9/12/05
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HEALTHY AIR
A COHMUNITT AND BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE
Could your family
be affected?
Just 20 old non-EPA-
certified wood stoves
can emit more than 1
ton of fine particles into
your community during
the cold months of the
year.
— U.S. EPA
Through a collaborative
effort, U.S. EPA Region
5 and the Hearth, Patio,
and Barbecue
Association
implemented the Great
Stove and Fireplace
Changeout Program.
Working closely with
the Great Lakes states
resulted in the removal
and destruction of over
1,200 old woodstoves.
Of these, 20 percent of
the residents switched
from wood heat to gas
while the other 60
percent switched to
more efficient and less
polluting EPA-certified
woodstoves or pellet
stoves.
— U.S. EPA
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SHEET
Reducing Air Pollution from:
Residential Wood Burning
Why do residents who burn wood need to
reduce air pollution?
People who are exposed to air toxics at
sufficient concentrations, for sufficient
durations, may increase their chances of
getting cancer or experiencing other serious
health effects, such as reproductive
problems, birth defects, and aggravated
asthma.
Pollution prevention can reduce the
impact of air pollution by using materials,
processes, or practices that reduce or
eliminate air pollution at the source.
During the winter months, some people
rely on woodstoves, fireplaces, or fireplace
inserts as the primary heating device to heat
a house or a room. Others enjoy the warmth
and ambience of wood heat and only burn
wood occasionally.
Wood is a renewable resource with some
benefits over non-renewable fossil fuels.
However, the smoke created from wood
burning can contribute significantly to air
pollution and public health problems.
State, local, and Tribal agencies may
already have in place pollution prevention
programs related to residential wood
burning. Check with your state, local, and
Tribal agencies for existing regulations.
What kinds of air pollutants may come
from residential wood burning?
• Smoke resulting from improperly burned
wood contains many chemical
substances that are considered harmful.
These include: some toxic air pollutants,
fine particle pollution, carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic
compounds (VOC).
• Toxic air pollutants are an important
component of wood smoke. A group of
toxic air pollutants known as poly cyclic
organic matter includes benzo(a)pyrene,
which may cause cancer.
• Particle pollution in smoke can damage
lung tissue and lead to serious
respiratory problems when breathed in
high concentrations. In low
concentrations, particle pollution in
wood smoke can harm the health of
children, the elderly, and those with
existing respiratory diseases.
How can residents reduce wood smoke air
pollution?
Making changes in wood burning
practices can stop pollutants at the source and
increase heating efficiency. By improving
these practices, people burning wood can
decrease emissions, reduce heating costs, and
protect family and public health.
Examples of changes in wood burning
practices include:
Considering Cleaner Fireplace Fuels
• Natural gas or propane stoves emit very
little pollution.
• Pellet stoves burn renewable dried wood
and sawdust and burn cleaner than cord
wood.
Heating More Efficiently
• Replace an old woodstove, fireplace, or
fireplace insert with new, more efficient,
EPA-certified equipment. New
woodstoves use less wood.
• Wood pellets in an appropriate pellet
stove produce 25% to 50% less pollution.
• Reduce heating needs by weatherizing.
Changing Burning Practices
• Burn only hardwoods that are clean, dry,
and seasoned because they produce lower
emissions of pollutants.
• Never burn garbage, trash, plastics,
paints, solvents, charcoal/coal, or treated
woods.
• Burn small, hot fires instead of large,
smoldering fires.
• Do not burn when the outdoor air quality
is poor.
Installing, Inspecting, and Maintaining
• Have your new heating appliances, such
as an EPA-certified woodstove,
professionally installed to ensure proper
operation.
• Have the chimney and the woodstove,
insert, or fireplace inspected annually by a
professional.
• Clean chimneys on a regular basis.
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COMMUNITY INFORMATION SHEET
Residential Wood Burning
9/12/05
How have government agencies already helped to
reduce wood smoke air pollution?
Some government agencies have already taken
measures to reduce air pollution from wood burning
appliances by:
• Restricting wood burning when local air quality is
poor.
• Banning or restricting the installation of wood-burning
appliances in new construction.
• Issuing air pollution emission standards and
establishing certification requirements for wood
heaters.
• Sponsoring woodstove changeout programs.
• Conducting information and outreach efforts.
Participate in the Great American Woodstove
Changeout!
• This campaign, sponsored by US EPA, the Hearth
Industry and others, uses educational information and
financial incentives to encourage residents to destroy
or trade in their old, uncertified, and inefficient
woodstoves.
• Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers may offer
cash rebates off the purchase price of a new cleaner
burning hearth product. See
www.epa.gov/woodstoves.
What else can you do to reduce air pollution from
residential wood burning?
Make Connections
• Get to know local wood burning equipment retailers.
They know best about the types of equipment available
for residential wood burning and the regulations with
which the equipment must comply.
• Get to know members of your community who burn
wood. They can share their concerns about residential
wood burning as well as ideas about how to reduce air
pollution from wood burning.
• Keep local media aware of progress by sending them
updates. Publicity can reward success and attract more
public involvement.
• Communicate the potential health, safety and financial
benefits of burning cleaner.
Make a Plan
• One idea is to form a work group that includes local
citizens and wood burning equipment retailers to develop
and implement workable pollution reduction plans.
Understand and communicate the health effects from
exposure to wood smoke.
Locate Resources
• Use the "For Further Information" list below to find
governmental and nonprofit contacts who can provide
help with analysis, technical information, equipment, and
funding.
Inform Your Community
• Hold public workshops to inform people on how to burn
wood more efficiently. See Canada's Burn It Smart
program for an effective model.
• Use public workshops to educate residents about new
woodstove and fireplace designs that are more efficient
and less polluting than old models.
Reward Communities
• Use media connections to encourage involvement and
provide coverage for successful efforts.
• Visibly display awards or certificates within the
community to increase interest.
For Further Information
US EPA's Clean Burning Woodstove and Fireplace Web Site: www.epa.gov/woodstoves
Great American Woodstove Changeout Campaign: http://www.epa.gov/woodstoves/changeout.html
Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association: www.hpba.org, (703) 522-0086
Woodburning Handbook: www.arb.ca.gov/cap/handbooks/wood_burning/wood_burning_handbook.pdf
Chimney Safety Institute of America: ~www.csia.org, (623) 547-0920
Canada's Burn It Smart Program: -www.burnitsmart.org/english/index.html
Community-Based Projects: www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/community.html
Community information, regional, state contacts: www.epa.gov/epahome/whereyoulive.htm
American Lung Association: www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9OOE&b=23354, 800-LUNG-USA
Great Stove and Fireplace Changeout Program: www.woodstovechangeout.org, (877) 81-STOVE [(877)-817-8683]
HEALTHY AIR: A COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE
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