Letter to Gina McCarthy, Administrator Environmental Protection Agency - Abandon Costly Wood Stove Requirements
Letter
The Honorable Gina McCarthy
Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator McCarthy:
I am writing to express my concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for residential wood heaters.
Despite the industry's investments to improve emissions and efficiency, I understand that the proposed NSPS will impose additional requirements and costs for wood burning heaters, and particularly wood stoves, warm-air furnaces, and hydronic heaters. These additional costs will have a disproportionate impact on South Dakota families who depend on wood stoves to heat their homes.
South Dakota and many other states are continuing to deal with a propane shortage, which has resulted in record-high propane prices. Many families turn to secondary sources of heat, such as wood stoves, when propane and heating fuel prices increase. The proposed NSPS will consequently increase the cost of a secondary source of heat that is reliable, renewable, and affordable for my constituents -- particularly during long cold winters and during shortages of primary home heating fuel supplies.
I am also concerned about the potential impacts on job creators and small businesses. Forcing unattainable standards on manufacturers may force them to close their doors because they cannot afford the proper reconfigurations or pass the additional costs along to customers, making their products unaffordable for lower and middle income consumers.
I understand the importance of improving air quality. However, rather than imposing burdensome requirements on manufacturers, I strongly urge the EPA to work with Congress and manufacturers to reconfigure achievable NSPS that will also keep this source of energy affordable for consumers. Thank you for your attention and consideration to these concerns.
Sincerely,
Source