New 24" and 48" Ovens at http://www.rumford.com/oven/ovenkits.html

Nice new Rumford in Cambridge, MA
http://www.rumford.com/Biemann.html

Convoluted Tangle of Rules

2/10/11

This week I spent some time looking into what authority the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) has. The legislation creating the BAAQMD is in Division 26, Part 3, Chapter 4 of the California Health and Safety Code.

I can't find where state law gives the BAAQMD the authority to interpret or hold up the rules which they do have the authority to promulgate. In fact I think by adding the words in Regulation 6, "and has been approved in writing by the APCO" they may have tried to expand their authority by rule-making beyond their legislative mandate.

At least that's what I'm finding at the city and county level. The BAAQMD claims to have authority in nine - Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alemeda, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara. I decided to ask the counties what they think.

Napa County doesn't think so. I learned that an Isokern with a cat was approved in Napa County because it was on the EPA Burn Wise list. The BAAQMD has not approved the Isokern but EPA Qualified was good enough for the Napa plans examiner, John Taylor.

Alameda County and San Francisco allow wood-burning in historic homes built before 1942 which is not in the BAAQMD Regulation 6 and seems to be a more liberal exception.

Santa Clara County still has a 1990 Ordinance on wood-burning appliances that predates Regulation 6 and Joe Takacs, the building inspector, said he must follow the county rules - not the BAAQMD Regulation 6.

So does the BAAQMD have any authority over the city and county building officials? Do the city and county officials even know about Regulation 6? Maybe we should help the cities and counties write their own new rules and ignor the BAAQMD. See our recommendations.

Tell us your experience getting permits for and building masonry fireplaces. Help us build a case. Let us know if you are willing to contact your elected officials. Call us at 360 531 1081 or email us by clicking here. Please tell us your name and a way to contact you.

EPA Wood-burning Fireplace Program Progress

So far, three months after the EPA included masonry fireplaces in the renamed "Wood-burning Fireplace Program", only one fireplace (a metal one) has been tested for emissions to ASTM E2558 and approved by the EPA. Even that fireplace has not been accepted by any state or local air quality management district.

A spokesman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in California told me that the BAAQMD was waiting until the EPA finished some modeling study which might change the Phase II passing grade of 5.1 g/kg. He had no answer to my question, "Why don't you approve them as a Phase I fireplace?"

We wonder what the EPA is doing to work with these state and local air quality management districts to help them revise their "rules" to recognize the EPA Voluntary Wood-burning Fireplace Program.

We wonder why the fireplace industry is not flocking to the test labs, getting their fireplaces approved by the EPA and applying to the BAAQMD and other air quality management districts.

How Rumfords Work

For more on the physics with some test data to back up these claims, read the JLC article about Rumfords.

Rumford fireplaces are tall and shallow to reflect more heat, and they have streamlined throats to eliminate turbulence and carry away the smoke with little loss of heated room air. Rumford fireplaces are generally appreciated for their tall classic elegance and their heating efficiency. Much more about Rumford fireplaces is on line at http://www.rumford.com Here, with this Blog, however, we hope to encourage a dialog about some of the persistent issues presented by emerging regulations about wood smoke emissions and efficiency. We can also, of course, discuss more down to earth topics like how to fix a smoking fireplace or why use refractory mortar. I will suggest topics from time to time but feel free to discuss what's on your mind - about fireplaces and masonry chimneys, of course. Well maybe masonry ovens and other related topics too. Here are some suggestions: 1) Can open fireplaces be "green"? 2) Are glass doors and combustion air good ideas? 3) How does a Rumford compare with a masonry heater or a metal stove?