Have an old wood stove? Agency pushes to destroy or replace them

Residents who want to upgrade or get rid of their wood stoves may qualify for a cash incentive. 

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) announced on Tuesday, Sept. 17, that it has received funding to subsidize replacing and recycling old wood stoves. 

ORCAA states that while wood stoves are popular sources of home heating, they require plenty of firewood which needs to be stored in a dry location. The older they get, the more wood they need and, therefore, the more smoke they create. 

The funding is available for those who burn at least one cord of wood per year and must be willing to replace or destroy a wood stove or fireplace insert that is not compliant with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 New Source Performance Standards. 

According to ORCAA, qualified applicants may receive $1,000 to upgrade their stoves to natural gas, propane, electric, or pellet, while those looking to upgrade to a heat pump may qualify for $2,000. 

The agency recommends that interested applicants go to their local hearth products or HVAC dealer for more details, as professional installation of new devices is required. Local dealers will also take care of paperwork and billing. 

Those who only want to remove wood stoves may have them recycled for a $500 incentive.  

Application forms for the recycling grant are available on ORCAA’s website. The agency advises applicants to follow the instructions printed on the form. If approved for the grant, nearby metal recycling centers are available: Sutter Metals in Lacey and Centralia, as well as Pay More Recycle & Salvage in Shelton. 

The Washington Department of Ecology is funding the grant to help ORCAA reduce particulate matter pollution in the counties it has jurisdiction over. These counties include Thurston, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, and Pacific.