During the height of the oil crisis in the 1970s, many families here in Maine and throughout much of the country turned to wood as an affordable way to heat their homes. With oil prices soaring today, wood is again the fuel of choice for an increasing number of consumers.
Unfortunately, many of the wood stoves purchased three decades ago are outdated and inefficient, wasting fuel and contributing to air pollution. The emissions from these old wood burning stoves present a serious health concern, contributing to such respiratory ailments as asthma and bronchitis.
Recent years have brought great advancements in wood stove technology. These new wood and wood pellet stoves, which have been certified as clean-burning by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 1992, can cut emissions by more than 70 percent and use as much as a third less firewood for the same amount of heat. In addition, these clean-burning stoves produce less creosote build-up in chimneys, greatly reducing the fire hazard. An added bonus is that one of the companies that manufactures these stoves has a facility in Portland.
Making the change from an old, dirty, and inefficient wood stove to a modern, clean and safe stove is, however, an expensive undertaking, one that is especially difficult for many families today.
That is why the first piece of legislation I will introduce in this session of Congress calls for a $500 tax credit to help consumers purchase and install these new clean-burning stoves. I will be to co-sponsoring this important legislation with Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho, a state – like Maine – with a strong environmental ethic and substantial wood stove usage.
This tax incentive will put these new stoves within reach of many who otherwise could not afford to make the change to a cleaner wood stove. Of the more than 10 million wood stoves in use throughout the country, the EPA estimates that as many as 75 percent are of the old, inefficient type. Providing a tax credit – a reduction in federal taxes owed, rather than a mere deduction from taxable income – will expedite this changeover, saving money, reducing fuel consumption, and improving the environment.
Across the country, local changeover programs have demonstrated the value of this approach. One example is Libby, Montana, a town of 10,000 with a high rate of wood stove use. Situated in a bowl-shaped valley that traps stove emissions, Libby was often shrouded in smoke during the winter, and its citizens – especially the children – experienced a high incidence of respiratory illness.
With financial support from the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association and from the federal government, the county government launched a changeover initiative in 2005, focusing at first on assisting low-income families and later on other households, landlords, and businesses.
To date, hundreds of old wood stoves have been replaced, with significant improvements in Libby’s air quality and in the health of its residents. With the incentive I propose, this success story can be replicated across the country.
Wood is a renewable resource, and its increased use for home heating is inevitable in these times of high oil prices. We have the technology to make its use better for the environment and for human health, as well as safer and more affordable. My legislation will help put this new technology into more homes during these difficult times.