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Wood Heater Compliance Monitoring Program
CAA Topics
- New Source Performance Standards and State Implementation Plans
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration and New Source Review
- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) Air Toxics
- Stratospheric Ozone
- Wood Heaters
- 112(r) General Duty Clause and Risk Management Plans
- Mobile Sources
- Asbestos Demolition and Renovation
- Acid Rain inspection and trading programs
- Applicability Determination Index
Residential wood heaters, which includes wood stoves, contribute significantly to particulate air pollution. EPA has regulated wood heater particulate emissions since 1988. Wood stove model lines that are in compliance with the rule are referred to as EPA-certified wood stoves.
EPA's certification process requires manufacturers to verify that each of their wood stove model lines meet a specific particulate emission limit by undergoing emission testing at an EPA accredited laboratory.
Wood stove manufacturers must:
- maintain a quality assurance program for production-line wood heaters
- affix a permanent label to each wood heater that meets the applicable emission standard
- attach temporary label that lists:
- the emission rate (using an EPA-approved test method)
- the heating range of the wood heater (for correctly sizing the wood heater)
- overall efficiency
Wood Heater Compliance Monitoring
The Wood Heater Program (WHP) is a federal program, not delegated to the states, managed by the Compliance Assessment and Media Programs Division at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Its purpose is to promote compliance with the requirements of the wood heater regulation. The WHP consists of a wide range of activities including:
- certification of new residential wood heaters
- approval of design change requests
- interpretation of rule language
- conducting facility inspections
- provision of public access to compliance information
- direct monitoring of compliance by accredited laboratories, manufacturers, retailers and homeowners
- response to complaints regarding violations of the rule
Questions and Answers on wood stoves
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Available Brochures:
- "Buying an EPA-Certified Woodstove", February 1990 (PDF) (4 pp, 531K)
- Noncatalytic Woodstoves: Installation, Operation, and Maintenance, March 1992 (PDF) (6 pp, 21K)
- Catalytic Woodstoves: Installation, Operation, and Maintenance, March 1992 (PDF) (6 pp, 24K)
- Certified Woodstoves (PDF) (113 pp, 963.12K)
- Exempt Appliances (PDF) (12 pp, 359K)
- Clean Air Act Civil Penalty Policy for Residential Wood Heaters APPENDIX VII (Revised May 18, 1999) (PDF) (9 pp, 171K)
EPA Contact
John Dupree, (202) 564-5950 or dupree.john@epa.gov