Testing Reliability, a Chief Concern
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Innovative Hearth Products (IHP), the manufacturer of Lennox Hearth Products and FMI Products, including wood and pellet-fueled stoves as well as fireplace inserts, today issued a public statement about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new standards for wood heaters. Known as the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), the proposed rule's goal is to reduce air emissions that endanger public health or welfare.
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Mark Klein, president and CEO of IHP, states that the company welcomes efforts by the EPA to update standards for the hearth industry that encourage cleaner products for the environment. However, IHP has concerns that the proposed wood heater standards would substantially increase the price of hearth appliances for customers without proof of real-world, clean-air benefits. IHP was recently compelled to participate in EPA hearings held February 26, 2014, in Boston, to voice these concerns.
"In spite of its best intentions, the EPA proposes particulate emission limits that are not cost effectively achievable for hearth manufacturers in light of new changes to proposed testing methods," says Klein. The changes will require unjustifiable increases in product costs that the market might not be able to bear. As a result, it will threaten jobs and burden consumers with unnecessary costs for products.
Making products cleaner burning that were already certified by an earlier EPA rule, will not appreciably impact wood smoke pollution. Increased incentives to change out older, dirtier burning products that pre-date the earlier EPA rule, or redirecting efforts to impose similar regulation on wood-burning fireplaces not currently under consideration for regulation, would have greater impact.
"There are millions of standard wood-burning fireplaces that could be economically modified with devices that significantly diminish the particulate emissions," says Klein. This technology exists today and offers a greater reduction of wood smoke pollution with substantially less economic impact. The same technology is also available for wood boilers that produce elevated amounts of wood smoke.
IHP encourages the EPA to look at this more attractive benefit with lower cost, compared to the overreaching burden the rule will parlay to manufacturers and consumers. The negative impact it will have on affordable wood-burning stoves and inserts will prevent consumers from using them as a heating option and potentially damage many small fireplace and stove companies.
"To be clear, our industry does not oppose new emission standards," says Klein. "There are portions of the proposed standards that we can support. We want to make sure that some of these future standards produce a real clean-air benefit that consumers can afford."
For information about Innovative Hearth Products and the company's wood-burning stoves and inserts, visit www.ironstrike.us.com and www.ihp.us.com.
About Innovative Hearth Products: Offering a diverse family of products for every style and budget, Innovative Hearth Products (IHP), backed by the Comvest Group, is the only manufacturer with offerings in every fireplace category. IHP is the leading manufacturer of indoor and outdoor fireplaces, fireplace inserts, free-standing stoves, gas log sets, accessories, and venting products for specialty retail, residential new construction and industrial markets. IHP is corporately located in Nashville, Tenn., and has manufacturing plants in Auburn, Wash., Union City, Tenn., Russellville, Ala., and Santa Ana, Calif. It employs more than 670 personnel.
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