Wood boiler law addresses health concerns

By Kathy McCarty  
Staff Writer
    Outdoor wood boilers have gained in popularity with the rise in heating costs, and so too have emission complaints. Regulation changes went into effect last fall designed to address such concerns.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
REASON FOR CONCERN? — Health concerns over emissions from outdoor wood boilers resulted in a change to laws regulating such units. Here, a boiler at a business shows an extended smoke stack that was installed to bring the unit up to date. The raised stack helps keep the smoke from lingering closer to the building, improving air quality for those in the vicinity of the boiler.
    “The change in emission regulations for wood boilers came about due to concerns about how low smoke from the boilers hangs in the air, especially on really cold mornings. This affects everyone, including residences,” said Nick Archer, regional director of the Department of Environmental Protection office, in Presque Isle.
    The emergency legislation, according to Archer, was the result of complaints and the health effects of smoke from the boilers.
    “There was a problem in designing the units. The water jacket cools the fire so quickly, not all the fuel goes up the smoke stack. In 1990, the EPA put in regulations requiring catalytic converters on woodstoves. In 2007, outdoor wood-fired boilers – existing units – didn’t meet opacity requirements,” said Archer, explaining the smoke was basically too thick – both in texture and color.
    DEP officials were able to offer some advice on ways to correct such problems.
    “Fuel up in moderation. New Smoke density guidelines require 30 percent opacity on a six-minute average, with a two- to six-minute exemption to start the boiler,” said Jim Gramlich, Bureau of Air Quality, MDEP.
    Gramlich said there was also a ‘nuisance clause’ designed to prevent excessive smoke drifting into a neighbor’s air space.
    “The nuisance clause says if smoke goes onto neighboring property for 12 minutes within a one-hour period, the owner is in violation of the new requirements,” he said.
     Gramlich said the new law’s criteria “essentially does away with units in town.”
    “There’s a 250-foot setback from the property line required. That means you’d have to have 5-7 acres minimum lot size on a square lot to install a boiler now,” said Gramlich, noting this was considered ‘phase 2’ of the legal changes.
    Units in place prior to the law taking effect last fall were grandfathered, Gramlich said.
    “Existing units were grandfathered (allowed to remain). Anything installed after Nov. 9, 2007, has to meet the setback,” he said.
    Stoves designed for use inside have fewer emission problems as outdoor units.
    “You get a small, hot fire with pellet and corn stoves. They burn much cleaner than outdoor boilers,” said Gramlich.
    DEP officials recommend using clean wood and wood pellets in outdoor boilers.
    “People shouldn’t burn demolition debris and trash in any stove, including outdoor units,” said Archer.
    In addition to the setback in residential areas, new requirements include a 500-foot setback from schools, daycares and health care facilities. Another change is for stack height.
    “Stack height should be a minimum of 10 feet or 2 feet above your building, if a residence is closer than 500 feet,” said Gramlich.
    Rain caps, unless required by the manufacturer, are prohibited.
    Gramlich said dealers were notified of the changes in the law and are required to notify purchasers of same.
    “Dealers have to notify purchasers if a unit is certified and what the setbacks are. They’re then required to both sign off on the notification, which is then kept on file.
     Gramlich said phase 1 changes the setback from 250 feet to 100 feet – a change that few units are currently capable of making.
    “Such units won’t smoke as much, so we’ll allow them on smaller lots. They’re health friendly,” said Gramlich.
    The law sets an April 1, 2010 deadline for outdoor units to meet the phase 2 guidelines.
    The DEP has the authority to “make people pull units if they don’t meet setback requirements,” said Gramlich.
    Public safety was the primary reason legislation was pushed through so quickly.
    “The reason the requirements came into being through emergency legislation was due to public outcry,” said Gramlich. “The main reason the changes were made was for health reasons.”
    For more information, contact the DEP at 764-0477.