Local Bounty Program Announced for Wood Stoves, Outdoor Wood-Fired Boilers

The Allegheny County Health Department is offering a “bounty” program for county residents to dispose of wood stoves and outdoor wood-fired boilers manufactured before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set emission standards for the equipment.

The bounty program was set up to help reduce the smoke and fine particulate pollution that come from such old equipment and in response to an increase in citizen complaints about wood-burning emissions.

The health department is offering a $500 cash incentive for non-Phase II outdoor wood-fired boilers and a $200 gift card for uncertified wood stoves. Bounties will be offered for up to five outdoor wood-fired boilers and 200 wood stoves. The gift cards are for Home Depot, Lowes, Kmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, GetGo and Giant Eagle.

The program is for Allegheny County residents, and participants must register in advance. To register for or for more information about the program, please call 412-578-8106 or visit www.achd.net/air/bounty/. Registrations will be accepted until Aug. 31. 

The woodstoves and boilers must be turned in at a collection event to be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the skating rink parking lot on Corrigan Drive in South Park.  No stoves or boilers will be accepted the day of the event from anyone who has not registered in advance.

Stoves and boilers will be processed by Tube City IMS at its recycling center in West Mifflin.

The bounty program is supported by a $75,000 grant from the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund.