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| Republican Governor Gary Herbert directed his air quality staff to prepare a draft rule banning wintertime stove use. |
Utah
Governor Herbert’s proposal to ban wintertime use of residential wood and
pellet stoves started a debate on the wrong foot. But it is vital that something is done and
there are several ways that wood smoke can be reduced on the Wasatch Front around Salt Lake City.
[Update, Jan. 20: In a setback to the stove industry campaign, Salt Lake County voted to ban use of all stoves during both voluntary and mandatory air action days as of 2016.]
First,
a phase out of all uncertified wood stoves is both realistic and
effective. A phase out would mean that
stoves made before 1988 could not be legally used after a certain date, such as
January 1st, 2017. Before that date, the
state could offer a tax credit to people who turn in their old stove and
upgrade to an EPA-certified pellet stove or gas stove. This would protect the investment of anyone
who bought a new EPA-certified wood stove in the last 25 years.
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| A series of public hearing on the proposed ban have elicited over- whelming popular opposition. |
Second,
all existing stoves could be grandfathered, but there also could be a ban on
installing new fireplaces or wood stoves in homes in the non-attainment
area. Pellet stoves could still be
installed as they can’t spew excessive smoke like wood stoves can if they are not
operated correctly. Many towns and valleys with bad inversions have stopped the
new installation of fireplaces and wood stoves.
Third,
as long as people can still buy and install wood stoves and fireplaces, Utah could
require that they be among the cleanest in the country. Next year the national standard will be 4.5
grams an hour for wood and pellet stoves.
On the Wasatch front, you could require new stoves not to emit more than
3 or even 2 grams an hour.
No
matter what strategy Utah chooses, the state must commit more resources to
implement and enforce it – even in the unlikely event they choose a full
seasonal ban. There will need to be
trained compliance officers responsible for educating homeowners, inspecting
homes, issuing warnings and, as a last resort, fines. Typically there will be a minority of people
who create the most smoke. If those
people can’t or won’t operate their stoves in a way that doesn’t create
excessive smoke, fines should be imposed, just as fines are imposed for
excessively loud music or any number of other nuisances.
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| In mountain valleys, wood smoke can make up more than 50% of PM during inversions. In the Salt Lake area, its less than 10%. |
Most
appliances are only regulated at the point of manufacture. After we purchase them, we are free to use a refrigerator
or washing machine as long as we want, and abuse them in any way if we so
choose. But for big emitters like cars
and stoves, some measures to ensure ongoing pollution reduction can be
warranted. For better or worse, many wood stoves last even longer than the best-made
refrigerators or washing machines. Consumers
tend to want to upgrade all sorts of appliances far sooner than they want to
upgrade their wood stove. But the
benefits of upgrading to a new stove are similar in that consumers are getting
a far more efficient and cleaner device.
And some good, new wood stoves cost as little as $700 at big-box
hardware stores.
We
think the solution to reducing wood smoke involves phasing out old stoves and issuing
periodic
fines to people who can’t operate their EPA certified stoves in ways
that don’t make them belch excessive smoke.
A compromise of limiting the seasonal ban to fewer counties in Utah and half
the duration – Jan. 1 to Feb. 15th, instead of Nov. 1st to March 15th – is an
option, but not a popular one. It may
not be an effective one, either.
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| Salt Lake City, during one of their frequent wintertime inversions. |
As a
society, we need to encourage the responsible use of renewable energy and
support household energy security.
Pellet stoves are already an environmentally responsible way to heat
homes. Wood stoves can be, but are more complicated, especially in densely
inhabited areas with inversions. A wood
stove is a far bigger emitter of pollution than a car, and we need to start
thinking about them as such. Just as
many states require emission testing when a second hand car is sold, Oregon has
begun requiring the removal of an old stove when a house gets sold. These are the sorts of solutions that can
also work in Utah.
Governor
Herbert is ready to make some tough decisions in order to accomplish something
everyone wants – cleaner air. This proposal goes too far, but there are many
other measures that can work, while respecting the ability of responsible stove
owners to use a renewable resource to heat their home. Regardless, Governor Herbert needs to show
that he is ready to provide some more funding and resources to enact and
enforce changes. Otherwise, all of this controversy
just amounts to hot air.
