Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon’s Attorney-General, has joined nine other state AGs to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for tougher regulations on wood stoves.
The complaint, which was filed late last Thursday, claims that both the current standards of the federal agency are not good enough and that its wood-burning-stove certification and the testing program do not ensure that new stoves meet the emission limits.
The lawsuit is a request that the federal agency implement and enforce new emission standards for residential wood heaters.
Wood stoves were popular for heating homes during the Industrial Revolution, in the 18th century. However, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that today, 12.5 million U.S. households still use them for heating. They are affordable, provide constant heat, and look nice.
There’s no doubt that Ms. Rosenblum has grown bored. The state of Oregon, and many of its largest cities, are in good shape, so the AG’s Office doesn’t have much else to do, except maybe deal with other issues.
Oregon has already dealt with the issue.
Oregon law requires that uncertified fireplace inserts and wood stoves be removed and destroyed when a house is sold. The EPA may certify a wood stove or fireplace insert as meeting wood-smoke emissions standards. However, this certification could mean very little given the allegations made in the lawsuit.
If the wood stove issue has been resolved to the satisfaction of Oregonians, then why is Ms. Rosenblum, who I remind everyone, clearly does not have anything better to do, joining a lawsuit to demand nationwide standards for wood heaters?
Federalism, one of the founding principles of the Republic, is adamantly opposed to this. Each state should be its own liberty laboratory because what works in Massachusetts will not work in Wyoming and what works in Oregon will not work in Alaska.
As my colleague pointed out a few years ago, this wood stove problem has been going on for quite some time. Alaska’s population is 736,081 as of 2020, and more than half live in Anchorage Bowl. We, the rest, and especially those who live in the woods, over an area that is large enough to encompass Texas, California, and Montana, rely heavily on our wood stoves. Air pollution, smoke, or particulates are not a problem. We have too much land, and not enough people to make it a problem.
The EPA will not take into account these differences. Washington will not take into account these differences. The republic was designed to ensure that the government was as responsive as possible.
As an Alaskan, I can tell AG Rosenblum and the EPA: “Thanks, but no.” I predict that people in Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana will ignore these efforts no matter what the outcome. Oregon can use their wood stoves however they please. We will do the same. Everyone will be happy, except for Oregon’s bored AG and other annoying busybodies.
