(1) There is created within the State Treasury a fund known as the Residential Wood Heating Air Quality Improvement Fund, separate and distinct from the General Fund.
(2) All moneys appropriated or received as gifts or grants for the purposes of this section shall be credited to the Residential Wood Heating Air Quality Improvement Fund.
(3) The State Treasurer may invest and reinvest the moneys in the fund as provided in ORS 293.701 to 293.820. Interest from the moneys deposited in the fund and earnings from investment of the moneys in the fund shall accrue to the fund.
(4) All moneys in the Residential Wood Heating Air Quality Improvement Fund are continuously appropriated to the Department of Environmental Quality to:
(a) Pay all costs incurred by the department in maintaining residential wood heating emissions inventories, analyzing projects and programs proposed for funding in accordance with this section, administering projects and programs selected for funding in accordance with this section and implementing the requirements of ORS 468A.475 (2) and 468A.480 (1)(g).
(b) Pay all reasonable costs as determined by the Environmental Quality Commission for local government and regional authority public education, emission inventory maintenance, curtailment and opacity programs to reduce residential wood heating emission in an area that exceeds the PM10 standard or an area that is at risk of becoming an area that exceeds the PM10 standard.
(c) To the extent moneys remain in the fund after paying the costs under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, to fund programs established under subsections (5) and (6) of this section in a manner designed to achieve cost-beneficial reductions in emission of air contaminants from woodstoves, attain federal ambient air quality standards before deadlines specified in the Clean Air Act and maintain compliance with such standards after the deadlines established in the Clean Air Act.
(d) Not more than 15 percent of the total amount of moneys received under this section shall be expended for costs under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection.
(5) A portion of the moneys available under subsection (4) of this section shall be used by the Environmental Quality Commission to fund a low or no interest loan program for wood heated households located in the western interior valleys or in any other county containing an area that exceeds the PM10 standard to replace woodstoves that were not certified under ORS 468A.480 for sale as new on or after July 1, 1986. The program shall include the following elements:
(a) All forms of new high-efficiency, low air contaminant-emitting heating systems are allowed;
(b) Any removed woodstove must be destroyed;
(c) Any replacement woodstoves selected under the program must be installed in conformance with building code requirements and the manufacturer’s specifications including but not limited to chimney specifications; and
(d) To be eligible, program participants shall participate in any home energy audit program provided at no charge to the homeowner and shall obtain all information available regarding subsidies for cost-effective weatherization. The department shall make the information required in this subsection readily available to program participants.
(6) A portion of the moneys available under subsection (4) of this section shall be used by the commission to fund local government or regional authority programs to provide subsidies for replacement of woodstoves that were not certified under ORS 468A.480 for sale as new on or after July 1, 1986, to low income persons in wood heated households in an area that exceeds the PM10 standard. The local government or regional authority programs must include the following elements to be eligible for funding:
(a) All forms of new high-efficiency, low emitting heating systems are allowed.
(b) All woodstoves removed are destroyed.
(c) The local government or regional authority adopts and enforces an ordinance that limits emissions from woodstoves to no visible smoke, except for steam and heat waves, during periods of air stagnation and to an average of 20 percent opacity at all other times except during start up and refueling as determined by the commission. This requirement shall not be in lieu of any final stage of woodstove curtailment required during air stagnation if the final stage of curtailment is necessary to prevent exceeding air quality standards established under ORS 468A.025 by the latest date allowed under the Clean Air Act to reach attainment of such standards.
(d) In an airshed requiring more than a 50 percent reduction in woodheating emissions as specified in the State Implementation Plan control strategy for PM10 emissions, program participants shall have a backup heat source if a certified woodstove is selected.
(e) Any replacement woodstove selected under the program must be installed in conformance with building code requirements and the manufacturer’s specifications including but not limited to chimney specifications.
(f) To be eligible, program participants shall participate in any home energy audit program provided at no charge to the homeowner and shall obtain all information available regarding subsidies for cost-effective weatherization. The local government or regional air quality authority shall make the information required in this subsection readily available to program participants. [1991 c.752 §10]
Section: Previous 468A.455 468A.460 468A.465 468A.470 468A.475 468A.480 468A.485 468A.490 468A.495 468A.500 468A.505 468A.510 468A.515 468A.520 468A.550 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008