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WOOD STOVE CHANGEOUT PROGRAMS AS SEPs. Presentation by Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) NCAF 2006 Energy Programs Leveraging Conference October 24-26, 2006 St. Petersburg, FL. PURPOSE.
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WOOD STOVE CHANGEOUT PROGRAMS AS SEPs Presentation by Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) NCAF 2006 Energy Programs Leveraging Conference October 24-26, 2006 St. Petersburg, FL
PURPOSE • Describe an opportunity for leveraging your resources to obtain additional funding to better serve low-income households • Propose ways to be pro-active • Offer to help
TOPICS TO BE COVERED • SEPs • Wood stove changeout programs • Weatherization assistance community • Concept for WAP-based, wood stove SEPs • Ways to be pro-active • HPBA support
SEPs • SEPs = Supplemental Environmental Projects • Context: Enforcement of environmental laws by EPA and agencies at the state, local, tribal and territorial levels • Negotiated settlements, resulting in consent decrees • Remedial measures • Voluntary mitigation measures, including SEPs • Penalties, which are set partly in light of the SEPs • Elaborate policies at federal and state levels about acceptability of projects as SEPs (e.g., EPA has detailed website)
SEPs • Recent examples • Toyota • Alleged Clean Air Act violations • $20MM for retrofitting controls on tailpipe emissions from diesel engines in school buses • ADM • Alleged Clean Air Act violations • $4MM for school bus retrofits in Midwest
SEPs • Potential settlements • Electric utilities in eastern half of country who have yet to settle EPA’s Clean Air Act lawsuits for large plant refurbishments • Steady stream of settlements at federal and non-federal level, mainly relating to air pollution
HPBA Expertise onWOOD STOVE CHANGEOUT PROGRAMS • “Wood stove” = residential home heating appliance burning cord wood or pellets, either free-standing or as fireplace insert • Conventional wood stoves • Sales prior to EPA promulgation of NSPS in 1988 • At least 7.5 million nationwide • Long-lasting; little incentive for replacement • Modern wood stoves burn much more cleanly and efficiently (e.g., 70 percent reduction in fine particulates) • 300,000 tons per year from nationwide changeout
WOOD STOVE CHANGEOUT PROGRAMS • Definition of target community • Outreach • Incentives • Application procedures • On-site inspection • Installation • Education on good usage • Disposal of old appliance • Quality control • Accounting
WOOD STOVE CHANGEOUT PROGRAMS • Extensive HPBA experience, for example: • Crested Butte, CO: 1988 – 1990 • Libby, MT: June, 2005 – ONGOING • Sacramento, CA: September, 2006 – ONGOING • EPA promotion • Effective group in EPA’s RTP office (stationary sources of air pollution) • Outreach, technical assistance, grant program, etc. • Website: http://www.epa.gov/woodstoves/changeout.html • EPA enforcement lists such changeout programs as viable SEP candidates
WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE COMMUNITY • 900 local organizations • Serve 100,000 low-income families per year • Well-suited to manage wood stove changeout programs • Experience, expertise, reliability • Ability to incorporate wood stove changeouts into the assistance packages for households if the wood stoves are cost-free
CONCEPT FOR A “TURN-KEY” SEP • The defendant enters into a grant agreement with a WAP provider to provide cash for EPA-certified wood stoves or actual wood stoves. • The WAP provider agrees to conduct a changeout program in low-income homes in the course of installing other energy efficiency measures. • The WAP provider would generate all necessary accountings.
ADVANTAGES • Significant reduction in air pollution • Energy savings • Improved home safety • Maximum leverage of SEP dollar (e.g., low costs of administration) • Reliability and accountability • Minimal “hassle” for defendant • Maximum insulation for defendant from potential liabilities due to installations
PUBLICIZING THE CONCEPT • “Open Letter” to the environmental enforcement community from NCAF and HPBA • Dissemination of “Open Letter” • Lobby EPA and DOJ • Mailings to EPA regional offices and non-federal agencies • Direct contacts to environmental defense bar • Press • Posting on websites • EPA’s wood stove website • HPBA’s website
WAYS TO BE PRO-ACTIVE • Build infrastructure, for instance: • Model grant agreement • “How-to-do-it” manual for changeout programs (general version on EPA’s website) • Alert non-federal enforcement officials to the opportunity • Encourage federal and state WAP officials to support
HELP FROM HPBA • Offer to help • Each SEP will have its own set of locally determined needs • Technical consultation on full range of changeout issues • Networking with vendors and installers • Training for and certification of installers • Drafting of model legal documents
Contact: John Crouch Director of Public Affairs (916) 536-2390 john.crouch.hpba@sbcglobal.net THANK YOU! W. Allan Cagnoli Director of Government Affairs (703) 522-0086 cagnoli@hpba.org