Air quality districts in Utah and Oregon have adopted the use of EPA Qualified fireplaces as one strategy to attain National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5. EPA Qualified fireplaces are qualified through the voluntary wood-burning fireplace program, an initiative of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. The program encourages the development and sale of lower-emitting wood-burning fireplaces. The EPA’s fireplace program covers new masonry and prefabricated (low-mass) fireplaces and retrofit devices for existing fireplaces. Fireplace retrofits can reduce pollution up to 70% if installed properly. Additional information on the program is available at http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/participation.html#fireplace. The site-built masonry Whitacre Greer MFR-100 fireplace with HearthCAT catalytic technology is EPA Qualified.
The Klamath County Code, Klamath County, Oregon, section 406.100(3)(f), requires that ‘any newly constructed fireplaces must comply with fireplace ASTM standards. Any retrofitted fireplace must meet fireplace ASTM standards.’ Fireplace ASTM standards are defined in the code as fireplaces emitting less than 5.1 g/kg as measured by ASTM E2558. Additional information on the Klamath County Code is available at http://www.klamathcounty.org/depts/countycounsel/CountyCode.pdf. The Whitacre Greer MFR-100 fireplace is EPA Qualified and complies with the requirements of the Klamath County Code.
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality, Rule R307-302 for Solid Fuel Burning Devices for all or portions of Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah and Weber Counties requires that all fireplaces installed or sold after September 1, 2013, be EPA Qualified. The masonry EPA Qualified Whitacre Greer MFR-100 fireplace meets this requirement. Information on the Utah Department of Environmental Quality rule may be viewed at http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r307/r307-302.htm#E8.
The EPA Qualified Whitacre Greer MFR-100 fireplace with HearthCAT catalytic emission control technology has a tested emission rate of 4.3 g/kg. The fireplaces is a traditional site-built masonry fireplace constructed to prescribed dimensions with concrete masonry units, firebrick and clay flue liners purchased separately. The catalytic emission control device is installed with included stainless hardware, out of the sight of the homeowner, against the back wall of the fire box just above the lentil and below the damper. Additional information on the MFR-100 fireplace is at https://www.wgpaver.com/mfr-100-series-fireplace/.
