WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Jason Lewis (MN-02), issued the following statement after voting for H.R. 1917, the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns (BRICK) Act, which includes the Relief from New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Act, H.R. 453. The Relief from NSPS Act is sponsored by Rep. Peterson (MN-07):
“Minnesotans rely on wood burning stoves to warm our homes in the cold winters, so it’s good to see the House join Rep. Peterson and myself to offer a straightforward solution to burdensome new manufacturing standards. One-size-fits-all regulations and looming deadline will only push up the prices of stoves and hurt Minnesota families. By delaying the compliance deadline, manufacturers will be able make improvements to their stoves and incorporate the changes over time- which is good news for folks in my district riding out the latest snowstorm!”
Peter Dircks, VP of Marketing for Lakeville’s Hearth & Home Technologies, said:
“As the world’s largest manufacturer of wood and pellet stoves, this legislation will give us, and the entire hearth industry, more time to finish research and development and testing to achieve this Step 2 requirement. As our industry already complies with Step 1, it is important for the industry and EPA to work together to achieve Step 2 while still providing consumers with a wide variety of clean-burning, efficient, and affordable heating options. And just as important, to achieve Step 2 while also saving jobs in the retail and manufacturing sector that could be at risk from rushing to meet Step 2.”
Background: Lewis is a cosponsor of H.R. 453. The NSPS is a March 2015 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule which requires a reduction in emissions from wood heaters. The first step has broadly been complied with by industry, often voluntarily, but the second step is a massive restriction in a burdensome timeframe. Relief from NSPS delays the compliance date until May 2023 to allow manufacturers to conduct further research and development.
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