It was a breath of fresh air May 14 when Breathe Clean Air Comox Valley heard that regional district directors agreed to stop providing rebates for new wood stoves.
At committee of the whole proceedings, the CVRD board directed staff to proceed with a Woodsmoke Reduction Program, excluding subsidies for wood stoves, and adding increased incentives to assist low-income households. Further updates to the program are to be deferred to a Regional Airshed Advisory Group that is in the development stage.
The item will appear before the board for official adoption Tuesday, May 28. Pending adoption, the CVRD won’t accept new applications for replacing old wood stoves with new ones, as of June 15. Rebates will only support replacing old wood stoves with eligible models of pellet stoves, gas stoves or heat pumps.
Jennell Ellis of Breathe Clean Air will deliver a presentation June 10 at Courtenay Council, focussing on what local governments can do to clean up the air.
Ellis has presented to Cumberland and Comox councils this year. After the presentation to Comox in February, council amended a bylaw to prevent installations of new stoves in new or existing construction.
