Woodstoves
Clean Up Their
by Alex Wilson
The wood heating industry is
undergoing dramatic changes right
now. Lower oil prices have led to
lower consumer interest in wood
heat, which has hurt the industry. A
lot of wood heat companies have
dropped out of the picture. But there
is another factor that will alter the
picture even more. It will force more
companies out and it will permanently
transform the product itself.
What the industry faces now are new
Federal Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) emission standards,
modeled on laws already in place in
Oregon and Colorado.
The standards will be enforced in
two stages. The first, to be
implemented July 1, 1988, limits
emissions from wood stoves to 9
grams per hour (g/hr)