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The Village of Tupper
Lake has passed a ban on outdoor wood boilers. Following a public
hearing on Monday, trustees voted unanimously to prohibit the
construction of outdoor wood-burning furnaces in the village.
The law states that
hazardous smoke, soot, fumes, odors and air pollution can be
detrimental to neighbors’ health.
Only two people spoke
at the public hearing – a man and woman who heat their home with an
outdoor wood boiler – said Mayor Mickey Desmarais. The couple had
argued that outdoor wood boilers are safer than indoor furnaces.
The mayor quoted a
2005 state Attorney General’s report that is very critical of
outdoor wood boilers throughout the state.
“One of the biggest
problem with the outdoor wood boilers, they emit on average per hour
about four times as much fine particulate matter as a regular wood
stove,” Desmarais said. “And the more of these you put in, the more
it’s going to affect your neighbor. And before they become a problem
we just wanted to stop them for now.”
The new law will not
ban existing wood furnaces – which village trustees estimate are
relatively rare in the village – as long as they follow the
manufacturer’s instructions on using the maximum chimney height.
Violators of the new
law would be liable for between a $250 to $500 fine for the first
violation. Each week that the boiler is in operation illegally would
be considered a fresh violation.
Saranac Lake village
trustees also voted this week to restrict outdoor wood boilers.
Unlike Tupper Lake’s outright ban on their use, the Village of
Saranac Lake is instead imposing limits on where they can be
installed and how they can be operated.
Owners of existing
outdoor wood boilers were given a year to comply with the new
setback regulations. The board’s vote was unanimous.
-Jacob Resneck,
8-28-08
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