Background studies funded by the government of Canada

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Environment Canada's Options Paper
(released mid-august 2002)

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Our response to the Options Paper
(Sept. 16, 2002)

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Environment Canada's report on the consultation meeting
(Jan. 9, 2003)

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Fact Sheets

How is emissions testing done?

Should emissions from decorative fireplaces, wood-fired cook stoves, and central systems be regulated?

Can emissions from outdoor boilers be controlled? 

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EPA-style wood smoke regulation coming to Canada

The final details have not yet been worked out, so it's not too late to have your say

For us at the Wood Heat Organization the prospect of a national regulation to limit smoke emissions of wood heaters at the point of manufacture or import is a kind of good news / bad news story.

It is good news in the sense that we support this form of regulation because, without it, wood burning technology would have remained crude, smoky and inefficient. In fact, a key part of our work is to:
"Promote the use of smoke emission control technologies that have been shown effective through testing by suitably accredited laboratories using recognized testing methods" (from the WHO mission statement )

The bad news is that the federal and provincial governments, which generally ignore wood burning and could barely muster among them a handful of staff who could be considered knowledgeable in the field, could do some serious damage if they don't handle this issue well. But before getting to our concerns and seeking your views, here is some background.

Constitutionally, environmental protection is mostly a provincial responsibility, but where national standards are agreed to, the federal government can enact legislation. These days this process is handled by the Council of Canadian Ministers of Environment (CCME) which in 1999 approved what they called the Joint Initial Actions, containing the following four actions related to wood burning:

1. an update of the CSA standards for new wood burning appliances

2. development of a national regulation for new, clean burning residential wood heating appliances

3. national public education programs

4. an assessment of the option of a national wood stove upgrade or change-out program

These are four excellent initiatives that we support. The ministers called for these JIA's be completed by 2005 and they assigned responsibility for coordinating their implementation to the Inter Governmental Working Group on Residential Wood Combustion, made up of federal and provincial environment ministry staff and co-chaired by an Environment Canada (EC) staff person responsible for the group's secretariat. Essentially, the group operates out of EC, since its formation in 1999 from the Ottawa head office and since last year from the Montreal regional office.

The first stakeholder consultation meeting was held October 24 - 25, 2002 in Montreal. It was the first opportunity any one with an interest in the fair treatment of residential wood burning had to meet with the members of the Working Group, hear what their plans are and have our views heard. Although the Options Paper put out by EC implied that there would be no further consultation after this meeting, there are now assurances from the Working Group that more discussions may be needed. Here is Environment Canada's report of the consultation meeting.

As the process moves forward, we'll add more information to this page. Stay tuned.

In the mean time, if you have comments on the Options Paper or our response, please send us email and we'll post it here.