Regulatory Standards & Definitions

Background

On February 4, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published its updated New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Residential Wood Heaters. The rulemaking marks the regulation’s first major update since 1988. The rule – which would be phased in over five years – applies to particulate matter (PM) emissions from new residential biomass heating systems such as wood and pellet stoves, indoor and outdoor boilers, and forced air heaters. The EPA cites significant economic benefits from the new emissions standards, $74 and $165 in health benefits in benefits for every dollar spent to comply with the regulation.

More information:

• More information on the proposed rule may be found here
• Read BTEC’s comments to the EPA on the NSPS for Residential Wood Heaters here

Emissions Limits for New Woodstoves and Pellet Stoves
Step	PM Limit	Compliance Deadline
Step 1: For all stoves without current EPA certification	4.5 grams per hour of operation for catalytic and noncatalytic stoves; Limit is for crib testing. If tested with cordwood, emissions test method must be approved, and stoves must meet crib wood limit.	60 days after final rule is published in the Federal Register.
Step 2: All woodstoves and pellet stoves	2.0 grams per hour for catalytic and noncatalytic stoves, if emissions are tested using cribs; Alternative limit: 2.5 grams per hour, if tested with cord wood; method must be approved	5 years after the effective date of the final rule.
Emissions Limits and Compliance Deadlines for Hydronic Heaters
Step 1	0.32 pounds per million Btu heat output (weighted average), with a cap of 18 grams per hour for individual test runs; Limit is for crib testing. If tested with cordwood, emissions test method must be approved, and stoves must meet crib wood limit.	60 days after final rule is published in the Federal Register
Step 2	0.10 pounds per million Btu heat output for each burn rate; Alternative limit: 0.15 pounds per million Btu heat output for each burn rate. If tested with cordwood; method must be approved.	5 years after the final rule is published (2020)
Standards and Compliance Deadlines for Forced Air Furnaces
Step 1	Operational/work practice standards	60 days after final rule is published in the Federal Register
Step 2	Emissions limit of 0.93 pounds of PM per million Btu heat output, weighted average. Cordwood testing is required for forced air furnaces.	Small furnaces: one year after the final rule is published (2016); Large furnaces: two years after the final rule is published (2017)
Step 3	Emissions limit of 0.15 pounds of PM per million Btu heat output for each individual burn rate. Cordwood testing required.	All furnaces: five years after the final rule is published (2020)

November 5, 2015 – EPA finalized reconsideration of clean air standards for major source industrial, commercial and institutional boilers and process heaters. EPA issued final revisions to a rule affecting the air toxic standards that limit air pollutant emissions from large (major) industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers and process heaters.

The final emissions standards can be viewed here.

December 1, 2014 – EPA proposed reconsideration of, and requests public comment on, clean air standards for industrial boilers, and certain incinerators. This reconsideration affected the air toxic standards that limit air pollutant emissions from large (major) industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers and process heaters and small (area) industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers; and commercial and industrial solid waste incineration (CISWI) units.

A working group of BTEC members spent a considerable amount of effort in developing BTEC’s public comments to the EPA. BTEC commented on the new rules here.

Background

On June 4, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a Proposed Rule for Area Source Boilers that threatened to severely curtail the future growth of the biomass thermal industry and place prohibitively expensive emissions requirements on existing equipment. Final Rules were published on March 21, 2011, but are currently undergoing a reconsideration process that is expected to finalize changes by the end of April 2012.

On December 21, 2012, the EPA released final emissions rules for Area and Major Source Boilers. The final rules, which apply to industrial and commercial-sized biomass boilers, contain revisions designed to promote clean air while ensuring biomass heating remains one of the most cost-effective, domestically produced renewable energy sources available to Americans.

More information:

• BTEC Comments to the EPA on the Reconsidered Rules for Area Source Boilers
• BTEC Press Release on Reconsidered Rules for Area Source Boilers
• BTEC Comments to the EPA on the Proposed Rule for Area Source Boilers
• EPA Combustion Rulemaking Actions