No wood burning devices in new homes: Property owners escape having to change out heaters, fireplaces at point of sale

The fine particulate matter from wood smoke is the largest source of wintertime air pollution in the Bay Area, according to the air quality district.

Regulations against wood burning have been on the books since the 1980s, said Energy House owner Alan Karcich.

His company moved toward selling and installing gas and non-polluting devices years ago, he said.

And there is barely any new construction taking place in the Bay Area now that features wood-burning stoves or fireplaces, Karcich said.

One day, it may be illegal to burn wood at all, he said.

“It is a good thing. The Bay Area is a lot better today than it was 10 years ago,” Karcich said about air quality.

SAMCAR argued the cost to replace a single stove or fireplace could climb as high as $25,000 and would be too big of a burden on property owners at the point of sale.

The air district board is comprised of officials from the Bay Area’s nine counties. Daly City Councilman David Canepa represents the county and Carole Groom, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, chairs the 22-person board.

The district conducted extensive public outreach before adopting the new policies, Canepa said.

Repeatedly, the board heard from the public that the point-of-sale provision could impede home sales and be a form of government intrusion, Canepa said.

The board, however, did adopt new policies that will reduce pollution and improve air quality in the entire region, Canepa said.

“By strengthening these rules, it protects residents in a respectful way that doesn’t infringe on the rights of homeowners,” Canepa said Thursday.

The changes to the air district’s wood burning regulation tighten exemptions and requirements from the original rule adopted in July 2008.

A $3 million grant program is under development that will provide at least 50 percent or more funding for residents to change out from older wood-burning devices to better and more effective home heating equipment, according to the district.

Other changes the air district adopted include a sole source of heat exemption for those who do not have central or other sources of heating.

Individuals who claim that wood is the sole source of heat in their homes will have to switch to a Environmental Protection Agency-certified stove.

The new rules, approved unanimously, also require that home sellers with a wood-burning stove or fireplace to disclose the health risks wood smoke poses to prospective buyers.

“We appreciate that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District heard our concerns and the concerns of the community with the proposed fireplace ban. We will be working hard to ensure sellers comply with the new disclosure,” Gina Zari, SAMCAR’s government affairs director wrote in an email.

Individuals can also be cited for exceeding visible emissions limits.

If a home produces a profuse amount of smoke that lasts more than three minutes, a citation can also be issued.

The air district will open a change-out grant program for fireplaces and wood-burning stoves in the spring of 2016. Funding priority will go to low-income residents and high wood smoke impact areas.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.

In addition, the board issued a resolution directing staff to reconvene in five years with a proposal to ban all wood burning on winter “Spare the Air” days.

Go to baaqmd.gov for more information.

bill@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102