Wood Stoves/Fireplaces

In many communities in BC, wood and pellet burning appliances are the primary source of residential heating. The BC Ministry of the Environment predicts that their use is likely to increase in coming years.

While one appliance alone may not appear to contribute much to local air emissions, the collective emissions from several homes can add up to create significant local air quality concerns, particularly in the winter months when weather and topography can combine to minimize the dispersal of smoke.

To address the emissions from wood burning appliances, the province of BC passed the Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliance Regulation in 1994. The regulation states that:

"on or before November 1, 1994, any manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer in BC must not sell for use or for resale an appliance unless it meets U.S. EPA or CSA emission standards."

In other words, the regulation limits the sale of wood-burning appliances to those that have emission controls built into their design to minimize smoke. For more information on this regulation, see the Reference Materials list in the Resources section.

The provincial regulation can limit the sales of new wood-burning appliances, but has no control over existing appliances. Also, if a new appliance is not operated correctly, or the wood burned is not cured properly, it can still release significant amounts of smoke.