Wes Rolley on fri 1 oct 04
I have been doing some research on the use of a wood fired kiln in an urban area. As a practical extension to what John Baymore posted recently, I would like to add the following:
My town has an air pollution ordinance that covers "wood burning appliances". The definitions would NOT include a kiln and specifically exempt outdoor wood burning fireplaces intended primarily for food preparation. Their major concerns would be setback from the property line, the height of the chimney (over 12 feet requires structural inspection) and ensuring that there is an adequate spark arrestor. Even the outdoor fireplace requires a spark arrestor. This is in line with an air pollution control requirement that no individually visible particle should land outside the owner's premises.
The towns major concern was whether an outdoor kiln is an appropriate addition to a property that is zoned residential.
The cost of the permit process is based on the cost of the work to be done. In my case, it was put at about $150 US.
The (San Francisco) Bay Area Air Quality Management District would also require a design review of the kiln ($259 +$91..small business discounted price) and the issuance of a use permit after it was constructed. The use permit is $130 and is required to be renewed every year. Of course, I spend more than $130 in electricity.
The hard question for the AQMD is the presence of visible smoke. According to Section 6-301 of their requirements:
Ringelmann No. 1 Limitation: Except as provided in Sections 6-303, 6-304 and 6-
306, a person shall not emit from any source for a period or periods aggregating more than three minutes in any hour, a visible emission which is as dark or darker than No. 1 on the Ringelmann Chart, or of such opacity as to obscure an observer's view to an equivalent or greater degree.
The Ringelmann Chart and it's use is described in the following document.
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/t_resources/lab_manual/pdfs/mac2_04/scimath_lab23.pdf
Part of my discussion with the AQMD permit engineer was the fact that the fire ring on my neighbor's pool deck will produce as much smoke and pollutants with less ability to control it. He understood the problem but was of the opinion that the AQMD needed to control what they could control for the good of all.
At present, my county government will pay $300 to anyone who will replace a "wood burning appliance" with one that uses natural gas. That includes pellet stoves, converting interior fireplaces with gas logs, fireplace inserts, etc.
At a minimum, the permit process, assuming that we could pass the opacity test, would cost $500 plus $130 per year. It would seem to me that, at the very least, it would required some imaginative modifications and firing practices to make such a kiln legal.
Wes
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024
"Why should we not be able to do what others have done before us? The answer must be that art is created not by human wisdom or intellect, but by human character as it is shaped by the times." Kitaoji Rosanjin.
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024
"Why should we not be able to do what others have done before us? The answer must be that art is created not by human wisdom or intellect, but by human character as it is shaped by the times." Kitaoji Rosanjin.
Roly Beevor on mon 4 oct 04
Wes Rolley
> At present, my county government will pay $300 to anyone who will replace
a "wood burning appliance" with one that uses natural gas.
Wes
We have the same mind set in rural Northumberland, although the chipboard
factory is allowed to burn some wood (and ruin everyone's lungs with
particulates and formaldehyde) the planning authority is against wood
burning stoves.
But not only are we reducing fossil fuel consumption by burning wood, you
can actually burn wood cleanly (as any wood firer will tell you). We now
have a wood burning stove in the house that meets the clean air regulations,
so you can use it in a smokeless zone.
http://www.dunsleyheat.co.uk/yorkshirestove.htm
It works well (I have no association with the company).
How much will oil cost before we are encouraged to grow and burn wood?
Roly Beevor
Wes Rolley on wed 5 jan 05
I have just started down the path of trying to gain a permit for a small scale "backyard" wood burning kiln. I will need to get permits from 2 different authorities, my local town (Morgan Hill, CA) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The latter will be both the most difficult and the most expensive in that they want the hourly cost of work to be funded by the permit fee.
In any case, the first step was to go to the Morgan Hill Planning Dept with a description of the project. It turns out that their major concern was that I would not violate the restrictions on having a "home based business." They have no problem with the idea of a wood burning kiln per se.
For those who might be interested in this saga, I will post commentary on my WWW site: http://www.refpub.com/ From the home page, click on "whatever intrigues the author" and I will maintain a "kiln" thread.
Wes
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024
"Why should we not be able to do what others have done before us? The answer must be that art is created not by human wisdom or intellect, but by human character as it is shaped by the times." Kitaoji Rosanjin.
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024
"Why should we not be able to do what others have done before us? The answer must be that art is created not by human wisdom or intellect, but by human character as it is shaped by the times." Kitaoji Rosanjin.
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