Group drafts ordinance on outdoor wood boilers

ESCANABA - After hearing complaints about nuisance smoke emitted from outdoor wood boilers in the city of Escanaba, a citizen's committee has drafted an ordinance in the interest of the public's health and welfare.

The Citizens' Environmental Advisory (CEA) Committee agreed Monday to forward to the planning commission a proposal setting restrictions on outdoor wood furnaces, which heat boilers used to distribute heat to residences and other buildings.

If approved, existing outdoor wood boilers would be grandfathered into the new ordinance after completing a free registration form. Any new installations of outdoor wood boilers would require a fee and a permit from the zoning administrator.

The proposal sets limits on lot size, the type of wood burned, chimney height and the distance the burner would be from lot lines and residences. Refuse could not be burned in an outdoor wood boiler, according to the proposal.

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