Wood heaters; Air Pollution Control Board shall not adopt regulations that limit emissions. (HB2246)

Introduced By

Del. Charles Poindexter (R-Glade Hill) with support from co-patron Del. Matt Fariss (R-Rustburg)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Regulation of wood heaters. Prohibits the Air Pollution Control Board from adopting regulations that limit emissions from wood heaters. A wood heater is defined as a wood stove, pellet stove, wood-fired hydronic heater, wood-burning forced-air furnace, or masonry wood heater designed for heating a home or a business. The bill also prohibits the Board from enforcing any federal regulation limiting emissions from wood heaters that was adopted after May 1, 2014. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/19/2015Committee
01/19/2015Presented and ordered printed 15103201D
01/19/2015Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/2015Assigned ACNRsub: Agriculture
01/28/2015Impact statement from DPB (HB2246)
02/02/2015Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 0-N)
02/04/2015Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (17-Y 4-N) (see vote tally)
02/04/2015Committee substitute printed 15104396D-H1
02/05/2015Read first time
02/06/2015Read second time
02/06/2015Committee substitute agreed to 15104396D-H1
02/06/2015Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB2246H1
02/06/2015Engrossment reconsidered by House
02/06/2015Passed by for the day
02/06/2015Motion to reconsidered pass by for the day agreed to
02/06/2015Motion to reconsider engrossment withdrawn
02/08/2015Impact statement from DPB (HB2246H1)
02/09/2015Read third time and passed House (77-Y 20-N)
02/09/2015VOTE: PASSAGE (77-Y 20-N) (see vote tally)
02/09/2015Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
02/09/2015Passed House (76-Y 22-N)
02/09/2015VOTE: PASSAGE #2 (76-Y 22-N) (see vote tally)
02/10/2015Constitutional reading dispensed
02/10/2015Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
02/19/2015Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (11-Y 3-N) (see vote tally)
02/23/2015Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/24/2015Read third time
02/24/2015Passed by for the day
02/25/2015Read third time
02/25/2015Pending question ordered (33-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
02/25/2015Passed Senate (32-Y 7-N) (see vote tally)
03/06/2015Enrolled
03/06/2015Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2246ER)
03/06/2015Impact statement from DPB (HB2246ER)
03/06/2015Signed by Speaker
03/07/2015Signed by President
03/10/2015Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 3/10/15
03/10/2015G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, Sunday, March 29, 2015
03/23/2015G Approved by Governor-Chapter 471 (effective 7/1/15)
03/23/2015G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0471)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 3 clips in all, totaling 27 minutes.

Comments

Mary Smith writes:

Any unit that has blowers/water jackets can project smoke, high humidity levels (water jackets), and any substances burned for a great distance, impacting neighbors. The smoke is spread out in the air and engulfs neighbors homes, creating an unbearable environment and causing health problems. I feel this bill is a violation to the rights of others. Everyone should have the right to a clean air environment. This bill takes that away. If people were following safe practices of wood burning, they would no be pursuing this bill.

Respectfully yours,

Waldo Jaquith writes:

Wow, yeah, this bill seems like trouble. This bit, specifically:

The bill also prohibits the Board from enforcing any federal regulation limiting emissions from wood heaters that was adopted after May 1, 2014.

It is absurd to attempt to prohibit a state agency from enforcing federal law. A state agency is bound by both state and federal law. Passing a law requiring a state agency to violate the law puts them in a terrible bind. That's going to require agency attorneys to waste a bunch of time and money to figure out the obvious answer: that Virginia doesn't get to pass a law that says that they're ignoring federal law.