The Dangers of Wood Smoke

The Dangers of
Residential Wood Smoke

Wood Smoke PM2.5 Emissions Are Significant
2008 National Emission Inventory: 2,449,000 Tons
2008 Residential Wood Combustion:
(~13%)
318,323 Tons
Fireplace: general 51,132 Tons
Woodstove: fireplace inserts, non-certified 54,286 Tons
Woodstove: fireplace inserts, certified, non-catalytic 12,017 Tons
Woodstove: fireplace inserts, certified, catalytic 4,245 Tons
Woodstove: freestanding, non-certified 71,424 Tons
Woodstove: freestanding, certified, non-catalytic 15,092 Tons
Woodstove: freestanding, certified, catalytic 7,911 Tons
Woodstove: pellet-fired, general 1,798 Tons
Furnace: indoor, cordwood-fired, non-certified 36,213 Tons
Furnace: indoor, cordwood-fired, non-certified 50,427 Tons
Outdoor Wood Burning Device 7,105 Tons
Slide From EPA / WESTAR Residential Wood Smoke Workshop March 1, 2011 Point of Contact: Gil Wood
Note: Wood smoke emissions also include other pollutants. Nationally, residential wood combustion accounts for 44
percent of total stationary and mobile polycyclic organic matter (POM) emissions and 62 percent of the 7-polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are probable human carcinogens and are of great concern to EPA.

Long-term and short-term exposure to fine particles can cause (continued)

http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html

Most People Do Not Realize How
Much Pollution is Produced by the
Use of a Wood-Burning Appliance

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/climate/TemperatureInversions.php
Our area has many inversions during
the winter months.

AP 42, Fifth Edition, Volume I, Chapter 1: External Combustion Sources
Section 1.9 Residential Fireplaces
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch01/final/c01s09.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/efdocs/rwc_pm25.pdf
93% of Wood Smoke
Combustion Particles
are less than 2.5 μ

Average wood burn rate is approximately 6.6 lbs/hr of wood which equals
3 kilograms or 3000 grams of wood per hour.
34.6lbsPM
1Tonwood
=
34.6lbsPM
2000Lbswood
=17,300 x10
−6
PM ratio
(3000 gramswood )
(1hour)
x
(17,300 x10−6
gramsPM)
(1gramwood )
=
(52 gramsPM)
(hour)
52 gramsPM
hour
x
(93 percentPM2.5)
(100percentPM )
=
(48.36gramsPM2.5)
(hour)
AP-42 Fireplace emissions calculation in μg/cubic meters
48.36 grams (1.7oz) of PM2.5 is
generated by burning 6.6 lbs of wood

Estimate of the PM2.5 in ug/m3 30 feet away from a
smoking fireplace chimney.
Assumptions
Emissions 48.36 grams of PM2.5 per hour
No wind, and inversion
Chimney Height 30 ft
Volume Space between you and Chimney (assume 1 hour of air)
30 ft height x 30 ft wide x 30 ft distance = 27000 ft^3
27000 cubic feet = 765 cubic meters
Complete Mixing with the Air Volume
Calculation
48.36 gramsPM2.5
1hour
x
(1hourair )
(765cubic meterair )
=
(63.216 grams x10
−3
of PM2.5)
(meter
3
)
(63.216 grams x10
−3
of PM2.5)
(meter
3
)
=
(63.216 mgPM2.5)
(meter
3
)
=
(63,216 μgPM2.5)
(meter
3
)

The air 30 feet
away is estimated
to contain
(63,216 μgPM2.5)
(meter3
)
Estimate of the PM2.5 in ug/m3 30 feet away from a
smoking fireplace chimney.
(continued)
And that is 1,806 times over the 35μg/m3 EPA's 24 hr Std
= 5,268 times over
the EPA's Annual Std of 12μg/m3
(63,216ugPM2.5)
(meter
3
)
x
(1meter
3
)
(12ug)
hr Std

Estimate the safe distance from a smoking fireplace
chimney so as not to exceed 12 ug/m3 standard?
Assumptions
Emissions 48.36 grams of PM2.5 per hour
No wind, smoke equally spread out (LxW)
Temperature inversion, Chimney Height 30 ft
48.36 gramsPM2.5
x
(1meterair
3
)
(12grams x10−6
of PM2.5EPAStd)
=(4,030,000meter
3
)
√(
(142,000,000 ft3
)
(30 ftChimney )
)=2170 ft
With a 30ft smoke height you need to be 2170 ft or ~4/10
of a mile away from the smoking chimney to be safe.
Or 142.3 Million Ft3

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch01/final/c01s10.pdf
AP 42, Fifth Edition, Volume I, Chapter 1: External Combustion Sources
Section 1.10 Residential Wood Stoves
Conventional wood stoves are ~70%
just as polluting as fireplaces, and the
phase 2 certified stoves are about half
as polluting as fireplaces

How is air quality monitored?
The Clean Air Act requires every state to establish an air
monitoring station network for criteria pollutants. The monitoring
stations in this network are called the State and Local Air
Monitoring Stations (SLAMS). The SLAMS network consists of
approximately 4000 monitoring sites whose distribution is largely
determined by the needs of State and local air pollution control
agencies.
http://public.health.oregon.gov/HealthyEnvironments/TrackingAssessment/Environ
mentalPublicHealthTracking/Pages/air.aspx

Monitor readings are just that:
they measure indicators (some
of which are primary
pollutants), and they
provide pollutant levels where
monitors are placed, rather than
where people live or work. Air
quality advisories and the AQHI
are driven by monitor readings.
What monitored levels can’t say about health
http://www.bc.lung.ca/association_and_services/documents/HealthEffectsofAirPollutantsPGJune2009-final.pdf

Regulatory Challenges
Conventional regulatory problem-solving tools have not uniformly
addressed the risk to public health posed by traditional RWC and
the more recent OWB phenomenon. First, the use of the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) PM2.5
24-hr averaging metric (35 μg/m3) to establish a bright-line test is
problematic. Studies have demonstrated that in some
circumstances the standard metric does not adequately
protect against sub-daily peaking at hourly
concentrations associated with adverse health effects.
[23,29,51]
Adverse Health Effects, Exposure Threats and Regulatory
Challenges Relating to Outdoor Wood Boilers and Residential
Wood Combustion
By Philip Johnson
EM January 2011 Copyright 2011 Air & Waste Management Association awma.org

Current evidence suggests that the PM2.5 NAAQS is
not an effective means to protect populations from
peaking wood smoke exposures, especially
vulnerable subgroups, including asthmatics,
children,and the elderly.
Wood Combustion
By Philip Johnson

In addition, the current PM2.5 monitoring network is sparse in
non-urban rural areas where wood burning occurs, in contrast
to federal efforts to quantify exposure risks in urban areas to
inform the current PM2.5 NAAQS review. [52]
This constrains regulatory understanding of the frequency and
level of impacts to populations exposed to RWC
Wood Combustion
By Philip Johnson
Philip R.S. Johnson, MPH, MesC, is a senior officer with The Heinz Endowments’ Environment
Program. He has worked for government agencies and nonprofits on environmental and public health
issues, was formerly a senior scientist and program manager for NESCAUM, and is completing a
doctorate (abd) inenvironmental health andrisk management at Yale University School of Forestry &
Environmental Studies.

23. Brown, D.R.; Callahan, B.G.; Boissevain, A.L. An Assessment of Risk from Particulate
Released from Outdoor Wood Boilers;Hum. Ecol. Risk Assess.2007,13, 191-208.
29. Johnson, P.R.S. In-Field Ambient Fine Particle Monitoring of an Outdoor Wood Boiler: Public
Health Concerns;Hum. Ecol. Risk Assess. 2006,12, 1153-1170.
51. Johnson, P.R.S.; Graham, J.J. Analysis of Primary Fine Particle National Ambient Air Quality
Standard Metrics; J. Air & Waste. Manage. Assoc.2006,56, 206-218
52 Quantitative Health Risk Assessment for Particulate Matter ; EPA-452/R-10-005; Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Research Triangle Park, NC, 2005
Wood Combustion
By Philip Johnson
References
Philip Johnson's entire article can be found at
http://gasp-pgh.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/johnson_wood-health-reg_EM2011.pdf

In December of 2012, New Jersey submitted a request for redesignation to
attainment of the annual 15 ug/m3 and 24-hour 35 ug/m3 standards to the
USEPA. On August 13, 2013, the USEPA re-designated New Jersey’s 13
nonattainment counties to attainment for the annual 15 ug/m3 and the 24-
hour 35 ug/m3 PM2.5 NAAQS, effective September 4, 2013.
This means New Jersey DEP and lawmakers are
unlikely to take any action to curb wood smoke.

How the EPA protects you
from dangerous levels of
residential wood smoke

January 10, 2014
1:00 AM to 4:00 PM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Quality_Index

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=resources.aqi_conc_calc

Fireplaces also emit 252.6 Lbs of Carbon
Monoxide per ton of wood into the air.
http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=resources.conc_aqi_calc

New Jersey
Dept of Environmental
Protection
Wood Burning

Each year, smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces contributes over
420,000 tons of fine particles throughout the country – mostly during
the winter months.
Nationally, residential wood combustion accounts for 44 percent of
total stationary and mobile polycyclic organic matter (POM)
emissions and 62 percent of the 7-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH), which are probable human carcinogens and are of great
concern.

Long-term exposures, such as those experienced by people living for
many years in areas with high particle levels, have been associated
with problems such as reduced lung function and the development of
chronic bronchitis—and even premature death.
Short-term exposures to particles (hours or days) can aggravate lung
disease, causing asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and may also
increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.

Even though wood is a renewable energy source, burning wood
impacts public health and the environment. One such environmental
impact is the release of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that
contributes to global warming.
Wood smoke also emits fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which pose a
significant health risk, and is the largest source of PM2.5 in the
State's area source emission inventory.
Residential wood burning accounted for 9,363 tons per year
(tons per year) of fine-particulate matter (PM2.5) in New Jersey
in 2002
From NJDEP White Paper HR007 “A Multi-Stage Approach for Wood Burning Issues at the Local Level

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a serious health problem in
New Jersey. Exposure to PM2.5 can cause a variety of health
problems, such as premature mortality, decreased lung function
and difficulty breathing, and asthma attacks, and other effects,
such as reduced visibility, loss of biodiversity, and damage to man
made structures, sensitive forests, and farm crops, and contributes
to global warming and the formation of acid rain.
The State of New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision for the Attainment
and Maintenance of the Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
National Ambient Air Quality Standard
PM2.5 Attainment Demonstration
Proposal
June 16, 2008
From Executive Summary Page xvii

NJDEP estimates that in New Jersey every year, exposure to
fine particulate levels above the federal health standard results
in an estimated 1,900 deaths and 53,000 asthma attacks. This
death rate is nearly twice that from motor vehicle accidents
(approximately 730 annually in New Jersey) and
homicides(approximately 300 annually).
Reference Page 15 of the report

So how does New Jersey protect you
against Residential wood smoke ?

REGULATIONS IN NEW JERSEY WOOD SMOKE
To clear the air about how New Jersey addresses residential wood smoke
issues. New Jersey's Air Pollution Control Act (APCA) specifically prohibits
the permitting or investigation of a private residence.
Indoor equipment. For example, since a fireplace is within the residence,
the State cannot use the APCA, or any rule adopted under the Act,
including NJAC 7:27-5, for the enforcement of a residential fireplace.
Outdoor equipment. If the equipment were located outdoors, New Jersey
has the authority under the APCA, but not if the equipment is located
within the residence.
Pending Action(s): None at this time.

The NJDEP Compliance and Enforcement (C&E) program is
aware of numerous complaints of the smoke and odors of outdoor
wood boilers and other wood burning equipment. Issues with
outdoor wood boilers are being investigated under the authority
of N.J.A.C. 7:27 Subchapters 3 and 5.
Local actions are appropriate to reduce and prevent the
excessive smoke from residential wood burning
occurring in New Jersey. Some local ordinances have
already been passed in the State.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/baqp/rapt/rapt.html

IMPLEMENTATION
New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act Amendments
In order for a multi-stage approach to be implemented, the Air Pollution Control Act
needs to be amended to allow for county or local ordinances that restrict or prohibit
outdoor wood burning within all or sections of their municipality or county. This will
place the authority and responsibility at its proper place at the local level. At the
present time, the Air Pollution Control Act does not prevent homeowners from
conducting open burning activities, such as leaf burning, at their homes, although
many “grand-fathered” ordinances do exist at the county and municipal level (1). It
also does not allow municipalities to regulate outdoor wood burning activities in their
communities (1). Current NJDEP policy is to pass wood smoke complaints to
the county and local health agencies. The county and local agencies, for the
most part, are powerless to intervene in the absence of county or municipal
ordinances.
Disclaimer – The recommendations contained within this white paper do not constitute official state decisions nor reflect any pending
regulatory or nonregulatory actions. The NJDEP welcomes public feedback on this (or another) white paper.
May 2, 2006
Contact – Laura Scatena
Workgroup Recommendations and Other Potential Control Measures
Homes and Restaurants Workgroup
HR007 – A Multi-Stage Approach for Wood Burning Issues at the Local Level
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/baqp/rapt/wps/HR007_fin.pdf

Ordinances
Even in other states, such as California, wood smoke is an increasing problem
(2). As a result, several cities and counties in California have implemented local
ordinances on wood smoke, which include permitting and installation
provisions. There are twelve air districts rules on wood smoke in California.
The State could adapt or adopt any of these rules so that New Jersey
municipalities can enact local ordinances for their area. The Bay Area
Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) has a model ordinance
for its cities or counties (3). The State could modify this model
ordinance to be utilized by New Jersey’s counties or municipalities.
May 2, 2006
Disclaimer – The recommendations contained within this white paper do not constitute official state
decisions nor reflect any pending regulatory or nonregulatory actions. The NJDEP welcomes public
feedback on this (or another) white paper.

EMISSION REDUCTIONS
While implementing strategies to reduce nuisance complaints from residential wood burning
(as to the time,quantity, or type of material burned) may not greatly improve the overall air
quality in the State, the quality of life issue for some New Jersey citizens will be improved if a
multi-faceted approach is taken (1). The amount of emissions reduced would depend on the
compliance rate of the area under local ordinances (8). Residential wood burning accounted for
9,363 tons per year (tpy) of fine-particulate matter (PM2.5) in New Jersey in 2002 (1). In some
of the most densely populated parts of the State and within the towns that have the greatest
likelihood of experiencing neighbor-to-neighbor effects, the multi-faceted approach would
effectively prohibit the wood burning activity from occurring. Vermont concluded that having
siting criteria under their rule, Air Pollution Control Regulations (APCR) §5-204, was not
enough to reduce the amount of smoke and pollutants being emitted from outdoor wood
boilers to decrease the number of nuisance complaints and health effects as a result of these
units (9). The model ordinance used as an example includes mandatory action, which may
increase the compliance rate. A mandatory curtailment program implemented in the San
Joaquin Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJUAPCD) estimated a maximum of 78%
emission reductions (8).
May 2, 2006
Disclaimer – The recommendations contained within this white paper do not constitute official state decisions nor reflect any pending regulatory or nonregulatory actions. The NJDEP
welcomes public feedback on this (or another) white paper.

Enforcement
Consideration of whom will enforce these provisions should be made
with discretion given to the county and municipalities to have
enforcement by a combination of health, environmental, police, or fire
officials at the discretion of the county or local agency (1). This last
consideration must establish a clear line of authority and responsibility
to enforce the local laws so that a homeowner clearly knows whom to
contact to resolve the issue.
May 2, 2006
Disclaimer – The recommendations contained within this white paper do not constitute official state
decisions nor reflect any pending regulatory or nonregulatory actions. The NJDEP welcomes public
feedback on this (or another) white paper.

NJDEP
Current NJDEP policy is to pass wood smoke
complaints to the county and local health agencies. The
county and local agencies, for the most part, are
powerless to intervene in the absence of county or
municipal ordinances
Local actions are appropriate to reduce and prevent the
excessive smoke from residential wood burning
occurring in New Jersey. Some local ordinances have
already been passed in the State.

What are the Hazardous
Air Pollutants (HAPs)?
HAPS are toxic air pollutants that
are known or suspected of causing
cancer or other serious health
effects, such as developmental
effects or birth defects
Philip Johnson 2007

http://www.familiesforcleanair.org/

What Air Pollution Can Do to Breast Tissue
Scientists are just beginning to understand the connections between PAHs
and breast cancer, but here is what they have discovered so far.
PAHs have caused mammary tumors in rats, and they appear to increase
breast cancer risk in a variety of ways. Common PAHs mimic estrogen, and
elevated levels of the hormone are known to contribute to tumor growth.
But there is another, more insidious way that PAHs threaten our health. Once
in the body, PAHs can bind to genetic material (DNA) and form something
with the ungainly name of PAH-DNA adducts. These adducts jumpstart a
series of cell changes that can short circuit cell signals, interfere with DNA
repair within cells, and ultimately lead to DNA mutations.

What Air Pollution Can Do to Breast Tissue (continued)
I know from my experience being tested for the so-called breast cancer genes
that genetic mutations can lead your cells down paths you don't want them to
go.
Several studies have connected high levels of PAH-DNA adducts and breast
cancer. One study, from the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project,
discovered that women with the highest levels of PAH-DNA adducts
had a 50 percent increased risk of breast cancer. Another compared
breast tissue from women who had breast cancer with women who had benign
breast diseases and found that the cancerous samples were two times as likely
to have PAH-DNA adducts.

Of the approximately 20 million people in the U.S. with asthma, more than six million are
children. From 1980 to 1994, the proportion of Americans suffering with asthma
increased by 75%, and in children, the proportion increased by 160% while asthma rates
among children remain at historically high levels (CDC 2006).

You wouldn't want your child smoking, but......

Comparison of Toxic Chemicals in Wood and Cigarette Smoke
Australian Air Toxics NEPM – PAH
The Australian Air Toxics National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) covers 5 toxic
pollutants – benzene, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), toluene and
xylene. PAH will be discussed first, because of their complexity and known carcinogenic
potential. Wikipedia reports that the U.S. EPA has designated 16 PAH compounds as priority
pollutants - naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene,
fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene,
benzo[b]fluoranthene,benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene,
benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene. This list of 16 EPA priority PAHs is of ten
targeted for measurement in environmental samples-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycyclic_aromatic_hydrocarbon#PAH_compounds
According to the USA Surgeon General’s report (USSGR)[1], five of these
chemicals are in cigarette smoke. However, all 16 PAH are in wood smoke [2]; you
would have to smoke 16,000 - 222,000 cigarettes to produce the equivalent amount
of PAH as burning 1 kg firewood in a correctly-operated heater. Most wood heaters
burn about 30 kg wood per day, so to produce the PAH from the average correctly-
operated wood heater would require the smoke from 0.5 - 7 million cigarettes.
http://woodsmoke.3sc.net/wood-vs-cigarette-smoke

Dioxins and related compounds
The Australian wood heater study [2] lists average dioxin
emissions as 4.2 ng/kg – double the value used until then in
Australian emissions inventories, but there is no mention of dioxin
in the U.S. Surgeon General Report.
PCDDs, PCDFs and (PCBs): polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins
(PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), are amongst the most toxic pollutants known.
A 12-month study of 6 locations in Australia covering industrial
and residential sites, showed that levels of these harmful
pollutants were close to zero, except when wood heaters were in
use, when concentrations were up to 10 times higher than the
non-heating season
http://woodsmoke.3sc.net/wood-vs-cigarette-smoke
(see graph, right from Graset al. http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/gras_2005a.pdf )

For simplicity we refer to both dioxins and furans as
dioxins. They have been identified to be among the
most toxic anthropogenic compounds known.
Once released into the environment, typically either through
combustion processes or as industrial byproducts,
dioxins/furans are dispersed, deposited and accumulated
in both the local and regional areas. Dioxins are formed by
processes such as municipal and medical waste incineration,
domestic waste burning, forest fires, wood processing, and
wood-burning fire places (Lemieux et al., 2000; Yasuhara et al., 2003;
Lavric et al., 2004;Shibamoto et al., 2007; Committee on EPA’s Exposure and
Human Health., 2006) Committee on EPA’s Exposure and HumanHealth.,
2006).
From “Dioxin inhalation doses from wood combustion in indoor cookfires”
Amanda L. Northcross*, S. Katharine Hammond, Eduardo Canuz, Kirk R. Smith
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, 50
University Hall # 7360, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

Dioxins (continued)
In addition to being highly toxic, dioxins/furans are
strongly persistent in the environment and
bioaccumulate due to their long half life in the body; 7
years on average.
In industrial countries the largest fraction and most
common pathway of dioxin exposure is through
ingestion of foods grown in contaminated soils or fish
and animals living in contaminated environments.
From “Dioxin inhalation doses from wood combustion in indoor cookfires”
Amanda L. Northcross*, S. Katharine Hammond, Eduardo Canuz, Kirk R. Smith
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, 50
University Hall # 7360, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

"In addition to the local problems caused by widespread biomass burning, two
other related issues have not been addressed. First, the amount of monitoring
for particulate air pollution is not even close to what is needed. Second, our
public health laws are not effective in helping people who are being exposed to
biomass smoke by a neighbor. The difference in how sewage system incursion
on to neighboring property is addressed is much more clear and reliable than
how wood smoke “trespassing” is treated by public officials."
"We support efforts to rewrite and enforce public health laws that protect
people from the dangers of wood smoke exposure. As in the area of secondhand
tobacco smoke, the right to breathe healthy air is primary. It supersedes any
alleged “right” to burn wood."
http://woodsmokenuisance.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/2010-feb-american-lung-assoc-of-new-
england-biomass-position-statement/

The U.S. Surgeon General says, "There is no safe level of
tobacco smoke." The Environmental Protection Agency says,
"Wood smoke is 12 times more carcinogenic than tobacco
smoke."
Therefore, it follows that there is no safe level of wood
smoke.
Visible smoke and smell indicate health problems, according
to the Department of Human Services and EPA, and health
problems have to be stopped and prevented, according to
DHHS essential services policy and law.

Wood Burning Educational
Materials

www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls
DOE Heatcalc show wood heat is more expensive
than Natural Gas

The Chimney Sweep Online Fireplace, Wood Stove, Gas
Stove and Barbecue Shop
Sweep's Library FAQ's
at
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/library.htm

Sweep's Library:
Wood Burning Basics
1. Burn only dry, seasoned firewood
Freshly cut wood contains up to 60% water, and must be
"seasoned" (dried to 20-25% moisture content) before
burning. Wood containing more than 25% moisture is "wet"
or "green", and should never be burned in a fireplace or
woodstove. If steam bubbles and hisses out of the end grain as
the firewood heats up on the fire, the wood is wet or green, and
needs to be seasoned longer before burning.
.
A fallen tree will wet-rot before it ever dries enough to be
used for fuel. To properly season firewood, cut it into stove-
sized pieces and stack it so air can circulate and carry away
the moisture as it evaporates through both ends of each piece.
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/

Sweep's Library:
Wood Burning Basics
1. Burn only dry, seasoned firewood (continued)
The woodpile must be sheltered to prevent rainwater from
being re-absorbed: firewood that is exposed to rain can
rapidly become just as wet as it was when freshly cut. Shelter
the woodpile from the rain, but don't cover it completely with
plastic tarps or store it in an enclosed shed or garage; air
circulation is necessary to ensure proper seasoning.

Sweep's Library:
Wood Burning Basics
1. Burn only dry, seasoned firewood (continued)
Wood must be cut into pieces and stacked out of the rain for
at least 9-12 months to season properly. Some tight-grained
species can take even longer (Red Oak is an often-cited
example). If a wood supplier advertises his wood as
"seasoned", or claims that it has been "down" for a year or
two (or more), be skeptical. Ask how long the wood has been
cut into pieces and stacked out of the rain. Better yet, learn to
determine how well-seasoned a piece of wood is for yourself.

Sweep's Library:
Wood Burning Basics
2. Burn the wood gases (continued)
After the wood has been properly seasoned, most of its
remaining 20% - 25% moisture content consists of wood resins.
As the wood heats up in the fire, these resins emit combustible
gases which, when ignited, can account for as much as half the
heat output of the fire. To maximize heat extraction, most wood
stove designs incorporate a second opportunity to ignite any
unburned gasified wood resins, in the form of a baffle system or
secondary burn chamber. Any wood gases that aren't consumed
in the primary fire, baffle area or secondary burn chamber
escape up the chimney, taking their heat value with them and
accelerating the formation of creosote as they cool and
condense in the flue.

Sweep's Library:
Wood Burning Basics
When wet or improperly seasoned firewood is burned, the
extra water content turns to steam and mixes with the wood
gases and unburned particulates, preventing them from igniting
and releasing their heat value. The resulting wet, heavy,
particle-laden exhaust moves slowly up the flue, where it cools
rapidly to condensation temperature, resulting in excessive
creosote buildup.

Sweep's Library:
Wood Burning Basics
When the draft control that supplies air to the fire is set too
low, the wood gases won't ignite in the resulting oxygen-starved
environment, even if the firewood is properly seasoned.
EPA approved stoves have built-in safeguards to ensure an
adequate supply of air to the fire, but many older airtights can
be adjusted to smolder along for extended periods, which
typically results in heavy creosote deposits in the flue.

Now ask yourself this question.
Have you seen anyone in
Haddonfield store firewood
properly?

A wood fireplace consumes a VAST amount of oxygen, and the
chimney updraft simultaneously vacuums a HUGE amount of both
burned and unburned air out of the house. This evacuation of air
is known as the chimney flow rate, and it is measured in cubic feet
per minute (cfm). A typical open fireplace with a brisk fire
burning will create a flow rate of somewhere around 500 cfm
out the chimney, which is enough to totally evacuate the air from
a 1,000 sq.ft. house every fifteen minutes. Meanwhile,
replacement air must squeeze in through tiny openings around
doors, windows, etc.. If the house doesn't present enough openings
to the outside atmosphere to allow static pressure stabilization, the
atmosphere inside the house will remain at a lower pressure (and
a lower oxygen level) than the atmosphere outside the house as
long as the fire is burning. The tighter the house, the more
pronounced the effect.
Sweep's Library:
Why burn outside combustion air?
http://chimneysweeponline.com

Legal Services
Nuisance Claims
How to Handle Your Noisy Neighbor
Healthier, more efficient wood burning stoves provide a better remodeling
choice. Sometimes, the government will help pay for the upgrade.
Smoking Out Your Nasty Neighbor
A Neighborhood Exposed to Toxic Substance
Lieberman & Blecher represents New York homeowners troubled by a
neighbor's septic tank.
Neighbors Causing Flooding
Development at higher elevations causing flooding on your property?
Locations
10 Jefferson
Plaza
Suite 400
Princeton,
New Jersey 08540
732.355.1311
845 Third Avenue
6th Floor
New York,
New York 10022
646.290.5121
http://www.liebermanblecher.com/aop/nuisance-claims/

Smoking Out Your Nasty Neighbor
by Stuart Lieberman
International Real Estate Digest
I really love Texas barbecue. I could eat it every day. I travel miles out of my way to
try a new barbecue place.
It's one thing to eat smoke. It's quite another to breathe it, day in/ day out. But some
neighbors are so uncaring, that they allow their wood burning stoves and fireplaces to
hurt their neighbors. I am talking about disabling injuries and emotional anguish.
Some people just can't handle smoke.
Ill functioning wood burning stoves and fireplaces can cause problems for
neighbors. They can literally smoke neighbors out, making them helpless and
sick in their own homes. Especially people located next to ill functioning stoves.
Wood can be dangerous when it is burned and the smoke is inhaled. Wood
smoke contains poisonous and cancer-causing chemicals. Smoke can enter the
lungs by attaching to tiny particles that are too small to be filtered by the nose
and upper respiratory systems.
Breathing wood smoke can cause angina, irritate lungs and eyes,trigger
headaches. The smoke can also hinder judgment, slow reflexes and worsen
respiratory diseases.

Smoking Out Your Nasty Neighbor (continued)
Yes, this is America. Yes, this is your castle. Yes, you should enjoy your home.
But some people are allergic to the smoke from these burners. Do they have to move to
a new home because you happen to like burning wood?
Most of us don't have to burn wood. We usually can keep warm some other way.
Usually, its done for mood and enjoyment. Which is fine.
But what happens when something you do for pure entertainment really makes your
poor neighbor sick and even disabled? Oh, I'll get emails over this, for sure. But the
truth is some people physically can't tolerate that smoke.
I do not think that one neighbor has the right to interfere with another's
use and enjoyment of his property. Ill functioning stoves and fireplaces
must be fixed so that they do not cause harm to innocent neighbors.
If your ill functioning stove isn't bothering any one -- great, except to the extent it is
polluting the air. But if you are placing others in harm's way, or even just making their
lives miserable, I think that you need to stop

Smoking Out Your Nasty Neighbor (continued)
People need to be good neighbors. Never mind if what you are doing is legal. That is
not the point.
No one has the right to unreasonably interfere with a neighbor's use of his home, and
his health. Since wood burning stoves are seldom absolutely required in modern
society, if your smoke is hurting a neighbor, you simply have to stop what you are
doing and find a way to fix the situation.
And, if your neighbor is driving you crazy and will not stop: First,
consult with your local health ordinances. Some regulate these
stoves specifically. Others do so in more general terms. If local
ordinance does not help, consult with a lawyer. While there are
never guarantees, a lawyer should know how to best deal with this
kind of neighbor.
Never, never resort to "self help." That will usually just make problems worse for
you.
Its all simply about being kind, good neighbors.

Some believe wood
burning is carbon neutral
and environmentally
responsible.

The “carbon neutral” concept originated in a 1996 Greenhouse Gas
Inventory paper from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) of the United Nations. The IPCC assumed that, as biofuel plants
grow, they absorb CO2 equal to the amount released when burned. If
correct, substitution of wood for coal would reduce net emissions.
But a 2011 opinion by the European Environment Agency pointed to a
“serious error” in greenhouse gas accounting. The carbon neutral
assumption does not account for CO2 that would be absorbed by the
natural vegetation that grows on land not used for biofuel production.
Substitution of wood for coal in electrical power plants is actually
increasing carbon dioxide emissions.
Nevertheless, governments have adopted the “carbon neutral”
assumption and continue to promote biomass as a substitute for coal. As
a result, nations and utilities are not required to count their CO2
emissions from biomass
combustion.http://catallaxyfiles.com/2013/11/10/wood-fired-power-stations-truth-stranger-than-fiction/
Technological regression unfolding
before our very eyes.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/biomass_report_tcm9-326672.pdf

The carbon debt or lag from biomass is ignored entirely. The carbon debt refers
to the time lag between CO2 being emitted from burning biomass and the same
amount of CO2 being absorbed again by new plant growth, usually trees. Because
biomass is less energy dense than coal, generating one unit of electricity from
burning wood results in around 50% more upfront CO2 emissions than generating
the same from burning coal.[150]
In theory, new trees or other plants will eventually re-absorb all of that
carbon again, however, even if this were to happen (which is highly
uncertain), trees take years or—outside the tropics—decades to grow, yet
only minutes to burn. And forests take even longer to re-sequester all of
the carbon emitted not just from burning wood but from depleting soils
and destroying plant communities as a result of logging. Yet this increase in
CO2 over the next years, decades or centuries is ignored entirely in the
Government’s methodology.
FROM SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS:A Modern Myth
12th September 2012
A review of standards, criteria, and schemes certifying industrial biomass as
"sustainable", with particular emphasis on UK biomass electricity developments
Author: Almuth Ernsting, Editors: Rachel Smolker, Emilia Hanna
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/

If biomass electricity were accounted for in the same way then it would not be
considered low-carbon but in fact more carbon intensive than coal. Because biomass
is less energy-dense than fossil fuels, a larger mass of material needs to be burned
per unit of electricity generation, resulting in higher CO2 stack emissions.
According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), CO2 emissions
from burning wood are higher than those from burning most types of coal, though
similar to those from burning lignite (brown coal). In reality, stack emissions
from biomass combustion are around 50% higher than those from coal
burning for the same amount of electricity produced, due to the fact that
biomass combustion is less efficient than coal combustion using the same
technology.
However, while the IPCC recommends that these emissions are reported “for
information purposes”, countries are not required to include them in their overall
greenhouse gas emissions reports. Instead, burning biomass is, internationally,
treated as “carbon neutral” on the assumption that all wood and other biomass is
“renewable” and that new trees and other vegetation will re-absorb the carbon
emitted from burning previous harvest.
In other words, the CO2 coming out of biomass combustion
chimneys is completely ignored.
Continued..... SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS:A Modern Myth

Continued Federal Court Strikes Down EPA's Biomass Emissions Loophole
Massachusetts has been at the forefront of the bioenergy boom, with utility-scale
biomass plants proposed in Russell, Greenfield, and Springfield. The facilities would
burn about 1.3 million tons of forest wood annually, more than the state’s annual
commercial timber harvest (the Springfield plant as then proposed would also have
burned 255,000 tons per year of construction and demolition wood sorted to remove
the most obviously contaminated material). Representing 135 megawatts of new
electrical capacity, the three plants would add about 1 percent to the state’s
2008 power generating capacity, but the 1.7 million tons of CO2 they would
emit each year would increase power sector emissions by 6.9 percent.
After a cross-section of scientists, engineers, and medical professionals joined local
residents in raising concerns about the facilities, the Massachusetts Department of
Energy Resources took action. The agency’s own back-of-the-envelope calculations
on CO2 emissions and forest cutting had concluded that biomass energy might not
be compatible with the emissions reduction mandates of the Global Warming
Solutions Act. In November 2009, then-Secretary of Energy and Environmental
Affairs Ian Bowles commissioned the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to
study the forest cutting and greenhouse gas impacts oflarge-scale biomass plants in
Massachusetts.

POLITICO
Court: EPA must regulate biogenic emissions now
By: Erica Martinson
July 15, 2013 05:02 AM EDT
For years, energy derived from biological sources, including
burning wood, was thought to be carbon neutral and preferred
over fossil fuels. But in recent years, some environmental groups
have challenged that assertion.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh, wrote that EPA’s temporary deferral
“simply highlights the legal problems” of the program in the first
place and that “the absurdities and anomalies flowing from
EPA’s statutory interpretation just underscore how flawed EPA’s
interpretation was from the get-go.”
The agency is “necessarily making it up as it goes along” when it
comes to greenhouse gas emissions, Kavanaugh wrote. “That is
not how the administrative process is supposed to work.”

Bottom Line
Burning wood is neither “Carbon
Neutral nor Climate Neutral”.
It increases CO2 in the atmosphere,
and with its toxic emissions,
endangers all living things.

Local Actions taken in
Various States

A Lawsuit Is Filed
From a press release issued today:
Washington, DC (October 9, 2013) – Today, national health and environmental groups
filed a legal challenge to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to update
clean air standards that limit emissions from new outdoor wood boilers, furnaces and
other similar sources that discharge large volumes of woodsmoke. This review is 17
years overdue, resulting in increased exposure to harmful smoke and soot in
communities across the nation despite the wide availability of cleaner technologies.
The American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Clean Air
Council, and Environment and Human Health, Inc., all represented by
Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit over EPA’s failure to update emissions standards for
new wood-burning boilers, furnaces and other similar high-emitting sources of
dangerous soot as required by the Clean Air Act. The complaint filed today asks the
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order EPAAdministrator Gina
McCarthy to review and revise the standards. Filing a similar complaint today were the
states of New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and
Vermont and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

EPA
Education and Outreach
http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/pdfs/strategies.pdf
“Smoke may smell good, but it's not good for you.”
http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/healtheffects.html

Wood smoke education is an
important part of reducing PM2.5
in your community. Engaging the
public and giving them the tools to
make informed decisions about
what they burn and how they burn
is the first step in an overall wood
smoke reduction plan. Enough
education programs have been in effect
long enough that we know they are
effective.
III. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

A commitment from local community leaders to support
wood smoke reduction programs is important for the
success of an education campaign. A plan for education
and outreach to the public should definitely be included when
introducing burn ban ordinances or wood-burning appliance
replacement programs to elected leaders. The following is an
example policy statement from the California Bay Area Air
Quality Management District that could be used in other
communities to help advance education and outreach
campaigns
III. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

Public Health Nuisance Code of New Jersey (1953)
SECTION I
2.1 The following matters, things, conditions or acts and each of them
are hereby declared to be a nuisance and injurious to the health of the
inhabitants of this municipality:
a. Any matter, thing, condition or act which is or may become
detrimental or a menace in the health of the inhabitants of this
municipality.
b. (RESERVED)
c. Pollution or existence of a condition or conditions which cause or threaten pollution of any
waters in this municipality in such manner as to cause or threaten injury to any of the
inhabitants of this municipality, either in
their health, comfort or property.
d. The escape into the open air from any stack, vent, chimney or
any entrance to the open air or from any fire into the open air of
such quantities of smoke, fly ash, dust, fumes,
vapors, mists or gases as to cause injury
detriment or annoyance to the inhabitants of this
municipality or endanger their comfort, repose,
health or safety.

Our Haddonfield commissioners
should support educating our
citizens on the health hazards of
wood smoke and enforce the New
Jersey Public Health Nuisance
Code against irresponsible wood
burners who refuse to stop harming
our citizens.
MY OPINION

The Haddonfield building codes
should be revised to prohibit the
installation of all fireplaces, wood
stoves, and pellet stoves that don't
meet EPA Phase 2 certification in
new construction and remodeling.
MY OPINION

The property maintenance ordinance
should be revised to make it illegal to store
firewood directly on the ground and
uncovered. The ordinance should require
that an EPA woodshed or equivalent is
required for firewood storage.
This will also prevent pests and vermin
from living in a decaying wood pile. It will
also help prevent the burning of wet wood
which causes even more pollution.
MY OPINION

Our schools should educate our children
about the health hazards of wood smoke, as
well as, the Air Quality Index.
The afternoon AQI color for the day should
be displayed at every school so students can
inform their parents when it is not safe to
burn wood.
Haddonfield Government should identify the
official who will enforce the Public Health
Code regarding wood smoke.
MY OPINION

http://www.familiesforcleanair.org
If you can't
breathe,
nothing else
matters.

The Dangers of Wood Smoke

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