Regulations governing emissions from solid fuel burning devices
Purpose: These regulations have been adopted pursuant to Massachusetts
General Laws Chapter 111 Section 31C as a means of reducing the smoke
emissions from wood stoves, and similar solid fuel devices in the City
of Northampton.
Definitions:
Opacity: is a measure of the density of smoke, per CFR, Title 40, Part
60.
Owner: means the owner of any solid fuel burning device and/or the authorized
agent of the owner and /or the person who has overall responsibility
for the operation of a solid fuel burning device.
Solid fuel burning device: means any fireplace, fireplace insert, wood
stove, wood heater, wood furnace, coal furnace, coal stove or similar
device burning any solid fuel for aesthetic, cooking, or space heating
purposes.
Regulation: Smoke emission from any solid fuel burning device shall
not exceed 40% opacity for a period of two minutes except during a 15-minute
start up period.
Enforcement: This regulation will be enforced by the Board of Health
based on opacity readings taken by opacity observers, certified in accordance
with the provisions of CFR Title 40, Part 60.
Penalty: The owner of any solid fuel buning device operated in violation
of these regualtions shall be punished for the first offense, by a fine
of not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars and
for a subsequent offense, by a fine of not less than two hundred dollars
nor more than five hundred dollars. For the purpose of this paragragh
each day or part thereof of violation of these regulations whether such
a violation be continuous or intermittent shall be construed as a separate
and succeeding offense.
Appeal: An owner may appeal an order to correct a violation of these
regulations provided that a written request for a hearing is filed in
the Board of Health Office within seven days of the receipt of the violation
notice.
Effective Date: Following approval by the Mass DEQE (DEP) these regualtions
will become effective on the date of publication.
Revision effective: January 12, 1987
Reducing wood smoke pollution
Recently the Northampton Board of Health was made aware of a relatively
new phenomenon of wood smoke pollution, that is air pollution resulting
from the burning of wood for residential heating.
Carbon monoxide, particulates and hundreds of chemical compounds can
pollute both indoor and outdoor air when wood stoves are used inefficiently.
During the periods of adverse winter weather, the air quality in Hampshire
County residential areas where a high peercentage of wood stoves are
used can be as bad as the air in large industrial cities.
*The Northampton Board of Health goes on the recommend wood burning
parctices to increase wood stove efficiency, reduce air pollution, and
increase safety. Please contact the Northampton Board of Health if you
would like to read these recomendations.
