2010 June 30: NY: RAWSEP View: NY State OWB regulation is necessary because of health effects and environmental effects from particulates produced by Outdoor Wood Boilers (OWBs): State Senate passes bill (opposing NY DEC regulation of OWBs) on wood-burning boilers
RAWSEP View: NY State OWB regulation is necessary because of health effects and environmental effects from particulates produced by Outdoor Wood Boilers (OWBs)
1. The design of OWBs makes them produce 1800x the particulates of a natural gas furnace. Operator error can possibly add to the particulate count, but does not reduce particulate pollution below 1800x the particulates produced compared to a natural gas furnace.
2. Runaway regulation is a perjorative and unrealistic phrase used to criticize commonsense regulation by implying it is unneccessary. This regulation is necessary to protect neighbors of OWB boilers from particulates which cause lung cancer, heart attacks, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, asthma and cataracts. Statewide OWB laws are pending in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio because of these health effects. Another reason for regulating OWBs is because of their environmental effects. Black Carbon (particulates, soot) is the second leading cause of global warming and stopping it is the quickest way to slow climate change. Wood burning produces the same amount of CO2 as coal burning and wood burning produces more particulates than coal burning.
3. Local communities have not taken effective action on OWBs in the past and so the statewide regulation has been worked on and known about since at least 2007 by OWB manufacturers.
4. One size does fit all when talking about air pollution. Air travels and smoke with it. Air quality alerts affecting the whole state can occur from a smoke source which begins in a localized area. As said before, the pollution of an OWB occurs whether cosmetic camoflage is used or neighbors suffer in silence.
5. Rather than being harmful to rural life, regulation of Outdoor Wood Boilers would make the air cleaner, which would benefit rural life. In both rural and urban areas, health care costs will go down when people’s health is improved. Avoiding preventable illness or death is appropriate.
On Wednesday, the state Senate unanimously passed legislation that would allow continued use of outdoor wood-burning boilers despite proposed regulations by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, chairman of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources.
"This bill protects responsible users from runaway regulation while at the same time empowers local governments to craft regulations that best fit the needs of their communities," Mr. Aubertine said in a news release. "As a matter of common sense, a one-size-fits-all approach is inappropriate and harmful to rural New York."
A companion bill has yet to pass the state Assembly.
woodsmokehaz3 