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Why were emissions regulations implemented?
The goal was to reduce the unwanted pollutants in wood smoke from woodburning appliances from three pounds to half-a-pound each day. The EPA estimates that five years after implementation of the standard, these substances will be reduced by 436,000 tons. This benefits both the air and the earth. The agency estimates that, because clean burning appliances are also more efficient, during that same five year period, 700,000 fewer cords of wood will be burned.
What is the EPA emissions standard?
After July 1, 1992, retailers could only display and sell catalytic appliances with a maximum particulate emissions level of 4.1 grams per hour, and noncats that release no more than 7.5 grams per hour.
Do all woodburning appliances have to be certified?
No. The EPA has defined certain characteristics - such as air-to-fuel ratio and unit weight - which determine what will and will not be tested and certified. Appliances that fall outside of this "box" include cookstoves, boilers, furnaces, masonry heaters and some fireplaces. Many burning as clean, or cleaner, than EPA-certified products, they just fall outside the agency's definition, along with coal and gas appliances.
Can I burn my EPA Phase II-certified appliance during burn bans?
Absolutely. While about 40 areas across the U.S. with poor air quality ban uncertified stove use when pollution levels are high, you can burn your EPA Phase II-certified heater during "no burn" days. This is true in almost all areas of the United States. The only exception is during severe pollution episodes, when all burning is banned locally.
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