With the EPA’s Residential Wood Heater New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) now on the horizon, the State of Indiana has joined with many states in regulating outdoor hydronic heaters (also referred to as outdoor wood boiler or outdoor wood furnace). On May 18th, Indiana’s first rules regulating the sale, installation and operation of outdoor wood furnaces became law. The rules affect an estimated 8,000 Indiana residents who currently use an outdoor wood furnace to heat their home.

So, if you are an Indiana resident and either own or plan to purchase an outdoor wood boiler, here is a summary of some of the major elements of the adopted regulation 326 IAC 4-3.

• emission limits for new units must meet EPA Phase 2 standards,
• existing non-EPA qualified units must limit their operation to the heating season (October 1 – April 30),
• increasing the stack height for certain existing units, and
• notice requirements for sellers of outdoor hydronic heaters.

For additional information on this regulation, please visit the Indiana Department of Environmental Regulation website for outdoor hydronic heater regulations. A copy of the entire rule is available here or IDEM provides a fact sheet for more concise reading about the outdoor wood furnace rule.

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced yesterday that they have submitted a regulation to the state Environmental Board for consideration at its October 25 meeting that will set stringent performance standards for new outdoor wood boilers (OWBs) sold in New York State. If approved, the regulation would go into effect 30 days after its filing with the state Secretary of State. The stricter guidelines will ensure that new OWBs burn at least 90% cleaner than older models.

The regulation includes restrictions on fuel, stack height, set back and seasonal operation. Details of the proposed ruling may be found at the NY DEC site.

Currently, installed wood boilers that do not comply with the proposed regulation are grandfathered in compliance, but the DEC has proposed a study period to evaluate the impact of requiring their removal.

So, if you live in New York State and stay-tuned or raise your concern — you are running out of time to have your voice heard.

If you live in New York state and were not aware of the discussion going on around wood boiler regulation, you better start paying attention! According to the Watertown Daily Times, the NY Department of Environmental Conservation would require that units be installed 100 feet from neighbors property line and with stacks that are 18 feet tall.

While chimney pipe is not inexpensive, perhaps the more troubling fact for existing wood boiler or outdoor wood furnace owners is that existing units will need to be retired by either 2015 or 2020. Take a look at this article for more information.