– Press release

Mono County and Town of Mammoth Lakes, CA – A successful Town of Mammoth Lakes ‘Woodstove Replacement Program’ comes to an end after replacing almost 150 older wood-burning systems, resulting in the annual reduction of thousands of pounds of particulate matter. Mono County still has a small amount of public benefit funds remaining, or enough to provide for several more installations across the County.

woodstove

There has been a silver lining to Mono County’s dry winter months: With funding provided by local government agencies, new and much more efficient and cleaner heating systems have been installed to replace old fireplaces and woodstoves throughout the region all winter long!

In addition to a local economic infusion, local air quality has also been improved. Each new heating system emits far fewer pounds of wood-smoke emissions than the older log-burning systems. According to U.S. EPA figures, an open fireplace burning wood logs emits over 46 pounds of ‘particulate matter’ (PM) or soot per ton of wood burned (average amounts vary with wood type and dryness), while a new fireplace insert burning the same wood emits about 29 pounds of PM emissions per ton burned. A new pellet insert emits only around 6 pounds of PM per ton of pellets burned.

With almost $275,000 in ‘Environmental Public Benefit Funds’ provided by the Great Basin Air Pollution Control District, the Town of Mammoth Lakes was able to help fund the replacement of almost 150 older wood-burning systems throughout Town, resulting in the annual reduction of thousands of pounds of PM as well as the reduction of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and volatile organic compounds.

 

And while the Town’s Woodstove Replacement Program is closed, Mono County still has a small amount of public benefit funds remaining, or enough to provide for several more installations across the County. All funds are committed on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, and interested property owners are encouraged to immediately contact a participating woodstove retailer. Shared costs will be required.

To qualify for funding, an existing wood-burning system (woodstove or open fireplace) must be a building’s primary heat source, it must be located within Mono County (apart from Mammoth Lakes), and it must fall under one of two types for designated funding:

  • For pre-1990 wood burning stoves and open fireplaces (not EPA compliant), $1,500 may be available toward a new EPA Phase II wood-burning stove or fireplace, or $2,000 toward a new pellet stove or gas system.
  • For woodstoves currently being used that are newer than 1990 (EPA Phase I or II-certified stoves, excluding pellet stoves), $2,000 may be available toward a new, cleaner-burning pellet stove or gas heating system.

Participating retailers serving Mono County:  Alpine Stove & Mercantile (760) 934-4416; Angelo’s Stove & Chimney (760) 937-0860; Clean Sweep (760) 934-3453; High Country Lumber (760) 873-5874 – ask for Kim Jones; Manor True Value Hardware (760) 873-3106; and Batchelder Enterprises for new kerosene heating systems (760) 873-3800.

For additional information, please contact: Lisa Isaacs, Administrator, Woodstove Replacement Program at (760) 914-0388.

 

Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading