From: "Timothy Seaton" <tseaton(at)timelyconstruction.com>
To: multiple recipients
Subject: California; Bay area masonry heaters
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008
From: Timothy Seaton, 3/28/08
California’s Bay Area Air Quality Management District, comprising some 9 counties around San Francisco, including the greater San Francisco environs, San Jose, Napa, and other municipalities has just released their latest smoke emission regulation draft version, Rule 6. This version has now removed masonry heaters from the approved solid fuel burning devices for installation. Only EPA certified wood stoves, pellet stoves and potentially low mass fireplaces (under the pending industry/EPA protocols) would be allowed. Public hearings will be hold at several locations in April, unfortunately overlapping the MHA conference back east.
Only concerted rapid action by manufacturers, customers and other interested parties can get us back in. This is very doable; our emissions numbers are better than many of the allowable devices in the current version.
BAAQMD website link: http://www.baaqmd.gov/pln/ruledev/workshops.htm I have a call in trying to find out why we were removed. I will try to make one of the hearings.
John Crouch’s comments from HPBA (thanks for being the first to flag me with this, John):
Here is a crisis for masonry heaters that folks can act on.
The new rule for the Bay area is out, please follow the link and read it.
Masonry heaters were in the first version, now they are out.
Napa and the southern part of Sonoma county are covered by this air district.
I suggest that anyone who builds heaters in this 9 county area had better turn out to one of the public meetings in April, and possibly some heater users, if possible.
Yes, folks can send emails, but I think they are of little value, and please tell everyone involved not to bother suggesting that this air district not pass a rule on wood burning, I have counted votes, this rule will pass, probably in June.
If you can pull together a Telcon of interested folks in this area, I’ll be happy to brief them by phone, prior to these meetings.
JC
John Crouch
Director of Public Affairs
HPBA - Sacramento
PFI - Sacramento
7509 Madison Ave, suite 204D
Citrus Heights, Ca 95610
916.536.2390
www.hpba.org
www.pelletheat.org
john.crouch.hpba@sbcglobal.net
April 1/08: Update from Tim Seaton
April 1/08 Update 2 from Tim Seaton
Prepared for: The Masonry Heater Caucus of the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association
Oct 26/99 San Jose, CA, to Ban Masonry Heaters
March 17/99 MHA Position Paper for Berkeley
Jan 6/99 Response from Bay Area Air Quality Management District to MHA letter
Dec 17/98 MHA
Letter to Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Dec 6/98 Masonry Heaters to be Banned in the San Francisco Bay Area
This page updated on April 2, 2008
This page created on March 28, 2008