AnonymousSource: Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District
On October 25, the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (District) launched the voluntary Woodsmoke Reduction Program to help cover the costs of replacing residential wood-burning fireplaces or woodstoves with cleaner alternatives. The District will reimburse participating retailers (listed below) up to $5,000 for replacement projects for customers who live in state-designated low-income communities, and up to 1,000 for projects for other customers. To view the state’s map of low-income communities, visit www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/
The wood stove or wood-burning fireplace to be replaced must be used as a primary source of heat and can be swapped for an electric, gas, or propane device, or an EPA-certified wood-burning home heating device. This year’s program is open to homeowners and renters, as long as renters provide documented approval by the property owner.
In the fall and winter, people throughout the county contact the District with concerns about health effects of neighborhood woodsmoke. Woodsmoke contains gases and particulate matter, and can harm the lungs and heart. Smoke from fireplaces and woodstoves accounts for nearly a third of wintertime fine particle pollution in Santa Barbara County, according to state data.
The District has approximately $225,000 in funding available for this year’s program. The Woodsmoke Reduction Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts Cap-and-Trade dollars to work. The District’s program is in line with the state’s efforts to reduce levels of both particulate matter and black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant emitted when wood burns. Last year, the District’s pilot program helped replace more than 30 woodstoves and fireplaces throughout Santa Barbara County.
“Replacing an old wood stove or fireplace can make a big difference in neighborhood air quality,” said District Director, Aeron Arlin Genet. “Making the switch also reduces fire hazards and fuel costs. I strongly encourage people to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Retailers
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For full program details and requirements, and links to application materials, visit www.ourair.org/heatclean. For questions, email heatclean@sbcapcd.org
*Spanish version available at www.ourair.org/102518-news/
APCD should use the money to encourage people to burn weed in their fireplaces.
what do you replace it with though? the article doesnt state what the fund would help cover. Are they just saying remove it entirely. I dont think many within the city use it for home heating
as far as the random freeway comment, honestly. Stop tagging onto a topic that has nothing to do with your soapbox rant. let alone you have no clue the difference between fires burning and exhaust from vehicles, they dont equate.
Stop giving ranches permission to burn.
Silly issue to wast money on… INSTEAD, turn that money to lobbying Montecito to bless through the freeway expansion. There is SO MUCH more pollution due to stop and go traffic on the freeway and all of the frontage roads in Montecito and Carpinteria, not to mention the reduction of quality of life. It really is a no-brainer.
For this area …. you may have a point. But agency funding is often not fungible (can’t be swapped for different purposes). That’s a practical constraint in both government *and* business. Also recall Lake Tahoe in the 80’s. Wow, the winter air pollution from wood burning was soooo bad! Worse than Pasadena in the heyday of LA smog. Now Tahoe air is much cleaner with newer catalytic stoves, etc. The local APCD funding levels are probably small compared to the freeway funds so perhaps best not to take an either-or approach.