Posted on 12/24/2014 5:36:36 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
(CNSNews.com) - "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." But WAIT! Stop the music -- What is the moisture content of those logs? Before burning the logs, did you knock them together to see if they sounded hollow?
You really should go dashing through the snow to your local hardware store in search of a "moisture meter," the perfect gift for that environmentally paranoid person on your Christmas list. Those people are so hard to please, aren't they?
And be sure to check your local air quality forecast on airnow.gov before lighting a fire.
Alas, the Environmental Protection Agency recognizes that, "Across the country this holiday season, families and friends will gather around wood stoves or fireplaces."
But it also warns that "how you build that fire -- and what your burn -- can have a significant impact on air quality and health, both inside your home and out."
For instance, where there's smoke, there's a problem, says EPA: "Whether you’re using a wood stove, pellet stove, or your fireplace, seeing smoke from your chimney means your fire isn’t burning efficiently or cleanly as it could."
The agency that uses pollution controls to influence many aspects of human behavior wants you to know that wood smoke contains fine particles (also called particle pollution or PM2.5 -- no kidding!) which can harm the lungs, blood vessels and heart.
EPA offers the following tips for clean wood burning:
-- Burn only dry, seasoned wood that makes a hollow sound when thumped. -- Buy a wood moisture meter. (Hey, what's another $20?) -- Start a small fire with dry kindling, then add a few pieces of wood, keeping spaces in between for better, cleaner burning. -- Never burn household garbage, cardboard, painted or treated wood. (Don't chop up the chifferobe, in other words.)
Finally, the EPA recommends using an EPA-certified wood stove to put less smoke into the air.
Oh, and happy new year! The EPA is updating its requirements for newly manufactured wood stoves, outdoor wood boilers and other wood heaters to make them cleaner in the future. EPA says it anticipates issuing final regulations by Feb. 3, 2015.
EPA Wood-Burning Nanny State PING!
Dear EPA,
Bite me!
I’ll have a MERRY CHRISTMAS without any input from the EPA or any other worthless government entity, thank you very much!
I extend this wish to All.
FU EPA! I’m burning a giant pile of leaves this afternoon.
I prefer an EPA free America.
The clueless EPA needs to shut up. If they want to whine about something, I suggest they whine about the size of “footprint” Barry’s “undocumented” and “unaccompanied” illegal aliens (Obamagrants) are going to create.
Do these idiots in the government ever stop? What part of leave us alone don’t they get? Like they have to tell us what kind of wood to burn. OMG! People been burning wood for thousands of years.
Good suggestion. The EPA (Extreme Pain in Ass) agency is a cabal of bureaucrats frantically coming up with new regulations to justify their financial existence.
They are injuring and killing people across the country with their NEW “safe” small gas containers. Millions across the country have been forced to by a so-called SAFE container whose pouring routines have become impossible.
People with any hand problems from actual disease to no longer youthfully strong have had to bypass the stupid filler designs.
Older designs, now deemed “unsafe” caused few problems, and they were mostly due to careless use. NEW design cause myriad problems merely by their existence.
EPA-—go someplace else.
I love my wood burning fireplace.
Perfect!
Like they have to tell us what kind of wood to burn. OMG!
Smith-Mundt Act
It's not conspiracy if it's blatantly true.
I have two of them that don't work right. They are stuck open. I don't care. You're right. I used to be able to fill my lawn tractor in twenty seconds now it takes five minutes. That container gets awkward to hold in that position for so long.
Stupid Democrats.
Prolly use some of those handy hydrocarbons to start things off with a whooosh
Too bad I didn't keep that worn out Deere tire too .. would've added a nice big middle finger exclamation point !
Saw the tip off.
This is the EPA. You will fall into ranks and be at attention!
Forward by columns from the right, columns of three, forwaaarrrrd..... HAAARRCH!!
They wish.
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