The following is a press release from IMACA.

IMACA Offers Heating Upgrades in Southern Inyo County

Bishop, CA – Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action, Inc. (IMACA) is happy to announce a new program that will replace inefficient fireplaces and old wood stoves in private residences across southern Inyo County, at little to no cost. All residents of southern Owens Valley who use fireplaces or old stoves for home heating are encouraged to apply.

The goal of IMACA’s pilot Home Heating Emissions Reduction Program is to reduce air pollution from residential fireplaces and old wood stoves installed or built before EPA guidelines were enacted. This includes most stoves built prior to 1990. Modern fireplace inserts, wood stoves, pellet stoves and kerosene or propane heaters are between 60 and 90 percent cleaner – air pollution wise – and much more efficient than older, non-certified stoves.

Eligible residents are being offered the opportunity to replace old heating systems with new EPA-certified inserts or stoves that burn cordwood or pellets, or propane or kerosene heaters. Additionally, trained IMACA staff will perform home weatherization services to further reduce emissions and save energy. In most cases, qualifying participants will not be required to pay any costs.

To qualify for an IMACA upgrade, private residences must be currently relying on a fireplace or wood stove that does not meet EPA standards and be located within the Inyo County geographic region of southern Owens Valley, including the communities of Independence, Lone Pine, Keeler, Cartago and Olancha, as well as several smaller, outlying communities and private developments.

Program participants are currently being sought for this “first-come-first-served” opportunity. Heating upgrades are scheduled to begin in November. Depending on demand and future funding, IMACA hopes to extend this emissions reduction program across the Air District in 2012, covering the rest of Inyo County, as well as Mono and Alpine counties.

IMACA is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping low-income residents of Inyo and Mono counties achieve self-sufficiency. With offices in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, six Head Start state preschool centers, and a staff of over 60 dedicated employees, IMACA provides a variety of services including housing, food distribution, energy assistance, home weatherization, and child development. Funding for the Home Heating Emissions Reduction Program has been provided to IMACA by the Clean Air Projects Program, a joint project of the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Southern Owens Valley residents interested in applying should contact IMACA by emailing [email protected] or telephone 760-873-8557, extension 24.

For more information, visit IMACA’s website at www.imaca.net or the Clean Air Projects Program at http://capp.gbuapcd.org.