Federal and State Agency Information on Wood Smoke and Outdoor Wood Boilers


The following information is quoted directly from Federal and State Agency sources, and from numerous studies of outdoor wood boilers and the effects of wood smoke on people.

"For many Minnesotans, burning wood to heat their home is a time-honored tradition and a way to save on heating bills. For others, the aroma of wood smoke often conjures up a romantic or nostalgic ambience. Unfortunately, wood smoke contains toxics and harmful microscopic particles. And the appliance you use, how it’s installed and maintained, and the type of wood you burn – all make a difference to both the heating efficiency and the amount of harmful pollution emitted."
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency http://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/woodsmoke/index.html

"Much like automobile exhaust and cigarette smoke, it is the combustion process - burning- which produces these toxics and particles as a by-product. When you smell an odor caused by combustion, you're smelling chemicals. By smelling them, you are also breathing them into your lungs."

"Residential wood combustion emissions emit sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and potentially carcinogenic compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, formaldehyde and dioxins. Some of these pollutants are known to cause cancer. If people are burning wood for recreational purposes, they should consider the impacts on their health, their family’s health, and their neighbors’ health."
The Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/woodheaters/

"OWBs present unique issues, unlike other residential wood burning devices, based on the following factors:· Year Round Operation: OWBs are designed to provide heat and hot water year round. Cyclic operation: The cyclic nature of OWB operations, unlike EPA certified wood stoves, does not allow for complete combustion and creates an environment conducive to increased toxic and particulate emissions."

"Tests found that the average fine particle emissions (a particularly harmful pollutant) from one OWB are equivalent to the emissions from 22 EPA certified wood stoves, 205 oil furnaces, or as many as 8,000 natural gas furnaces. One OWB can emit as much fine particle matter as four heavy duty diesel trucks on a grams per hour basis. The smallest OWB is likely to have an emission rate of 8.5 pounds of chemical soot ejected from the stack in a 24 hour period, or almost one and one-half tons of particulate matter every year. Although older style indoor wood stoves emit more than new certified stoves, they are still several times less polluting than OWBs. Due to the poor combustion conditions, it is also probable that OWBs emit proportionately more benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, formaldehyde and other toxic partial combustion products which have been linked to asthma, heart attacks and cancer."
State of Washington Dept. of Ecology: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/AOP_Permits/Boiler/Outdoor_Boilers_home.html

"The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. Small particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest problems, because they can get deep into your lungs, and some may even get into your bloodstream."
The Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/particles/

"Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including: increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing, for example; decreased lung function; aggravated asthma; development of chronic bronchitis; irregular heartbeat; nonfatal heart attacks; and premature death in people with heart or lung disease."
Wisconsin Dept. of Health: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/HlthHaz/fs/WoodBrn.htm

"Breathing particle pollution (such as from wood burning) can kill. Breathing particle pollution year-round can shorten life by one to three years. It triggers heart attacks, strokes, irregular heartbeats, and causes lung cancer and premature births. Particle pollution harms people in many ways, even when the particle levels are very low. Particle pollution worsens serious respiratory disorders, including asthma and causes wheezing and coughing. In the eastern U.S., many particles come from power plants that burn coal to produce electricity. In the western U.S., particles come from diesel buses, trucks and heavy equipment, agriculture and wood burning. The body’s natural defenses help to cough or sneeze larger particles out of our bodies. But smaller particles can be so tiny that they can become lodged deep in the lungs and cause major damage, or pass from the lungs into the blood stream and then throughout the rest of the body."
American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=23354

"To promote the use of EPA certified wood stoves through the Wood Stove Change Out Campaign, EPA is educating the public about the dangers of using old non-certified wood stoves. Many homeowners, however, may be choosing to install OWBs instead of certified indoor wood stoves. One manufacturer, Central Boiler, estimated that about 50% of the OWBs sold replace indoor wood stoves. Therefore, while EPA’s change out effort is important, it may be resulting in increased installation of OWBs due to the absence of education about OWBs relative to certified wood stoves. This will lead to greater wood smoke pollution if consumers erroneously believe OWBs are a cleaner option than noncertified indoor wood stoves."

"Consideration of operating and design features typical to OWBs that can influence emissions supports these public health concerns, including poor combustion design, low stack height and poor dispersion, four-season utility, large firebox chamber capacity, and the potential to burn trash. Currently, few field assessments of OWB ambient emissions have been conducted, thereby limiting regulatory efforts to evaluate this potential public health problem, especially within the context of whether 24-hr and annual PM standards are suitably protective in areas with heavy wood burning. It is reasonable and prudent to assume that OWBs can present a public health risk to populations in proximity to these devices."
NEUSCAUM, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management http://www.nescaum.org/documents/assessment-of-outdoor-wood-fired-boilers/

"Individual citizens can do a great deal to help reduce air pollution outdoors as well. Simple, but effective ways include: Burning firewood and trash are among the largest sources of particles in many parts of the country. If you must use a fireplace or stove for heat, convert your wood stoves to natural gas, which has far fewer polluting emissions. Compost and recycle as much as possible and dispose of other waste properly; don’t burn it. Support efforts in your community to ban outdoor burning of construction and yard wastes. Avoid the use of outdoor hydronic heaters, also called outdoor wood boilers, which are often much more polluting than wood stoves."
From The American Lung Association
http://lungaction.org/reports/Minnesota07_protecting1.html


The American Institute of Insurance Services, an information agency for Insurance providers, discusses the risks of insuring outdoor wood boilers here.
http://www.aaisonline.com/articles/topics_owb.html

Here are more links dealing with wood smoke and the effects it has on the human body. These are a collection of scientific research papers written by renowned scholars, scientists, and academics.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&FriendID=
278542177&blogMonth=3&blogDay=29&blogYear=2008

Here is a comprehensive web site with multiple sources and links to the OWB issue. This is a good gathering place for people suffering from living next to outdoor wood boilers.
http://www.burningissues.org/

NEUSCAUM, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management
This is probably the most detailed, and most often quoted report on OWB's.
 http://www.nescaum.org/documents/assessment-of-outdoor-wood-fired-boilers/

A news release on why a County Health Dept. in New Jersey says outdoor wood boilers do not meet State pollution laws.
Read the rest of the article here: http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/health/notices
/2008/WoodBoilers.htm

An air quality report in regards to wood smoke in Fort Collins, Colorado
http://www.ci.fort-collins.co.us/airquality/pdf/wood-smoke-report.pdf

Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation report on outdoor wood boilers.
http://www.vtwoodsmoke.org/photos.html

A Maryland study on outdoor wood boiler problems.
http://www.mde.state.md.us/ResearchCenter/
Publications/General/eMDE/vol2no4/burners.asp

A Connecticut study on the issues caused by outdoor wood boilers.
http://search.cga.state.ct.us/2008/JFR/H/2008HB-05804-R00ENV-JFR.htm

 A public hearing in a town in New York to regulate outdoor wood boilers.
http://www.townofcharlton.org/toc/Town_Government/minutes/
townboardminutes/2006_mar13_ph.shtml
Minutes of a hearing from an outdoor wood boiler controversy in a small Wisconsin town.
http://www.ploverwi.gov/adminreview_minutes.htm

A report on outdoor wood boilers and wood smoke from the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions.
http://www.nysaccny.org/content/resources/open_burning.pdf

A Washington Dept. of Ecology Report on the dangers of outdoor wood boilers.
http://www.lrapa.org/public_education/downloads/Outdoor%20Wood-fired%20Outdoor%20Boilers%20executive%20summary%20version%20.pdf
An Oregon Air Protection Agency on outdoor wood boilers.
http://www.lrapa.org/public_education/home_
outdoor_wood_fired_heaters/

Al 2007 New York State study on outdoor wood boilers.
http://www.nyserda.org/programs/Environment/
EMEP/conference_2007/presentations/Johnson_Phillip.pdf

A law blog from Indiana with the topic of outdoor wood boilers.
http://indianalawblog.com/archives/2006/01/ind_law_more_on_33.html

Here's a small group in Pennsylvania fighting for their right to clean air.
http://betterwellsboro.org/cleanair/owf_flier.pdf


From the State of Washington Dept. of Ecology

WASHINGTON STATE BANS OUTDOOR WOOD BOILERS STATEWIDE.
With the rising cost of heating oil, more Washingtonians are looking to wood as a source of heat and hot water. But not all wood heat is the same. Because of the way they are manufactured, outdoor wood boilers are not allowed in the state of Washington. While indoor wood stoves have been tested and certified by EPA for emissions since 1990, outdoor wood boilers (OWBs) are not. OWBs cause dense smoke and are equipped with very short smoke stacks so the smoke does not disperse well. This smoke endangers the health of you, your family and neighbors as well as the environment.
Click here to read more on the State's web site.

NEW HAMPSHIRE RESTRICTS OWB'S WITH HIGH PARTICLE EMISSIONS STATEWIDE.
Starting next month, outdoor wood boilers sold in New Hampshire must be marked with an orange tag showing they reduce particle pollution by as much as 70 percent when they burn wood.
The regulations will get even stiffer in 2010 when only white-tag models will be sold. They reduce particle pollution by 90 percent.
New Hampshire is the third state to adopt rules regulating the outdoor, freestanding furnaces used to heat a home or a pool. About 2,000 outdoor wood boilers operate in the state. New regulations also govern placement of new boilers to minimize impact on neighbors.
Click here to read the full story.

CONNECTICUT ATTORNEY GENERAL DEMANDS WOOD BOILER MAKER WITHRDRAW THREAT TO SUE CT SCIENTIST FOR EXPOSING HEALTH DANGERS.
March 5, 2007
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is urging a Minnesota outdoor wood boiler manufacturer to withdraw its threat to sue a Connecticut scientist for publishing an article on the serious health risks of such boilers and promised to intervene in support of the scientist if an action is filed.
A lawyer for Central Boiler of Greenbush, Minn. sent David Brown of Health Risks Consultants, Inc., a letter in January threatening to sue him if he went ahead with publication and distribution of his scientific paper outlining the severe health dangers of outdoor wood boilers. The letter demanded that Brown retract the article or make changes suggested by the company.
Brown, a Westport resident, declined to change or retract the article, which appeared in the February issue of "Human and Ecological Risk Assessment."
" I strongly object to legal threats apparently intended to stop important scientific viewpoints from seeing the light of day," Blumenthal said in his letter to Central Boiler attorney Philip H. Gitlen of Albany, N.Y. "I urge your client and others concerned with this issue to engage in constructive discussion rather than threats of legal action seeking to deter open debate. Should you initiate any legal action in an improper attempt to stifle scientific free expression and debate, I will be prepared to intervene in opposition to that action and to encourage other attorneys general to join me.
" The manuscript contains conclusions that Dr. Brown and his colleagues reached regarding serious health risks associated with particulate matter released from outdoor wood boilers. Advancing and protecting public health requires that scientific opinions of health professionals be unimpeded by special interests.
" Risks associated with outdoor wood boilers should be fully and openly discussed, and reviewed so that the public and members of the scientific community can assess the effects of these products on our environment and health. Public debate should be based on reliable scientific evidence. Robust, honest debate among experts regarding the ultimate impact of the data is essential and is protected by the First Amendment."
Outdoor wood boilers are used to heat homes and other buildings. About 1,500 such boilers are in use in Connecticut.
Click here to read the full story.


OUTDOOR WOOD BOILERS ARE ILLEGAL TO USE IN MARYLAND
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has been responding to an increase in nuisance complaints from communities about smoke from outdoor wood boilers (OWB). OWBs are found mostly in rural areas of Western Maryland where wood and wood waste are available as a primary fuel source.
“ There is some irony to how consumers purchase and install these boilers,” said MDE Secretary Kendl P. Philbrick. “They are illegal to use in Maryland, as well as other Northeast states, but there are no regulations prohibiting or controlling the sale of outdoor wood boilers in this state. Air regulations prohibit the construction of outdoor wood boilers in Maryland."
Read the rest of the article here