Cadence Bancorporation : In with the New Decade, Out with the Old Method of Heating!

In with the New Decade, Out with the Old Method of Heating!

As we close off the last decade and enter into the new year, one can't help but reflect on what changes we can make in our homes and what policies we can support to protect our health and environment to meet our 2020 and 2050 climate goals. Something as simple as switching out your method of heating may make all the difference in your neighborhood's air quality, as well as combat climate change. This new year, you can resolve to clean the air by phasing out your use of a wood stove or fireplace and committing to cleaner ways to heat or create ambience in your home.

Many of us love the coziness of a fire and the warmth of a wood stove and don't realize that smoke from burning wood is harmful to our health, impacting indoor air quality, outdoor air quality, and even our climate. According to the EPA, just 1 hour of burning 10 pounds of wood generates 4,300 times more carcinogenic PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) than 30 cigarettes. When wood burns, it releases greenhouse gases and toxic pollution into the air, includingparticle pollution, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, dioxins and toxic gases such asformaldehyde,benzene,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, acetaldehyde, andacrolein. Burning wood is alsonot climate neutral.

So Then, What Can I do?

1. Educate yourself on current regulations.

At least 11 Oregon counties and municipalities restrict wood burning when air quality is bad- with exemptions forfamilies who use wood stoves as their sole source of heat. See below to learn more about areas and days when wood burning is restricted.

2. Replace or upgrade your wood stove

For those who use a wood stove as their sole/primary source of heating and cannot afford to phase out their wood stove, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality recently receivedincreased funding from the state legislature to be able to provide some grant funding to local jurisdictions to helpindividual households change out from wood stoves to cleaner burning systems. Local jurisdictions offering financial aid currently include:

• Klamath County - 'Woodstove smoke reduction through efficient energy systems'
• Town of Lakeview - 'Town of Lakeview Woodsmoke Reduction Program'
• Harney County (Burns & Hines) - 'Woodsmoke Reduction Project'
• City of Pendleton - 'Woodsmoke Reduction Project'
• City of Prineville - 'Prineville Woodsmoke Reduction Grant'

Grantees are assessed on a needs basis, based on household income and air quality measures. Moreover, the state of Oregon givesfinancial assistancefor residents that meet certain income thresholds to pay for energy and heat.

3. Minimize the harm from wood burning

If you have to burn wood, you can minimize the harm and pollutants emitted:

• Burn as little and as less often as possible.
• Never burn treated wood, wood that has been painted or stained, particleboard, plywood or other composite wood products. Those wood products have glue and other chemicals that are released into the air once burned.
• Do not put in other products aside from dry wood, such as cardboard or trash-burning paper products with plastic or ink will also release more toxic chemicals into the air.
• Ensure that wood stoves and chimneys are cleaned properly and regularly. Doing so will prevent soot and particulate matter from amassing, and minimize the air toxics released into your home.
• Season wood atleast 6 months.
• Wood burns best at a moisture content ofless than 20%. Wood that is too dry or too wet releases more toxic pollutants. Test wood with awood moisture meterbefore you burn it.

Together, we can phase out wood burning and move towards a cleaner Oregon.

Decades of diesel

Oregon's path to clearing the air of diesel pollution is a long one, but 2019 is the year to get serious about solutions. Check out our timeline for the policies-and missed deadlines-that have led us to this moment of change.

January 14, 2019, 3:28 pm

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