Buckley Rumford Fireplaces
Contra Costa County
Fireplace Emissions

3/16/19 - a 48" Rumford was approved

3/15/17 - Seth's Rumford was approved.

11/7/12 - Customer applying for a permit. Will follow up.


UPDATE - 4/30/07

From: "Perry Troolin"
To: "'Jim Buckley'"
Subject: RE: Calif Certified
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007

Jim,

This approval was in Contra Costa County (East Bay Area) - Lafayette to be exact. They just imposed EPA Phase II restrictions in the last 5 months.

Perry


12/12/02

Chapter 718-10 WOOD-BURNING APPLIANCES

718-10.202 Purpose.
This ordinance is intended to limit and/or reduce particulate emissions caused by the use of wood-burning appliances. (Ord. 2000-35 § 2).

718-10.206 Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

  • (a) "Approved testing laboratory" means laboratories that have been approved by the E.P.A. or other recognized agencies for the testing of wood burning appliances;
  • (b) "Catalytic" means a wood burning appliance equipped with a device coated with platinum, palladium or other rare metal located in the combustion chamber of a wood-burning appliance designed to cause relatively complete combustion at lower than normal temperatures;
  • (c) "E.P.A" means United States Environmental Protection Agency;
  • (d) "E.P.A. certified wood heater" means any wood heater that meets the standards in Title 40, Part 60, Subpart AAA, Code of Federal Regulations in effect at the time of installation and is certified and labeled pursuant to those regulations;
  • (e) "E.P.A. Phase II Limits" means 7.5 grams particulate per hour for non-catalytic wood-burning appliances or 4.1 grams particulate per hour for catalytic wood burning appliances;
  • (f) "Fireplace" means any permanently installed masonry or factory-built wood-burning appliance, except a pellet-fueled wood heater, designed to be used with an air-to-fuel ratio greater than or equal to 35 to 1;
  • (g) "Garbage" means all solid, semi-solid and liquid wastes generated from residential, commercial and industrial sources, including trash, refuse, rubbish, industrial wastes, asphaltic products, manure, vegetable or animal solids and semi-solid wastes, and other discarded solid and semi-solid wastes;
  • (h) "Gas log fireplace" means any device designed to burn natural gas having the appearance of a wooden log and used and vented inside a fireplace;
  • (i) "Paints" means all exterior and interior house and trim paints, enamels, varnishes, lacquers, stains, primers, sealers, undercoating, roof coatings, wood preservatives, shellacs, and other paints or paint-like products;
  • (j) "Paint solvents" means all original solvents sold or used to thin paints or to clean up painting equipment;
  • (k) "Pellet-fueled wood heater" means any wood heater that operates on wood pellets and is certified by E.P.A. or an approved testing laboratory or emits less than or equal to E.P.A. Phase II limits;
  • (l) "Replacement of a wood-burning appliance" means removal and reinstallation of a firebox, a fire box liner, or of a fireplace, or additions, alterations or repairs to a wood burning appliance that requires opening up immediately-adjacent walls. It does not include replacement with a permanent gas log fireplace;
  • (m) "Treated wood" means wood of any species that has been chemically impregnated, painted or similarly modified to improve resistance to insects or weathering;
  • (n) "Waste petroleum products" means any petroleum product other than gaseous fuels that has been refined from crude oil, and has been used, and as a result of use, has been contaminated with physical or chemical impurities;
  • (o) "Wood burning appliance" means a fireplace, wood heater, or pellet-fueled wood heater or any similar device burning wood or other non-gaseous or non-liquid fuel used for aesthetic or space-heating purposes. (Ord. 2000-35 § 2).

    718-10.204 Scope.

  • (a) Applicability. This ordinance applies in the unincorporated area to any person who plans to install a new wood-burning appliance or replace an existing wood burning appliance except as set forth in (b) below;
  • (b) Exemptions:
    • (1) Gas fireplaces, except when converted to burn wood, such conversion shall constitute the installation of a wood-burning appliance and shall be subject to the requirements of this chapter;
    • (2) Wood-burning appliances that are designed primarily for food preparation; and
    • (3) Historic wood-burning appliances as determined by the county building official and the director of the community development department. (Ord. 2000-35 § 2).

    718-10.208 General requirements.
    It shall be unlawful to install or replace any wood-burning appliance, other than pellet fueled wood heaters, unless the wood-burning appliance meets the applicable criteria below:
  • (a) It has been certified by the EPA or the Northern Sonoma Air Pollution Control District; or
  • (b) For a masonry fireplace, it has been certified by an EPA-approved wood-burning appliance testing laboratory and approved by the county building official; or
  • (c) For any other wood-burning appliance, it must meet the following standards:
    • (1) Emit no more than 7.5 grams particulate matter per hour for a noncatalytic wood-burning appliance or 4.1 grams particulate matter per hour for a catalytic wood burning appliance, or
    • (2) Be certified by an EPA approved wood-burning appliance testing laboratory and approved by the county building official. (Ord. 2000-35 § 2).

    718-10.210 Prohibited fuels.
    No person shall cause or allow the burning of any of the following materials in a wood burning appliance:
  • (a) Garbage;
  • (b) Treated wood or wood composition products;
  • (c) Plastic products;
  • (d) Rubber products;
  • (e) Petroleum products, including tar or tar paper;
  • (f) Paints and paint solvents;
  • (g) Coal. (Ord. 2000-35 § 2).

  • Example of Approval

    [To get approval in Contra Cost County] I printed out your email (below) and brought it to the County when I applied for the permit!

    Thanks again,

    Gordon Murray
    Applied Imagination
    510 914-0500

    Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003
    To: Gordon Murray
    From: Jim Buckley
    Subject: Re: EPA compliance
    Cc: jeff@mcnear.com

    Gordon,

    Our understanding is that Rumford fireplaces are permitted in Contra Costa County. The Ordinance posted at http://www.californiahearthsandhomes.org/contracosta.html reads in part as follows:

      718-10.208 General requirements.

      It shall be unlawful to install or replace any wood-burning appliance, other than pellet fueled wood heaters, unless the wood-burning appliance meets the applicable criteria below:

        (a) It has been certified by the EPA or the Northern Sonoma Air Pollution Control District; or

        (b) For a masonry fireplace, it has been certified by an EPA-approved wood-burning appliance testing laboratory and approved by the county building official; or

        (c) For any other wood-burning appliance, it must meet the following standards:

    Our Rumfords were certified by an EPA-approved wood-burning appliance testing laboratory (see http://www.rumford.com/testRumfordresults.html) and we understand they have been approved by the county building official.

    Just yesterday a customer told me his Rumford was approved in Contra Costa County. Let me know if you need help and whether or not you are successful. We'd like to keep track of the rules.

    Best,
    Jim Buckley

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