There was an article recently in the Chronicle detailing the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s new set of rules design to limit emissions from wood burning fireplaces. While outdoor cooking itself is not directly regulated by this rule change, many municipalities have recently made the requirements for outdoor fireplaces more strict.
Provisions of the new rule:
– Limits excessive visible emissions from wood-burning at all times.
– Requires cleaner burning technology such as EPA-certified
wood-burning devices, pellet stoves, low-mass fireplaces or masonry
heaters in new construction or when the stoves are sold, resold or
installed.
– Prohibits the burning of garbage, plastics, chemically treated
wood, waste petroleum products and other inappropriate materials.
– Requires labeling and disclosure of the moisture content on wood
sold for use within the nine-county district, including instructions on
how to dry the wood if it has a moisture content greater than 20
percent by weight. Sellers of seasoned firewood must properly label it
as seasoned.
Fires used outdoor for residential cooking won’t be regulated.