Propane fuel prices are still at around $6.00 a gallon is
most areas, and this may cause some people to look towards wood for fuel. But
the Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA, recently released a proposal
last month to strengthen 25 year-old emission standards on wood-burning stoves
and fireplaces to create greater efficiency.
“Efficiency is achieved by burner tubes, a hotter burning
stove with a sealed door and that'll help with bringing the temperature of the
fireplace up,” said Gary Jacobson, with Jacobson Heating and Air Conditioning.
The higher the heat, the more likely the harmful particles
would be burned; the particles and emissions the EPA claims could pose health
risks. The EPA’s new proposal does not seek to affect fireplaces and stoves
already installed in homes, rather they're looking to alter those being
manufactured and sold starting next year. According to the US Census Bureau in
2011, 2.4 million American housing units burned wood as their primary fuel. And
with the potential production of newer, more efficient models increasing,
chances are the prices will too.
“The bad thing about trying to reach high efficiency is they
have to add more bells and whistles to the fireplaces, and of course, that adds
extra cost to it,” Jacobson said.
The EPA will conduct a public hearing on this proposal in
Boston later this month
