A Washington state Senate committee advanced a proposal recently to update the rules around wood stoves. Democratic supporters of the bill argue it will promote better air quality, while Republican opponents are concerned it could make lives harder. 

Voted on by the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology, Senate Bill 5174 would update the state’s air quality standards around wood-burning devices like wood stoves and fireplaces. 

Requested by the Department of Ecology, the agency would issue standards that match those published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “as it existed on January 1, 2025,” according to the bill. The legislation states Washington’s current regulations “are weaker than those put in place by the Environmental Protection Agency.” 

If the EPA were to adopt standards that are less stringent than those from January 1, 2025, the bill says the Department of Ecology “must retain the more stringent statewide emission standards.” 

Prime sponsor state Sen. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, said the standards would only apply to new wood-burning devices, and existing devices would not have to be changed or removed. 

“My intention was never to take away anyone’s wood stoves,” she said ahead of the committee vote. “Wood stoves are a great source of heat, especially in rural areas. If you’re willing to put some arm energy into it, they can even be free heat. 

Shewmake said the bill would implement a voluntary program for manufacturers to certify their devices meet federal standards. 

“We need to make sure that they’re clean,” she said. “A voluntary program would allow people to see that they are actually passing the standards that they claim to be passing.” 

An earlier version of the legislation initially required the state to create a mandatory certification process, as a federal report raised questions about whether devices were burning as cleanly as claimed. 

“The OIG found that EPA is approving deficient test reports, lacks robust oversight, fails to address known violations and allows non-compliant devices to be sold,” said Kathy Taylor with the Department of Ecology. “These flaws in EPA’s oversight program puts families in Washington at risk of buying what appears to be a cleaner wood stove, but in reality is a stove that might harm their health or contribute to unhealthy air quality in their community.” 

Republican senators argued the bill would overregulate wood stoves and make a crucial heat source more expensive, ultimately leading to a ban on them. 

State Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, questioned whether the Department of Ecology could meet the responsibilities outlined in the bill. 

“Ecology doesn’t have the bandwidth for this,” she said. “They don’t have the knowledge base. I don’t think they are prepared for this.” 

Short also expressed concern the bill reduces consumer confidence in trusted manufacturers. 

“It’s actually made me very frustrated that, okay, if there’s an issue with EPA, let’s deal with it. Let’s better understand that before you go after an entire industry,” she said. 

She offered an amendment to change the legislation, but it failed. 

The updated standards ultimately passed out of committee on a party-line vote. They now move to the Senate Committee on Rules for their consideration of whether to bring the bill to a floor vote. 

This article was produced as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program, a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University. It is republished from the Washington State Standard, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet that provides original reporting, analysis and commentary on Washington state government and politics.