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Wood stove exchange program aims to increase air quality

NANAIMO – Province encouraging the replacement of old wood burning stoves with rebate offer.
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Winter is here and that means colder temperatures.It also means finding ways to keep warm, particularly at night. But some methods for keeping warm, such as using old woodstoves, can lead to increased air pollution and air quality advisories during the winter months. In an effort to reduce air pollution, the provincial government is encouraging residents to take advantage of its Wood Stove Exchange program, which provides individuals with a $250 rebate when they replace an old wood-burning stove with the purchase of a newer wood-burning, pellet or natural gas stove.The province has also given the Regional District of Nanaimo $19,750 as part of the Wood Stove Exchange program.

According to the B.C. government, newer emissions-certified wood stoves burn one-third less wood and reduce smoke and particulates entering the atmosphere by as much as 70 per cent.The Wood Stove Exchange program is a partnership project between the province and the B.C. Lung Association. Since 2008, communities throughout B.C. have received roughly $2.7 million in provincial funding and more than 7,000 wood-burning stoves and have been replaced. For more information on the program, please visit www.bcairquality.ca/topics/wood-stove-exchange-program/