Lawmakers Hold Off On Taking On EPA Over Wood Stove Rules
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota lawmakers are waiting to take on the Environmental Protection Agency over new standards for wood-burning stoves and furnaces.
Other states have already moved to head off the federal agency's regulations meant to curb pollution from wood fires. The rules will be phased in over five years for newly manufactured wood furnaces.
Only Vermont pumps out more fine particulate emissions per person from wood stoves and heaters than Minnesota. The EPA says those emissions are harmful to breathe.
Rep. Paul Anderson says he's waiting until next year to push a bill that would bar Minnesota's environmental agency from enforcing the EPA rules. The Starbuck Republican says manufacturers are concerned about costs of complying with the new regulations but changes in the first year are doable.
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