Wood Stove Use Proves a Burning Issue

PETERSBURG – The Herald reported Jan. 14 that an Upper Township homeowner, Shari Troiano, has been burning wood as a means to economize and avoid high electricity bills during the winter. A barrage of social media postings publicized her plight and her mounting legal costs to defend against a neighbor’s lawsuit to prohibit her wood stove.
Through a new barrage of emails and letters, the Herald has learned that there is opposition to the burning of wood throughout the county and indeed throughout New Jersey as well as in other states. These warring factions are at odds about how much smoke is too much and whether the constant burning of wood as fuel to warm a house or even at the many county campgrounds should be allowed or is even legal under various local ordinances.
Herald readers near and far, some quite passionate in their opposition to wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, contributed information about why these should not be permitted or that they already are prohibited. They also sent numerous videos of smoke spewing from neighboring chimneys that they say is a constant throughout at least 10 months of the year.
Additionally, one reader wrote with a list of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency articles on national ambient air standards and how wood-burning smoke is damaging to the atmosphere and its health hazards.
One reader, Walter Delengowski, from Haddonfield, cited state Department of Environmental Protection information, “Residential wood burning accounted for 9,363 tons per year of fine-particulate matter (PM2.5) in New Jersey in 2002. Wood smoke also emits fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which pose a significant health risk, and is the largest source of PM2.5 in the state’s area source emission inventory.
“Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a serious health problem in New Jersey. Exposure to PM2.5 can cause a variety of health problems, such as premature mortality, decreased lung function and difficulty breathing, and asthma attacks, and other effects, such as reduced visibility, loss of biodiversity, and damage to man-made structures, sensitive forests, and farm crops, and contributes to global warming and the formation of acid rain.
“NJDEP estimates that in New Jersey every year, exposure to fine particulate levels above the federal health standard results in an estimated 1,900 deaths and 53,000 asthma attacks. This death rate is nearly twice that from motor vehicle accidents (approximately 730 annually in New Jersey) and homicides (approximately 300 annually).”
Frances Velarde, not a county resident but a Herald reader from Hopatcong, was one of the more vociferous commentators and followers of this issue as being directly affected for over six years.
Velarde wrote, “The State of New Jersey has to regulate wood stoves more closely like the State of Utah – issue stricter ordinances or ban them altogether. Our state has to intervene and stop allowing individual municipalities to handle as they see fit.
“Several months ago, I spoke to Gov. Christie on the phone (during a taping of a cable show) about this issue. He pushed the issue to my local health department – something I have done already. We have been dealing with this issue for several years. We have been to court several times and we are due again Feb. 2.
“The health department has issued summonses but neighbors continue to spew out that black, nasty smoke. I have been in touch with the mayor, the EPA, the health department and anyone else that will listen. The ordinance in Hopatcong has not been updated since 1954. Many of the residents burn here and it is a little too congested for everyone to be burning. The smoke and stench gets into our homes making it impossible to function on a daily basis.
“Our family has replaced windows, doors and installed storm doors; we have planted evergreens and installed a whole house air filtration system – IQ Air. We have spent over $10,000 in renovations to minimize the stench and smoke from next door. Our building and code department issues permits for wood stoves like candy. It is legal. It is very unfair to the rest of us. Many people complain but move instead of speaking up. I have a beautiful home and I am not moving.
“What worries us? Cancer. Sussex County has the highest incidence of lung cancer in New Jersey. We have kids with rare fatal tumors. I have a neighbor across the street that burns; her baby was born with respiratory issues and spent a month in the hospital. Should I go on?”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, Troiano’s friends used crowd-source funding to rally sponsors and donations to help with her legal bills to defend against neighbor-plaintiff, John Huber. Trioano is awaiting a new court date to see where this legal dispute will lead for final adjudication.
Cape May County is replete with campgrounds whose users continuously burn wood even during the summer. A number of other county readers have stated that they as well heat their homes with wood stove inserts or fireplaces throughout the year.
On the opposing side, county readers noted that they are bothered significantly by this constant smoke as well as the smoke from campgrounds. So the issue continues to blaze on until perhaps each municipality is confronted with writing regulations or implementing those already on the books as complaints arise.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
For previous coverage, go to:
– Wood Stove’s Smoke Evokes Court Fight, Save on Electric, Spend on Legal Fees: http://goo.gl/zN7YXs