North Adams Awaits State Regs on Wood Furnaces
 |
The City Council declared a moratorium on the shedlike furnaces last month until in anticipation of regulations limiting their use. A number of other municipalities and states across the nation have begun regulating the furnaces, which have been cited as neighborhood polluters.
The Public Safety Committee recommended the delay after meeting with two owners of the wood-burning furnaces earlier this month and reviewing a rough draft of rules being considered by the Department of Environmental Protection.
"Mount Williams Greenhouses and Mr. [Richard] Sheehan are the basically the only two individuals the city who have those outdoord wood-burning furnancs right now," Councilor Ronald Boucher, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, told his colleagues on Tuesday night. "According to Mount Williams, they've had theirs for about four or five years, and burn somewhere near about 20 cord a year any without complaints."
Boucher did not know how long Sheehan had been using his furnace, but the East Main Street resident had said it had not been an issue.
Councilor Richard Alcombright, who submitted the resolution seeking a moratorium and regulations, said he'd like to see what the state came out with and maybe the city "could play around with that a little bit."
There are certain circumstances in which the city can be tougher than the state with regulations, said Councilor Clark Billings. "I'd like to see what the state has to offer first."
Alcombright agreed, adding, "I think there may be a need for us to look at something a little more restrictive."
Councilors had discussed at an earlier meeting the possibility of banning the furnaces in densely populated areas, or limiting their use to a minimum lot size.
Clarksburg has also suspended permits for outdoor-furnace installations until the state releases its code.
In other business:
- The council postponed action again on an ordinance amendment related to maintaining vacant and foreclosed properties because the city solicitor had not yet provided a legal opinion.
- Approved hookups to the city's waste-water system by two homeowners in Clarksburg: Kilian J. Flynn of 115 Fieldwood Drive and Mark and Robbin Simonetti of 105 Fieldwood Drive. Final approval for the hookups is up the Hoosac Water Quality District, which oversees the system owned jointly by Williamstown and North Adams.
