The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hosted several public meetings in Tooele, Box Elder, Cache, Salt Lake, Davis and Weber Counties to get citizen input on several proposed policies, including a complete ban on the use of wood burning stoves and fireplaces from Nov 1 through March 15 each year.
Over 1,500 attended the meetings with an additional 1,300 in online comments—most of them against a ban. The DEQ and the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) were bombarded by angry citizens who expressed concerns of government overreach and basic survival needs as reasons to abandon the idea.
Eileen Bagley, during a meeting in Salt Lake City, told of her own need for heat generated from her wood burning stove in order to manage a heart condition that affects her body temperature. "I can't live without it. I'm talking pure survival." Even if a ban is passed, many wonder if enforcement is even possible.
One man stated during a public hearing in Tooele that he will be "danged if I am going to worry about a ticket from a bureaucrat when it comes to the security of my family when it's 20 degrees below zero."
Despite the fierce opposition, Air Quality Board Agency Director, Bryce Bird, still feels a ban is necessary, although Bird and Utah lawmakers are considering a compromise rather than a complete, blanket ban.
"[A] ban for the entire Wasatch Front would be difficult to enforce, difficult to comply with and not necessary to address the regional air pollution problem," Bird told lawmakers during a committee hearing early in February.
One idea is to still allow wood burning on green air days and restricted burns on yellow days to those with federally approved stoves. Officials hope this will encourage citizens to upgrade their wood burning stoves to one that is low-emissions and certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Currently, only 13 percent of the stoves meet this standard.
Several citizens in Weber and Box Elder counties explained that their wood burning stoves and fireplaces are the only source of heat, and converting to an alternative heat source is a cost far outside their budgets. One alternative Bird and lawmakers are discussing is funding to help offset the cost of an upgrade.
Still, Bird understands there is a lot of work to be done and while much may not be done this legislative session as far as passing a complete wood burning ban, the public opinion collected over the last few months has helped officials understand the bigger concerns of the citizens affected by the policies of the DEQ.
