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September 2, 2008

Outdoor wood boilers regulated

By JACOB RESNECK

SARANAC LAKE -- Two out of three villages in the Tri-Lakes now restrict outdoor wood boilers.

Both Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake held public hearings and passed laws last week restricting the outdoor furnaces.

Outdoor wood boilers have become increasingly popular in northern states, especially as the price of heating oil rises. The wood-burning furnaces can be connected to boilers to heat hot water or radiators. But many outdoor wood boilers emit plumes of heavy smoke, which can be a nuisance for neighbors, especially in densely populated areas.

Saranac Lake has adopted a number of setbacks and chimney-height requirements, while Tupper Lake has banned them outright.

The two or three outdoor furnaces existing in the Village of Tupper Lake will likely not be affected as long as they conform to the manufacturer's recommended chimney height, according to the new law.

Only two people spoke at Tupper Lake's public hearing arguing that their outdoor wood boilers are actually safer than indoor furnaces, said Mayor Mickey Desmarais.

Desmarais quoted a 2005 Attorney General's report that calls for the regulation of outdoor wood boilers.

"One of the biggest problems with the outdoor wood boilers, they emit on average per hour about four times as much fine-particulate matter as a regular wood stove," Desmarais said. "And the more of these you put in, the more it's going to affect your neighbor. And before they become a problem we just wanted to stop them for now."

Meanwhile in Saranac Lake, trustees unanimously passed a law that creates setbacks and chimney-height requirements but does not ban outdoor wood boilers.

Saranac Lake Mayor Tom Michael said the process began with a resident's complaint about a neighbor's outdoor boiler.

"She had a picture of some pretty heavy smoke conditions," Michael said. "That's what initiated the review process." Saranac Lake's new law requires a 25-foot setback from the property line. The chimney must be at least two feet higher than any house within 100 feet of the boiler, as long as the total height doesn't exceed 35 feet.

Saranac Lake's Community Development Director Jeremy Evans said the village researched laws in other municipalities around the country and talked to industry groups to tailor the local law.

"The Village Board wanted to develop a regulation that would allow boilers in the village when appropriate," Evans said. "We looked at a number of different states and these industry recommendations to come up with our law."

Lake Placid has no law on the books addressing outdoor wood boilers, but that could change.

The Town of North Elba and Village of Lake Placid are working on revising their joint land-use code that may address outdoor wood boilers.

A series of public information sessions and a formal hearing will likely be held toward the end of the year, said Lake Placid Village Trustee Pat Gallagher who has been helping craft language for the new code.

"We've been following what Tupper did and what Saranac Lake has done, too. It could come to where we do have to ban them also. But we aren't ready to make that decision yet."

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