epa’s burn wise program - home | colorado.gov · • comments: do homeowners have rights to...

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1

EPA’s Burn Wise

Outreach Campaign and

Tools Available

Western Colorado Regional Air Quality Collaboration

March 29, 2017

Presentation will cover:

• What’s in wood smoke, why do we care

• Types of Wood Burning Appliances

• Wood Burning Appliance Replacement Incentive

Project?

• Burn Wise Education and Outreach Program/Tools

• Discussion

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What’s in Wood Smoke?

“Ah, the sweet smell of wood smoke” - but what

makes it so sweet?

• CO, NOx, HC,VOCs, and Particle Matter

• Toxics, including:

– Benzene

– Toluene

– Aldehyde gases

– Polycyclic organic matter


PARTICLE POLLUTION: WHAT IS IT? A complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets.

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Low stacks

Photo: Makah Tribe

Poor dispersion

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Why is Wood Smoke a Concern?

Wood Smoke: Hazardous Air Pollutants Nationally, residential wood combustion accounts for about:

• 20 percent of total stationary and mobile polycyclic organic

matter (POM) emissions

• 50% of the area source cancer risks.

• 8% of the overall noncancer (respiratory) risk.

*Source: 2011 NATA

Examples of Wood Smoke Complaints Submitted on 01/04/2016

• Comment: My neighbor burns wood as the only source of heat in his home. We live in a neighborhood where are homes are very close to one another. There are times when we can

smell the wood burning in our home and there is smoke around his house. My son has asthma and we have had to visit the emergency room from an asthma attack due to the smoke being

an irritant. Is there anything I can do? Jolene D.

Submitted on 01/06/2016

• Comments: Do homeowners have rights to protect them from other homeowners with wood

burning stoves? My neighbor installed a wood burning stove two years ago and the air quality around my house has been terrible. My daughter with asthma has trouble breathing, even the rest of the family feels like we are choking on the smell when we go out side. Just opening the

door brings the smell into the house. I contacted my local representative and they said they would look into it back in November and get back to me, but they never did. Is there anything

that can be done? Michael

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Sources of Residential Wood Smoke

• Fireplaces

• Wood Stoves

–Including fireplace inserts

• Hydronic Heaters

• Forced-air Furnaces

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What’s a Wood Burning Appliance Replacement

Project?

• Education and incentive-based (cash rebates) effort to

encourage owners of old, inefficient wood burning appliances

to replace, retrofit or “changeout” their device with a cleaner

burning appliance like:

– Gas stoves

– EPA-Certified Wood pellet stoves

– EPA-Certified wood stoves

– Gas furnaces, heat pumps

• Partnership with hearth industry and others to market and

support program, e.g., additional discounts

Non EPA-Certified Appliance

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Old ‘conventional’

stoves built

before 1990

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Uncertified Appliances:

Coal Stoves Hydronic Heater

EPA-Certified Appliance

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New certified stoves

EPA Certified Secondary Combustion or

“Non-Cat’ Wood Stove


1. Fire brick insulation 2. A large baffle

3. Secondary combustion air tubes

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EPA - Certified Wood Pellet Stove

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Cleaner Heating Appliance:

Gas/Propane Stove, Furnace, Heat Pump

Fireplace Retrofits Option for reducing emissions from open or “traditional” fireplaces

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Wood Stove Changeout Estimated

Emission Benefits

• For every 100 stoves replaced with a cleaner

burning stove:

– CO 25 tons/year

– Methane 8 tons/year

– VOC 7 tons/year

– HC & NOx 6 tons/year

– PM2.5 3.5 tons/year

– HAPs .5 tons/year

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An EPA voluntary partnership program that emphasizes

the importance of burning the right wood, the right way,

in the right appliance to protect your home, health, and

the air we breathe.

19 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

What is Burn Wise?

Goal/Desired Action

• To place more focus on educating wood burners on:

– cleaner, more efficient appliances (gas, heat pumps, EPA-

certified) that are available

– how to operate their new appliance (building a hot fire,

maintaining temperature and burning only dry season wood)

– the benefits (less fuel use, less smoke, safer home) to the

homeowner of proper operation


Who is Promoting the

Burn Wise Message?

• EPA Regions

• Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA)

• Retailers

• Manufacturers

• Chimney Sweeps/Chimney Safety Institute of America

• Non-profit Organizations

• States, Tribes and Local Agencies


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Burn Wise Outreach Materials

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

What Burn Wise Tools are Available?

• Tip Sheet

• Posters

• Brochures

• Postcard

• Tear Pads

• Wood Shed Construction Plans

• Videos

• Social Media

* Free hard copies are currently available for most tools


EPA’s Recently Completed Projects

• Recently developed tools available:

– “How To Build a Wood Shed” video (Final draft)

– “Why and How to Use a Wood Moisture Meter” one pager

– Kid’s Wood Smoke Activity/Coloring Book


Burn Wise Tip Sheet

Overview

• Basic tips for starting a fire, seasoning

wood, proper operation and

maintenance of wood stove, and

upgrade to a cleaner burning appliance

– Available in both English and Spanish (Spanish version is only available

online)

– Size: 8 1/2" X 11”

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https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/tip-sheets





Learn Before You Burn Poster

Overview

• Poster encourages wood burners to

“Burn the right wood, the right way,

in the right appliance” and outlines 3

benefits and a call to action

– Available in English

– Size: 17” X 11”

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https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/burn-wise-posters







Burn The Right Wood Tear Sheet

Overview • Tear sheet has the same

message as our “Learn Before

You Burn” poster

• Provides quick tips to review with

homeowners

– Developed in partnership with

the Chimney Safety Institute of

America and National Fireplace

Institute


– Size: 3 1/2” X 8 1/2”

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https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/burn-

wise-other-materials


https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/burn-wise-other-materials







Your Old Wood Stove’s Dirty Little Secret

Poster Overview

• Poster focuses attention to

the issue of old stoves

• Ideally the similar brochure

would accompany this poster

• The brochure explains why it

is important to upgrade to a

new stove


– Size: 17” X 11”

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Your Old Wood Stove’s Dirty Little Secret

Brochure Overview

• Brochure spells out the

benefits of moving from an

uncertified wood stove to a

cleaner burning option like an

EPA-certified wood stove

– Available in both English and Spanish (Spanish version is

only available online)

– Size: 8 1/2" X 11”

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https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/burn-wise-brochures







Wood Smoke and Your Health Infographic


Overview • Visual representation that

connects wood smoke to

potential health effects, i.e.,

heart and lungs and steps to

reduce wood smoke

• Infographic is intended to

present information quickly

and clearly

• Can be made large or small

and use as a hard copy or

online – Available in English

Wet Wood Is A Waste Brochure

Overview • Brochure spells out four

simple steps to properly

drying firewood before

burning it in a wood burning

appliance

– Available in both English and Spanish (Spanish

version is only available

online)

– Size: 8 1/2" X 11”

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Wet Wood Waste Tear Sheet

Overview • Tear sheet has a similar

message as our “Split, Stack,

Cover and Store” brochure

– Developed in partnership with the United States Forest

Service


– Size: 3 1/2” X 8 1/2”

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Learn Before You Burn Postcards

Overview • Postcards are a great

reminder for homeowners to

schedule an annual chimney

inspection

– Developed in partnership with the Chimney Safety

Institute of America (CSIA)


– Size: 6" X 4”

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Test Your Wood with a

Moisture Meter - 1 pager

Overview • Spells out the benefits of

testing your wood moisture

• Outlines simple steps on how

to properly use a moisture

meter

– Available in English )

– Size: 8 1/2" X 11”


Modular Wood Shed Plans, Materials List, &

“How To Construct” Video Overview

• This one pager provides a

list of the materials, cost,

photo and simple

schematics for building a

wood shed that holds

about one cord of wood


– Size: 8 1/2" X 11”

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Kid’s Wood Smoke Activity/Coloring Book

Overview • References benefits of a

new wood stove, burning dry

wood and what not to burn,

e.g., trash.

• Includes use of wood

moisture meter and proper

seasoning techniques.


– Size: 8” X 11”, 16 pages

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https://www.epa.gov/brnwise



Asthma and Wood Smoke Videos

Overview • The videos highlight the

health effects (e.g.,

asthma) related to

particulate matter (PM)

exposure from residential

wood smoke

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Videos • Wood Smoke and Asthma:

Breathe Easier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJQ4IVDDA6Q

• Wood Smoke and Asthma:

Reduce Smoke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJX

j9j3g7EM

• Wood Smoke and Asthma:

Dry Firewood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-

OfbPjXPUU


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJQ4IVDDA6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJQ4IVDDA6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJXj9j3g7EM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJXj9j3g7EM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-OfbPjXPUU



Split, Stack, Cover and Store Video

Overview • Demonstrates the four

simple steps to properly

drying firewood

• Wet wood can create

excessive smoke which is

wasted fuel

• There is also a “Split, Stack,

Cover and Store” brochure

that relays this same

message

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Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y

o1--Zrh11s


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo1--Zrh11s




How to Use a Moisture Meter Video

Overview • Moisture meters allows you to

test the moisture level in wood

• Tips on how to properly use a

moisture meter to test

firewood

• Burning dry, seasoned

firewood with a moisture

content of 20% or less can

save money and help reduce

harmful air pollution - indoors

and out

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Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j

M2WGgRcnm0


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM2WGgRcnm0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM2WGgRcnm0

Social Media

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• Subscribe to RSS content

• Join us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/EPABurnWise

• Follow us on Twitter

http://twitter.com/epaburnwise


http://www.facebook.com/EPABurnWise

http://twitter.com/epaburnwise

How to Apply the Burn Wise Messages?

• Post Burn Wise logo and website link on your website

• Share Burn Wise message on social media

– Re-share Burn Wise Facebook and Twitter posts

• Make printed outreach material available at your

outreach events

• Work with/encourage your local retailers and chimney

sweeps to use the free Burn Wise materials


Upcoming/Potential Projects:

• How to Identify an EPA-certified Wood Stove

• Particle Pollution and Your Patients’ Health On-

line Course for Health Care Providers

• Burn Wise Partnership with Fire Departments

• “Wood Smoke and Your Heart” videos (on hold)

Feedback/recommendations on projects?

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For more information or to request free

copies of outreach materials contact

Larry Brockman

[email protected]

Office: 919-541-5398

www.epa.gov/burnwise


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.epa.gov/burnwise

http://www.epa.gov/burnwise

epa’s burn wise program - home | colorado.gov · • comments: do homeowners have rights to...

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