SLO County APCD Certified vs. Qualified Statement

Air Pollution Control District of San Luis Obispo County
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District
DATE: November 5, 2013
SUBJECT: EPA Phase 2 “Qualified” Wood Burning Fireplaces Not Allowed for Installation in  San Luis Obispo County.

To protect public health, the San Luis Obispo (SLO) County Air Pollution Control District (District or APCD) adopted a rule regarding residential wood combustion in October 1993. Rule 504, Residential Wood Combustion, applies to any person in SLO County who owns, operates, installs, builds, inspects, sells or offers for sale a wood burning device for any dwelling unit. Section G of the Rule specifies that only District approved wood burning devices may be installed in new or existing dwelling units.

The following wood burning devices are approved for use in new and remodel residential construction:
EPA Certified Phase ll wood stoves
EPA Certified catalytic wood stoves
Pellet-fueled woodheaters
Dedicated gas-fired devices
Devices on the list of District-approved wood burning devices

A list of U.S. EPA Certified Phase ll wood stoves may be found at:
https://www.epa.gov/compliance/list-epa-certified-wood-stoves

There are more than 900 wood stoves on the current list of EPA Certified Phase ll wood stoves. The APCD periodically reviews uncertified wood burning devices submitted by the manufacturer for equivalency with EPA Certified Phase ll wood burning devices. Devices determined to have an equivalent particulate matter (PM) emission rate are placed on a list of District-approved devices. Installation of wood burning devices in new or existing dwelling units within SLO County is not allowed unless the device is on the list of District-approved devices, available on the District website at: http://www.slocleanair.org/programs/woodstoves.php.

The U.S. EPA recently implemented an alternative voluntary emission reduction program for fireplaces. These devices may be listed as “EPA Phase 2 (or Phase ll) Qualified” but they are not certified through the EPA’s Residential Wood Heater New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) Rule and do not meet the same
emission standards. You may find a fact sheet listing the differences between the two programs at: http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/choosinq.html#woodstove.

EPA Phase 2 Qualified fireplaces are not the same as EPA Certified Phase ll wood stoves and are not District-approved. Thus, installation of EPA Phase 2 Qualified fireplaces is illegal under District Rule
1. Violators will be subject to citations that include penalties up to $1000lday for each day of violation.
lf you have questions about whether a wood stove or other wood burning device is approved for installation in San Luis Obispo County, please contact the District at (805) 781-5912.

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