Hearthlist Digest #79 - Friday, December 19, 1997
 
Need Info.
  by Bill Kline <[email protected]>
Recent hearthlist topics
  by Jimrau503 <[email protected]>
Re: Hearthlist Digest #76 - 12/12/97
  by Tex <[email protected]>
 

(back) Subject: Need Info. From: "Bill Kline" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 19:29:14 -0400   I just had a call from an insurance man who needs to know if a Gould Stove type C-4BF wood stove is UL Listed. I am not familiar with Gould Stoves. Could find nothing on them in the Alternative Energy Retailer's 1996 Buyer's Guide. I hope maybe someone on this list can tell me something.   Thanks,   Bill Kline Chim Cheree Chimney Sweep Greer, SC CSIA Cert #257      
(back) Subject: Recent hearthlist topics From: Jimrau503 <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 21:29:58 -0400   I've read so much mail concerning Home Depot and the Green House Effect that it seems we have nothing better to do or think about. If the Home Depot thing bugs you then vote with your PO book and don't buy the products that are made by companies that have deserted you. Quit talking and start acting! As for the Greenhouse effect, as far as I can tell there are just as many scientist that will say it is just a normal climatic cycle as there are that will say it is the end of the world. Life isn't that cut and dried; and neither is Mother Earth. The mainstream press wants us to worry about it because that can't think of any news that will raise their ratings faster. BEWARE. BE SMART. Vary your news sources. Take some from the left and some from the right and use your God given ability to think it through, make up your own mind.   Hearth net has been intersting, if a litte redundant. Keep it up. This is my first contribution.   [email protected]      
(back) Subject: Re: Hearthlist Digest #76 - 12/12/97 From: Tex <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 23:43:09 -0400   Subject: Burning railroad ties / Kyoto sunrise / seasons greetings From: Tex McLeod, HPAC   This note is in primarily in response to Vanessa Percival's posting on Dec. 12, Hearthlist #76. In that message, concern was expressed over the burning of railroad ties in an outdoor boiler in Perth, Ontario. Let me start off by stating that there is good reason to be concerned over this practice. Burning railroad ties in any appliance is bad, burning railroad ties in an outdoor boiler is double jeopardy. To support that concern let me make the following points.   1) Railroad crews used to burn their old ties alongside the track, it is my understanding this was discontinued due to concerns related to health and safety. Isn't it ironic that their improper disposal has provided fuel for this gentleman. If the boiler is certified, the installation and operation manual would spell out the appropriate fuel type(s) to be used in this appliance. My guess is that treated wood, i.e. railroad ties would be excluded and would void the warranty/certification of the appliance.   2) Many municipalities in NW Ontario have passed municipal bylaws that exclude the use of outside boilers within their municipal boundaries due to excessive smoke and a concern for local air pollution. This could be considered in this situation.   3) While it is possible to design and build appliances that are clean burning, the reality is that most of these appliances are typically operated at low burn temperatures and therefore are relatively dirty burning appliances. To compound this concern by taking a fuel like creosoted ties, long recognized as environmentally hazardous material and proceding to burn them at low temperatures doubles the concern. The creosote products would be off gassed or volatilized but necesssarily burned at these relatively low temperatures which means that these products would exit the appliance as smelly, dense smoke. That should be a serious concern to health officials and all of us for that matter.   4) With regard to the Ministry of Enviroment's response (now combined with the Ministry of Energy), unfortunately with the staff cutbacks for air quality monitoring nobody is looking for any additional responsibilities. Even in the case of the recent "plastic recycling" fire in Hamilton the response time was extremely slow, in fact if you recall Greenpeace took the lead and did independent analysis at the site. HPAC will undertake to get an official response as to the role of the Ministry in this kind of situation. Another option available to you locally is to contact your District County Health Unit to see are aware of the situation / problem.   5) HPAC is in currently working with the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy. HPAC recently wrote the Ministry a) to offer our assistance to develop an Ontario Smog Plan as it relates to wood burning appliances (including a request that they consider joining with ARWETO and HPAC to promote a Stove Changeout in the province), b) that the Ministry adopt "Clean Burning" legislation similar to that already in place in BC (based on EPA requirements), c) that the Ministry reconvene the Ontario Wood Heat Task Force to review the effectiveness of past initiatives and adopt new strategies for the future (we've had one preliminary meeting and are awaiting notice of a second meeting), and d) HPAC requested that the Ministry join with the industry and environmental groups to support the "wood" option as an environmentally responsible fuel choice. (Conditional on .......)   6) This raises the issue of good versus bad woodburning. If I may be so bold, I believe for the long term good of the industry we should be prepared to speak up for "good" woodburning. "Good" meaning - supporting the use and sale of clean burning certified appliances, installed, maintained and operated safely, in combination with a proper fuelwood management program. Our industry should not "own" bad woodburning. In time that may even mean revisiting our position on the use of conventional woodburning fireplaces. But for now, suffice it to say, I don't want to "own" this guy in Perth, I want us to "dis-own" him.   7) Regardless of personal opinions regarding Global Warming, the Kyoto Summit presents the hearth industry with a very real opportunity. Take for example the manufacturers of insulation products, they banded together and urged the adoption of strong measures at Kyoto, aimed at curbing CO2 emissions and presented each UNFCCC delegate with their position paper titled "Reducing Carbon dioxide Emissions through the Use of Insulation". Their message was one of energy conservation, which is a very important strategy to reduce emissions. Another important solution to the problem is to substitute CO2 neutral, renewable fuels (wood and pellets) for fossil fuels (oil, gas or coal). This is a very compelling arguement, one that HPA / HPAC / PFI has begun exploring and could underpin a renewal in this segment of our industry. When this option is combined with the recent developments of more efficient gas appliances / fireplaces, our industry has one heck of a story to tell. We offer our customers energy conserving, fuel efficient appliances and / or appliances that make use of clean burning, CO2 neutral / renewable fuels > their choice.   In closing, let me wish everyone the best of the holiday season and a prosperous new year; one filled with "liberty and justice for all".   cheers Tex