Maricopa County, AZ Notes

Resourses:

ARIZONA MASONRY GUILD
5225 North Central Ave, Suite 115
Phoenix, AZ 85201-1400
602 265 5999 (fax 602 274 5121)
amg@azmasonryguild.com
(Contact: Joan M. Borter)

H. Maynard Blumer, FAIA, FCSI Consulting Architect
8517 N 49th Street
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
480 948 6632
(Fellow of both AIA & CSI - on Maricopa Assoc of Governance (MAG) air qulity issue)
Maynard's Rumford


June, 1999

Bob Bishop (520 685 3319), who flies the world's smallest jet airplane, is building a 36" Rumford in his new house in Maricopa County. The new fireplace emissions law (Rule 318) kicked in January and his building permit was turned in two days later. He read Rule 318 got the permit making the assumption that our Rumfords complied by being tested to fireplace standard "equivalent" to the stove standard cited in the Rule. He ordered a "Washington Certified R3632" through our dealer, Phoenix Brick.

July, 1999

Charley Wilson of Sunnyside Masonry called for help in getting a Rumford approved in Maricopa County. Talk with Pioria Building Regs (623 486 7668), referred to Maricopa Cty Environmental Services Air Quality (602 506 6727) Told ordinances & regulations are on line at http://www.maricopa.gov/sbeap/ruledesc.htm. Rule 318 specifies burn ban days and regulates residential wood-burning appliances - Mark Maer - Harold Monteith may be right guys to talk with.

John Crouch, HPA, says EPA administrator or Region 9 administrator, Patricia Bowen, has to approve each appliance as result of a lawsuit filed by AZ public Interest environmentalists which forced EPA to act on lack of county compliance. George Erdman, Northern Sonoma County, also in Region 9.

Called Richard at OMNI - McCrillis has left EPA. Call Bob Marshall at EPA in "wood heater enforcement" (202 564 7021) who referred me to Rick Collier in "rule development" (919 541 5262). Both assured me EPA does not and would not approve fireplaces.

July 27, 1999

Found out Jo Crumbaker was the right person to talk with - can't remember how:

Jo Crumbaker, Air Quality Planning
1001 North Central Ave.
Suite 201
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602 506 6705 (fax 602 506 6179)

Jo pointed out that Rule 318 requires approval by "EPA Administer" but admitted she didn't know whether that meant the Region 9 or national administrator. She also said we would be approved if we met the Northern Sonoma standards (which are not yet in existence) but she said the Washington standards were specifically not considered "performance standards that are equivalent to the standards in 40 CFR 60, Subpart AAA as amended through July 1 1998" as specified in Section 201.4 of Rule 318.

So, on August 19th I wrote a letter to her asking for clarification: Letter to Jo Crumbaker.

September 13, 1999: OK, I think I finally got some of the players identified. The ones below all work for Maricopa County:

    Al Brown, Director (Suite 595) (602 506 6623)
    Steve Petlau, Air Quality Division Manager
    Jo Crumbaker, a manager within the air quality division (602 506 6705)
    Joanna Cuspert - works for Jo
    Mark Maer (enforcement)
    Harold Monteith (dust)

    Linda Bauer (602 254 6300) chairs Maricopa Assoc of Governance (MAG) staff who runs Air Quality Advisory Committee ("truly disturbed" - Maynard)

September 22, 1999: Talked with Jo Crumbaker who said the committee and staff had all discussed my letter. When pushed, she said that if the Washington Fireplace Standard was "approved by EPA" that she would approve the Rumfords. That, apparently, is what is meant in Rule 318 by "approval by the EPA Administer". Trouble is the Washington Fireplace Standard was never submitted (it wasn't needed) as a SIP and was therefore never approved by EPA. But neither has the Northern Sonoma or any other fireplace standard been submitted or approved.

So I plan to call Al Brown and/or write letters to see how Maricopa County can hold us to a non-existent standard. As John Crouch says, "Maricopa should come up with a standard if needed." John also said that EPA disapproved Maricopa over the "equivalent" language since no fireplace protocol including N Sonoma Cty., was ever submitted to EPA. Find out who brought suit?

Back to Fireplace Emissions

Buckley Rumford Fireplaces
Copyright 1996 - 2003 Jim Buckley
All rights reserved.
webmaster