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Statement of Greg Green

 Outreach and Information Division

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Public Hearing on Proposed Revisions to the 

Standards of Performance for New Residential Wood Heaters

Boston, Massachusetts

February 26, 2014

Thank you Jim. 

As Jim mentioned, my name is Greg Green, and I am the Director of the Outreach 

and Information Division in EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, 

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

We are here today to listen to your comments on our proposal to revise EPA’s 

New Source Performance Standards for Residential Wood Heaters. EPA proposed 

these revisions January 3, 2014, to strengthen emissions requirements for new 

wood stoves, while establishing the standards for several other types of new 

residential wood heaters, including outdoor and indoor wood-fired boilers ( which 

also are known as hydronic heaters), pellet stoves, forced air furnaces, masonry 

wood heaters and a type of previously unregulated woodstove know as a “single 

burn-rate” stove.

EPA issued the existing regulations for wood heaters in 1988. That rule applied to 

adjustable burn-rate woodstoves and fireplace inserts. Since that time, the 
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technology for reducing emissions from wood heaters has significantly improved 

and now is available to make a range of wood heaters more efficient and less

polluting.

As Regional Administrator Spalding noted, the proposed updates would make new 

residential wood heaters significantly cleaner than currently required, reducing 

emissions of fine particles and other pollutants that can pose significant health 

problems, especially for people with heart or vascular disease, lung disease, older 

adults and children.

Under the proposal, manufacturers would meet emissions limits in two phases 

over five years. This would give manufacturers time to adapt technology to their 

model lines.

The health benefits of the proposed rule are large: EPA estimates that for every 

dollar spent to comply with these standards, the American public will see between 

$118 and $267 in health benefits. EPA estimates the increases in cost to make the 

cleaner units would range from an estimated 2 percent for pellet stove 

manufacturers to 6 percent for manufacturers of single burn-rate stoves. 

Before I turn things back over to Jim, I want to take a moment to underscore what 

this rule would NOT cover: The proposal would not affect any wood burning 

heaters, fireplaces or stoves that are in stores today or are currently in use in 

homes – it only applies to devices manufactured in the future. So if you have a 

woodstove or other type of wood heater at your house now, this rule will not apply 

to that stove. The rule also would not apply to outdoor fireplaces, pizza ovens, 
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barbecues or chimineas, and it would not apply to new or existing heaters that are 

fueled only by oil, gas or coal. 

In addition, the proposed rule also would not apply to indoor fireplaces, because 

fireplaces are not effective heaters. However, EPA is seeking data and comments 

on this issue. 

We will prepare a written transcript of the hearing. The transcript for the hearing 

will be available as part of the official record for this rule. EPA will consider your 

comments as we move forward to complete a final rule, which we anticipate 

issuing by February 2015. We are also accepting written comments on the 

proposed rule until May 5, 2014. There are handouts with detailed information for 

submitting written comments available at the registration area.

Now I’m going to turn things back to Jim, who will describe the procedures for 

today’s hearing.