If you’re going to increase costs on folks who likely have to use a wood burning stove to heat their home, I think it is safe to say that this is another aspect of the real “War on the Poor.”
EPA FINALIZES RULE FOR FURNACES, WOOD STOVES: EPA yesterday released its final pollution control rule covering wood heaters and stoves, the first update since 1988, aimed at cutting back on emissions of particle pollution and volatile organic compounds like carbon monoxide. EPA says public health benefits will be between $3.4 billion and $7.6 billion annually, far more than the estimated $45.7 million annualized cost. EPA estimates the rule will avoid between 360 and 810 premature deaths each year, and cut 46,000 tons of carbon monoxide and 9,300 tons of VOCs per year. The 344-page pre-publication rule: http://1.usa.gov/16AW9S0
Cold yet? Forced to fire up the old wood burning stove? Well, heat it up while you can, because the EPA is hoping to put a stop to that too.
Congressman Steve Daines (R-MT) is weighing in.
FULL PRESS RELEASE
DAINES CALLS FOR ANSWERS ON NEW EPA WOOD BURNING STOVE REGULATIONS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Steve Daines has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide clear answers on the agency’s proposed regulations on wood burning stoves, expressing his concerns that the new rule could affect Montanans’ access to affordable energy and limit their ability to use wood burning stoves.
In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Daines noted that numerous Montanans rely on wood-burning stoves to heat their homes, and expressed his concern that Montanans’ interests have not yet been taken into consideration as the rule has been formed. The proposed rule is projected to have a $15.7 million annual compliance cost.
“Thousands of Montanans use wood stoves to provide cost-effective heat, and there are questions and concerns about whether the proposed regulation will affect access to new residential wood heaters, or ultimately force consumers to pay higher prices,” Daines stated. “I believe it is crucial that the EPA consider the feasibility of implementing the proposed rule and whether the agency’s policies would reduce access to affordable, reliable wood stoves in the future.”
The proposed EPA regulations come on the heels of lawsuits filed in October 2013 by seven states and four groups. In its proposed 2014 rule, the EPA points out that litigation likewise contributed to its initial rule on wood-burning stoves in 1988. Daines’ letter to McCarthy comes after hearing from Montanans concerned that the regulations could raise costs on new wood-burning stoves and potentially foreshadow additional regulations in the future affecting currently-owned wood burning stoves.
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