Print

[Firebug]

Does anyone know what will happen to all of us who do not have EPA approved boilers if they pass a law making them mandatory.  I'm thinking of replacing my ineffective unit but don't want to spend the extra for a gasification unit unless my state (NY) forces me to.  I would think they would grandfather us but I don't want to be wrong and need to buy gasification down the road anyway.  Any thoughts?

[R W Ohio]

I can't tell you about NY,but the Ohio EPA is working on new regs.now and are to have something for public comment by the middle of Feb. 2009. As soon as I know I will post it Here.
Ron

[ckbetz]

I emailed my State Rep about the new regs.  Some would actually outlaw OWB's currently in use.  My Rep said that he was fighting against some of the stiffer regulations on the boilers because the laws were being written specifically for OWB and didn't even address any indoor wood burning units. 

Also, please remember that decaying wood will give off the same amount of carbon as one that has been burned, albeit at a different rate.  Let me know if you'd like me to post the state bill in Ohio and what I wrote to our Rep.

[R W Ohio]

Please post it for all of us to see.

Thanks,
Ron

[Jason]

That will be interesting to read.  I'll look around online this weekend and see if there is anything similar going on in PA.

[ckbetz]

Folks, I'm just going to copy and paste my email and response.  The bill can be found if you read and follow the email and outdoorfurnacefacts.com.

FW: EPA DAPC OAC Rule 3745-115 for Outdoor Wood Boilers‏
From:  Cary and Kim Betzing (ckbetz@msn.com) 
Sent: Wed 3/19/08 6:52 PM
To:  lewis@oucom.ohiou.edu

Here is the info for the dealer I got mine from.  If you talk to him make sure you mention my name…

 

Dealer:
 DUTCH KRAFT WOODWORKS
 
Contact Name:
 BILL BYLER
 
Address:
 414 CENTERPOINT RD
 
 
 
 
City/State/Zip:
 THURMAN, OH 45685-9726
 
Country:
 USA
 
Phone Number:
 740-245-9706
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Daniels, Zane [mailto:Zane.Daniels@ohr.state.oh.us]
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 12:48 PM
To: Cary and Kim Betzing
Subject: RE: EPA DAPC OAC Rule 3745-115 for Outdoor Wood Boilers

 

 

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Betzing,

 

Thank you very much for your email. I have informed Representative Stewart of your email and he asked me to contact the Ohio EPA. I called the EPA this morning and they told me that they have drafted new rule changes that you mentioned in your email. However, these rule changes have not went into affect and will not until the public has had the opportunity to voice their opinion on the matter. Below you will find an email that I received this morning will all the information that they could give me. You will find contact information of who you should contact if you choose  to speak out against or in favor of the proposed rule change. You have until March 7th to do so. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions. Thank you and have a wonderful day.

 

Zane T. Daniels

Legislative Aide

State Representative Jimmy Stewart

92nd Ohio House District

Phone: (614) 466-2158

Fax: (614) 719-6992

 

 

 

Zane,

 

Here are a few links that may help you.  The first is the press release that we sent out, the second is the public notice and the third is the synopsis of the rules. 

 

http://www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/nr/2008/february/OWBRules.html

http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dapc/regs/3745-115/3745-115PNIP.pdf

http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dapc/regs/3745-115/3745-115SYNIP.pdf

 

We are currently gathering public comment on the rules.  If your constituent would like to comment they have until March 7th to do so. 

 

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you need anything else!

 

 

Charlotte B. Hickcox

Legislative Liaison - Office of the Director

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

50 West Town Street, Suite 700

Columbus, Ohio 43216

 

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Cary and Kim Betzing [mailto:ckbetz@msn.com]
Posted At: Monday, February 25, 2008 9:07 PM
Posted To: District92
Conversation: EPA DAPC OAC Rule 3745-115 for Outdoor Wood Boilers
Subject: EPA DAPC OAC Rule 3745-115 for Outdoor Wood Boilers
 

Dear Representative Stewart,

 

I live in a large home in Pomeroy that I have chosen to heat with an Outdoor Wood Boiler.  I have chosen to do this for several reason:

My outdoor wood furnace is the safest way possible to heat my home.  Since all of the heat is generated outside I have no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning associated by all types of indoor furnaces.  My outdoor furnace has a firebox surrounded completely by 400 gallons of water so there is also no possibility of a fire, especially one inside the house as with indoor wood heating units as well as space heaters.  This year there have been at least 24 fires in Ohio caused by indoor wood appliances, this doesn’t include the numerous fires in our area caused by space heaters.  These fires obviously cause a great deal of property damage, personal injury, and loss of life.   
Without my outdoor furnace I could not afford to live in my old family home of almost 50 years.  My furnace saves me well over $2500 each year in heating costs.  The installation of my furnace has also allowed me to keep the original furnace system in our historic 1867 home intact.  Since this home was once owned by the family of Hart Stanbery, the former Attorney General of the U.S. under President Andrew Johnson, I think it’s important to preserve as much of it as possible.
Heating with wood is a renewable resource, unlike natural gas and heating oil, and results in no net increase in global warming emissions.  Americans at this time especially should reduce their dependence on foreign oil and use alternative sources for energy such as wood.  Burning wood also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide given off by decomposition. 
 

For the reasons I have stated above I strongly urge you to oppose the Ohio EPA DAPC proposed regulation OAC Chapter 3745-115 Outdoor Wood-Fired Boilers.  This regulation will take away outdoor wood furnaces from their owners by either 2010 or 2015 depending on where they reside.  EPA/600/SR-98/017 states that outdoor wood furnace’s emissions were on the same order as other wood burning appliances. 

 

I do support responsible regulation of outdoor wood furnaces, including making manufacturers meet newly developed emission standards, but I do not believe these standards should be applied retroactively. 

 

I strongly oppose the regulations imposed by the OEPA DAPC because it will make it impossible for homeowners like me to continue using a safe and cost effective alternative to heat my home.  If you’d like more information on outdoor wood furnaces please visit www.outdoorfurnacefacts.com.  Thank you for your time, if you have any questions or would like any more information please feel free to contact me.

[CL-Ohio]

holy smokes 200 feet from property lines, I'm only about 30 feet but land surrounding is unsuitable to build on. Are we going to register our OWB, like guns,dogs and vehicles so big brother keep their eye on us.  If they say you can't have one are they going to pay for it. 

[Jason]

I can't imagine them not grandfathering in existing systems.  Otherwise they are setting themselves up for lawsuits.  If I would be forced to move my furnace and pour a new pad, buy more wire, pipe, PEX, insulation, rent a ditch witch again, you'd better believe I'd be sending them the bill one way or another. 

This whole thread pi**es me off.  I mean the fact that we HAVE to discuss it, not the fact that we ARE discussing it.