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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Environment - In New York, new rules curb dirty wood-fired boilers

The subhead to this Dec. 23, 2010 story in the Albany Times Union read: "New rules curb dirty wood-fired boilers."

Ever wonder what these outdoor wood-fired boilers that people are protesting look like? There is a gread photo accompanying the story.

From the story, reported by Jimmy Vielkind:

ALBANY -- Wood-fired boilers cannot be used to burn trash, paper or other waste products under new rules approved Wednesday by the state's Environmental Review Board.

Owners cannot site new boilers -- common in rural areas for heating and waste disposal -- within 100 feet of adjacent property lines, unless they are used in agriculture. And the boilers may not be within 100 feet of a neighboring house.

New boilers sold in New York state must meet stricter emissions standards, including smokestacks at least 18 feet high. The regulations were opposed by the Farm Bureau and several Republican legislators but advocated by officials at the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

"What we're saying here is that there are 20 different units you can choose from that meet these standards," said Acting DEC Commissioner Peter Iwanowicz. He said the industry is offering cleaner boilers and the state wants users to burn clean, dry fuel. * * *

The state attorney general's office estimates more than 14,500 boilers were installed in the state between 1999 and 2007. The dirtiest versions can emit the same amount of air pollution as 1,000 oil furnaces, DEC officials said. The head of the American Lung Association in New York said he was pleased with the regulation, but that more must be done.

An outdoor wood-fired boiler rule has been under development in Indiana for over five years. Here is a list of some of the entries. Here is the most recent status report.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 30, 2010 09:03 AM
Posted to Environment