
heard that wood burning is going to be outlawed soon, and doesn't want to shell out good money for a stove we can't use. Are you aware of any
pending legislation that will make burning wood illegal?
A: We get this inquiry fairly often, and it is a sad example of how newspapers trade on sensationalism. When the EPA first started looking
at woodstove particulate emissions, the front pages were emblazoned with headlines screaming, WOOD STOVES TO BE OUTLAWED!! When the
regulations which specifically allow wood burning were subsequently passed, the story got maybe one paragraph on page 23. People are still talking
about the headlines, and that's where your husband most likely got his mistaken impression.
The fact is, EPA woodstove regulations aren't upcoming; they're ongoing. When cleaner burning woodstove technology first emerged in the
mid-80's, the EPA announced a four-year, two-phase plan to incorporate this technology into every new woodstove to be sold in the US. The
regulations pertaining to woodstove exhaust are very similar to those that apply to automobile exhaust. Older technology cars may remain on the
road and old technology woodstoves may remain on the flue, but any new car or woodstove sold must comply with current emissions standards. As
the old-technology cars and woodstoves die off and are replaced with new-technology models, air quality is automatically improved.
Here's a brief description of the history of EPA woodstove emissions legislation:
1970's: Spiraling fuel prices cause consumers to turn to airtight woodstoves as an economical heating alternative. A typical airtight woodstove of
this vintage emits 40-60 grams of particulates into the airshed every hour, and airborne wood smoke particulates become a problem in rural areas
where woodburning is prevalent.
Early 1980's: State and Federal EPA offices set up air testing stations to study woodstove particulates. Several States pass legislation limiting
woodstove emissions: some areas institute "burn bans", which limit or prohibit woodstove use during periods of high airborne particulate pollution.
Mid 1980's: Motivated by existing and pending emissions regulations, woodstove manufacturers develop and introduce new, "clean air" reburn
designs which dramatically reduce particulate woodstove emissions. There are two designs that prove effective: Catalytic woodstoves reburn the
exhaust gases by causing the exhaust gases to come into contact with a catalytic converter element, similar to those used in automobiles;
non-catalytic designs cause the exhaust gases to reburn in a secondary burn chamber located at the top of the firebox. The public shies away from
these newfangled critters, which are a little more complicated and slightly more expensive than the older, more familiar high emissions designs. The
EPA decides that a slight nudge will be needed to speed up implementation of the new technology, and legislation is drafted regulating wood-burning
heater emissions on a national level. Because catalytic converters become less effective over their 3-5 year lifespans, it is decided to hold new
catalytic-equipped woodstoves to a lower emissions standard*. Wood furnaces, site-built masonry fireplaces and wood cookstoves are exempted
from Federal EPA emissions requirements (a complete list of exempted appliances can be viewed on the EPA's website by clicking here ).
July 1, 1988: The EPA's Phase I regulations go into effect. All woodstoves manufactured after this date must emit fewer than 8.5 grams of
particulates per hour (5.5 grams/hr if catalytic equipped), and are to be exempted from local "burn bans". Existing inventories of non-approved
woodstoves may continue to be sold intil 1990.
July 1, 1990: All woodstoves sold at retail after this date must comply with Phase I emissions regulations.
July 1, 1990: Phase II regulations go into effect. All woodstoves manufactured after this date must comply with Phase II limits of 7.5 grams/hr (4.1
grams/hr if catalytic equipped). Existing inventories of Phase I approved woodstoves may continue to be sold intil 1992.
July 1, 1992: All woodstoves sold at retail after this date must comply with Phase II emissions regulations.
1992-2000: EPA approved woodstove owners report a dramatic decrease in fuel usage. Chimney Sweeps notice a tremendous decrease in creosote
formation in flues venting EPA approved stoves. As the number of homes being heated with "clean air" woodstoves increases, areas that had
experienced numerous "burn ban" episodes each Winter due to wood smoke pollution back in the 1980's report no such incident days whatsoever.
July 1, 2000: Latest Revision of the Clean Air Act: in the spirit of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", Phase II woodstove emissions standards remain
unchanged.
As you can see, the EPA woodstove emissions legislation was never designed to outlaw woodburning. The intent was to cause a gradual changeout
of the old 40-60 gram "smoke dragons" for the new, environmentally friendly models. And, twelve years later, the program has been an unqualified
success: the EPA estimates that these higher efficiency woodstoves save the nation $29 million annually by reducing wood use and the need for
chimney cleanings.
The Future: EPA air quality studies continue, and woodstove design engineers just can't seem to stop tweaking their reburn designs, so it is possible
the EPA will introduce even stricter woodstove emissions regulations, perhaps modeled after Washington State's limit of 4.5 grams/hr (2.5 grams if
catalytic equipped). Even if the 4.5 gram standard goes nationwide before your husband finally lays his fears aside and gets a woodstove, tell him
not to worry, he'll still have a good selection to choose from: all the woodstoves and wood-burning inserts we sell already burn clean enough to pass
even a 4.5 gram standard.
To read the actual text of the wood stove emissions regulations on the EPA's website, click here.
*To read about other differences between catalytic and non-catalytic woodstoves, click here.
To read about our own real-world test of the new clean-burning technology, click here.
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