By Paul Williams, Vice President of Business Intelligence, U.S. Stove Company
Heating isn't something we generally think of in Alabama this time of year, when we are usually looking to cool off.
At U.S. Stove Company, we always strive to give customers affordable ways to stay warm. It's been our mission since we were founded in 1869, long before our family-owned company grew into Bridgeport's second-largest employer. But today, U.S. Stove and other woodstove small businesses are facing a daunting challenge that, without Senate action, stands to leave many Alabamians without affordable options to stay warm in winters ahead.
Manufacturers like us are racing to meet a near-impossible deadline - May 2020 - when the second part of EPA's new particulate matter emission rules for woodstoves and furnaces will take effect. This regulation requires drastically reduced emission standards for all our wood burning products and provides no sell-through for products in retailers' stores
U.S. Stove and other manufacturers support the new emissions standards, the first part of which came into effect in May 2015. However, the second part requirements do not give manufacturers enough time to complete the extensive research, development, and testing necessary to ensure all their products meet the deadline. The EPA gave manufacturers just five years to complete a process that normally takes at least eight.
For consumers, this means higher prices and fewer ways to stay warm. Consumers in rural areas, who rely heavily on wood stoves for heating, will be the most affected.
Additionally, with fewer options available, many consumers may choose to keep their old, non-EPA certified stoves because they can't find a new cleaner model that meets their budget.
Furthermore, once the deadline hits, retailers will not be able to sell stoves that do not meet the new standards. This could leave retailers with a large supply of products that they cannot sell and impact both the retail and manufacturing job economies.
The House has passed legislation that will delay the standards' deadline for three years. Now, it's time for the Senate to act. I urge Sen. Doug Jones to cosponsor S. 1857 and help lead it through the Senate, giving manufacturers the time the industry needs.
Manufacturers and retailers are already making decisions based on the 2020 deadline. Swift Senate action will give local businesses like U.S. Stove and their employees the certainty they need to move forward with the next generation of clean burning and efficient stoves.