Linn County mulls limiting wood-burning furnaces

Associated Press

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – Linn County officials may outlaw most smoky wood-burning furnaces out of concern they could pose health hazards.

A county ordinance still being developed by the county health department would ban the outdoor wood furnaces from homes with nearby neighbors.

County health officials said pollution produced by the furnaces cause respiratory and heart problems.

The county has been close to Environmental Protection Agency limits on particulate matter in the air. If they eclipse those limits, residents could face tougher emissions regulations.

"If these wood boilers close down that ceiling, it shuts down growth and development," said Curtis Dickson, the county’s public health director.

The devices have become popular as a cheap way to heat and more than 2,700 have been sold in Iowa between 1990 and 2005.

As few as five of the furnaces in a quarter-mile radius produces the same particulate pollution as coal-fired boilers at large energy plants, according to the county public health department.

Mike Snyder, who owns a wood-fired boiler and sells them, was skeptical of that claim.

"I think if you’ve got five really good stoves, it wouldn’t come close to that coal burner," he said.

Only boilers certified by the EPA would be allowed, a standard that few of the furnaces meet.

If approved, owners would likely have three to five years to replace or upgrade the boilers.

The ordinance is expected to go before the county board of supervisors in April.

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