Here we go again folks, The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District is lumping you, the clean burning energy conscious pellet stove users in with wood stove and fireplaces burners.
Instead of giving you an exemption for choosing a clean air product, that not only eliminates barrels of oil that our state and country buy from countries that hate us, they have lumped you right in there with wood stoves. My guess is that Larry Green and his staff at the SMAQMD have never even seen a home heated by a pellet stove, if they had they would know that when you have your beautiful stove going that nobody in the neighbor even knows it is on while you enjoying your warm cozy home.
There were 5 community meetings in the Sacramento area this this summer. Oh, you say you didn't know about those? Do you suppose that's the way they wanted. Your air district board which is made up by the members of the Sacramento county board of supervisors supported amendments to "rule 421" to increase the number of days that you can not use your pellet stove. The only board member to vote NO vote was Robert J McGarvey Representative from Rancho Cordova. Thank you Mr McGarvey for standing up for what is right and not be a roll over politician.
Here is the Air Boards own numbers for pellet stoves VS wood stove and fireplaces
Board Memo
Rule 421
September 24, 2009, Page 10
Device TypePM2.5 perdevice per year
(lbs/year)
Fireplace
Aesthetic 3
Heating 24
Uncertified wood stove 71
Catalytic wood stove 47
Non-Catalytic wood stove 34
Uncertified wood insert 57
Catalytic wood insert 38
Non-Catalytic wood insert 27
Pellet stove 6 ( Do we belong with the above aplliances?)
Its time to get organized! Lets get Pellet Stove exempt from no burn days! Its time to let your politicians know that they work for you.
More to come,
Robin McDonell
The Pellet Stove Guys
916-705-8609
The time is now! It is time that we fight for our right to burn our wood pellet stoves. I am tired of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (AQMD) telling me what days I can burn my EPA approved, clean burning, wood pellet stove. I am not burning an open masonry fireplace or and old wood insert. My stove puts out only .07 grams of particulate emissions per hour. However, the AQMD feels it necessary to lump pellet stoves in with gross polluters that emit over 80 grams per hour. Their own literature states that a clean burning wood appliance puts out between 2 - 8 grams per hour. When the stove in my home is burning, the only time you see smoke is on the initial startup, which maybe lasts five minutes at the most. So here’s a message to the AQMD, “go after the guy down the street burning green wood with 20% moisture content or the guy burning garbage, but leave my ass alone.”
ReplyDeleteOn September 24th, the AQMD held a public hearing in Downtown Sacramento to propose amendments to Rule 421, which in their words would call for “Mandatory episodic curtailment of wood and other solid fuel burning.” The end result was that there would be five additional non-burn days added to the winter season. In attendance was a spokesman for large local construction company. He said his company was in favor of Rule 421. This is not surprise, for when they bid a job with the state or any local government for that matter, they automatically pad the price to reflect the cost of their permit fees. The AQMD makes their money in issuing the permit, which allows the construction company to continue to pollute, and it’s the tax payers that picks up the tab. Guess it looks like we get screwed again by the government.
Now if the AQMD wants to drastically effect my business and take away personal rights, well then let’s get personal! It is absolutely appalling that with the economic crisis our state is in that there has been cut backs in hours or pay for anyone in that agencies staff. Other county agencies have recently had to implement furlough days or even let go of employees. The numbers don’t lie. The AQMD Fiscal Year budget for 09/10 is 24.5 million dollars, which is about $400,000 more then the FY 07/08 budget. Where is the skin being shed? Just recently, over 120 County Sheriff Officers we let go do to budget cuts. One of these men was a good friend of my son. Why would we cut something as critical as public safety, but yet not cut back on an agency that would make no visible change in our local communities? Let’s not stop there! $997,352 every year for their building in Downtown Sacramento. And this is the one that will make you jump up and scream bloody murder! 49 MILLION DOLLARS for “Other Professional Services”.
What is going on here? They won’t allow us to burn an known clean burning appliance which has used green technology since day one, they have a budget of this magnitude, yet our county takes severe cutbacks on funding to our schools, public safety and public works. It is unconscionable and it is just plain wrong. We have to spread the word to everyone in our county, find who is responsible for funding this agency and stop them. If they are up for election, we do whatever it takes to get them out of office. If we are educated on what is happening behind the scenes and put the smallest effort into this we can make a change for the better in our county and our communities. Together we can stop this travesty!
David W. Kopp
Leisure Time Pellet Stoves, Owner
(916) 665-2466
info@ltpelletstoves.com
Storage Heaters
ReplyDeleteOne of the wooden burning stove guidelines that often allows people make a better decision includes the use of wooden burning stove places.