TACOMA — A ban on wood stoves begins Thursday in a county south of Seattle that the Environmental Protection Agency says has some of dirtiest air in the nation.
KING TV reported the ban on certain wood stoves affects parts of Pierce County including Tacoma, Puyallup and Lakewood.
The EPA has said uncertified wood stoves 25 years old and older are partly to blame for the area’s air pollution. Officials say smoke from those stoves contains particulates that can make it difficult for people to breathe.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency estimates about 20,000 wood-burning stoves in the affected areas need to be replaced.
Homeowners can qualify for an exemption if a wood stove is their only source of heat. All others using them could receive $1,500 citations.
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