Volume 151, No. 123 covering the 1st Session of the 109th Congress (2005 - 2006) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCTION OF THE WOOD STOVE REPLACEMENT ACT OF 2005” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1975 on Sept. 28, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE WOOD STOVE REPLACEMENT ACT OF 2005
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HON. TIM MURPHY
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the Wood Stove Replacement Act of 2005. I am joined in the introduction by Representative Melissa Hart.
Quite simply, our bill would provide a tax credit of $500 for individuals and families who replace their old, dirty, uncertified wood stoves with new, EPA-compliant, clean-burning wood stoves or fireplace inserts.
As America's cities and counties struggle to come into compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, smaller and more diverse sources of pollution are regulated. The primary air pollution problem in many areas of the country, including Pittsburgh, is particulate matter. Particulate matter, or soot, is caused by burning fuels such as coal, as well as wood.
On December 17, 2004, the EPA designated nearly two hundred and fifty counties in the U.S. as out of compliance with federal air quality standards for ``fine particulates'' (particles under 2.5 microns in diameter). EPA has concluded that wood smoke from residential wood combustion appliances, fireplaces and wood stoves, is a significant contributor to fine particulate pollution in many of the designated counties.
In 1986, EPA established a New Source Performance Standard, or NSPS, that imposed strict limits on the wood smoke that can be emitted from wood burning stoves, and it implemented a program for certifying the performance of wood stoves that comply with the standard. EPA-certified wood stoves reduce wood smoke emissions by as much as 90 percent. According to the EPA, ``certified wood stoves burn more cleanly and efficiently, save [. . . .] money, reduce the risk of fire, and improve air quality inside and outside [the] home.''
It is estimated that there are as many as 10 million old, uncertified, pre-NSPS wood stoves still in use in American homes. Fourteen thousand of them are in my area in Pittsburgh. Many of the uncertified wood stoves still in use today were purchased at the height of the fossil-fuel crisis in the 1970s. Many were installed in lower income, rural residences with ample access to free or low-cost wood fuel. The installed cost of new, certified stoves can be as high as
$2,000 to $3,000, which is out of reach for many users of the old, uncertified units. To encourage users of old, dirty-burning units to trade up to new certified stoves, strong incentives must be provided. Local regulations prohibiting the use of uncertified woodstoves are politically unpalatable unless financial assistance is provided to enable homeowners to abide by such prohibitions and keep their families warm in the winter with low-cost, renewable wood fuel.
According to the EPA, ``Helping areas of the country reduce pollution and meet national air quality standards for fine particles is our top priority . . . By combining local programs like clean wood stove installation with tough new federal regulations on power plants, cars, trucks and diesel equipment, we can dramatically reduce fine particle pollution and improve public health across the country.''
Our legislation to provide a federal tax credit for the replacement of uncertified wood stoves is an important way to reach consumers who otherwise may never replace their old stoves. This credit would only be available to consumers who live in areas designated as out of compliance with the fine particle and total particulate standards. A
$500 tax credit would give consumers living in poor air quality areas an immediate incentive and necessary financial assistance to remove their old stove now. By using the cleaner stoves, consumers will save on fuel costs by burning one-third less wood and reduce fine particle pollution in their area thereby improving their health and the health of their families and neighbors.
The need to encourage consumers to burn cleaner, more efficient woodstoves is an urgent matter. The record-high costs predicted for home heating this winter will likely push many consumers to choose more affordable wood heating. With nearly 10 million old, conventional, dirty wood stoves still in use today, it is imperative that consumers have an incentive to change out their old appliances for clean, more efficient, and EPA-certified wood stoves.
Representative Hart and I are introducing this bill to coincide with an EPA event in Pittsburgh on September 29. That will be National Wood Stove Change-Out Day, where EPA encourages owners of old stoves to trade them in for new, certified units. The incentives in this bill should help accomplish this goal.
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