Coun. Kirk Oates wants to ban the future installation of wood stoves in Parksville (Thursday, Feb. 5 edition of The NEWS).
There is a problem here with wood smoke, but that problem is the result of older wood stoves or improperly seasoned wood.
Older stoves can emit 25 grams or more of particulates per hour, while modern stoves emit four grams or less per hour. They accomplish that by recirculating and returning the hot gasses emitted by the wood inside the fire box.
I recently replaced my wood stove with a new one. When it’s burning, you can’t see or smell any smoke coming from the chimney.
The best way to resolve the conflict between those who want cleaner air (that would be everyone) and those who enjoy wood heat is to encourage the replacement of older stoves with new ones.
That would go a long way to solving the wood smoke problem without resorting to any kind of ban.
Ken PetersParksville
