Frank Pallone: “This amendment will delay the implementation of the EPA's important standards for residential wood heaters--finalized in…”

“This amendment will delay the implementation of the EPA's important standards for residential wood heaters--finalized in February 2015--that will help improve air quality, especially in communities where people burn wood for heat. The EPA updated these standards because the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set new source performance standards for categories of stationary sources of pollution that cause or significantly contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare, and the law requires the EPA to review these standards every 8 years. The EPA issued the first NSPS for residential wood heaters in 1988. The Agency amended the standards once in 1998 to prohibit the sale of wood heaters to consumers if the manufacturer had used an invalid test to obtain EPA certification that the heater met NSPS requirements. The 1998 amendments did not change the emission limits in the original rule. This means the standards for wood heaters have not been updated in nearly 30 years. The EPA's standards reflect significant outreach to the public and interested stakeholders, including consultation with State, local, and tribal governments and a Small Business Advocacy Review Panel. The new standards will provide tremendous health benefits by cutting harmful air pollution, including particle pollution, carbon monoxide, and air toxics. Particle pollution causes a range of adverse health effects, including asthma, heart attacks, and stroke.…”