1/24/23

Lisa Machado and Molly Johnson

Lisa,

I talked with Molly Johnson today in Placer County and she seems to agree with you that she will permit the Rumford if the closed door emissions test showed emissions of less that 4.5 grams per hour.

Then I found our full test report at https://www.rumford.com/testRumfordresultsfull.html that shows the 36” Rumford emissions to be 4.15 g/kg with the doors closed. That full report has been on line all the time but not linked because I wanted to report the average test result of 6.73 g/kg so customers would not be forced to burn the fireplace with the doors closed.

The link between the EPA stove standard, expressed in grams per hour, and the fireplace standard, expressed in grams per kilogram, is explained by OMNI President, Paul Tiegs, in his second paragraph of the cover letter at https://www.rumford.com/testRumfordresultsfull.html So, doing the arithmetic, 4.15 g/kg times the EPA stove standard of 7.5 g/hr divided by the equivalent established by the EPA and the State of Washington of 7.3 would indicate that our 36" Rumford has a calculated g/hr result of 4.26 g/hr with the doors closed and meets the Place County standard of 4.5 g/hr.<>P> But that’s not all. Molly helped me find the Placer county RULE 225 WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES at https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1475/District-Rule-225---Wood-Burning-Appliances-PDF which clearly says in Section 104.5 that fireplaces are exempt from the requirements of Section 303 ... It goes on to define fireplace, which describes our permanently installed masonry Rumford fireplace …..

I think you are free to build the Rumford as a wood-burning fireplace and use it with the doors open. And, if you burn the fireplace correctly with hot fires, as indicated in the last (unofficial) test result at https://www.rumford.com/testRumfordresultsfull.html it will more than meet the Placer county emissions standard even when burned open.

Best,
Jim

************

8/26/14
Senior Planner; Heather Kuklo, Placer County Air Pollution Control Specialist (530 308 5000) said if it was a "dedicated gas fireplace" it was okay with her - or maybe not even up to her since her agency regulates wood-burning - not gas.

9/2/14
Based on that I called building official, Alan Cole (530 581 6212) and expalained the whole issue of "dedicated gas masonry fireplaces". He said he'd have to check with his supervisor and then got back to me on 9/2/14. Alan said that if Air Polution was okay with it, they would approve a dedicated gas masonry outdoor fireplace provided we put a lable under the pan indicating it was approved only for gas. Why not indoors?, I asked. He said because indoor gas fireplaces must be "direct vent" according to the California Green Building Code. Oh well, we got approval for this one and I will check on the California Green Building Code. - Jim.

5/19/13
TRPA Air Quality Standards, 2011 sent to us by Jim Jenkins allow EPA Phase II stoves, untested pellet stoves and Oregon approved stoves but are silent on the EPA "Qualified" Fireplace Program. Maybe they will allow gas logs and they do cite the SCAQMD which does allow gas logs. And maybe they will allow Certified Rumfords tested to the Washington fireplace emissions standard. Here is how to find out.

11/17/10
2007 District Rule 225 may permit Rumfords tested to the Washington Fireplace Emissions Law if determined to be equivalent to "the U.S. EPA particulate matter emission standard set forth in Title 40 CFR, Part 60, Subpart AAA Code of Federal Regulations". See emails in October/November, 2010 with Heather Kuklo and Clare Walton, architect.

2/3/04
Perry Troolin at Rustic Brick in Sacramento says one of his customers, (Mike) Kerton Construction in Northstar, went to the officials in Placer County (Tahoe City) where only Rumfords are approved and got a permit to build a 48" Rumford as long as "you are prepared to prove that it is certified" according to the plans examiner.

10/14/04 - Mike Kerton (530 587 4228) called to say Dave Vince (530 889 7130) ruled the Rumford "not acceptable in Placer Cty anymore".

Envelope-to: buckley@rumford.com
From: "William Simpson"
To: "'Jim Buckley'"
Subject: RE: TRPA
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 10:09:17 -0700

Jim: I forwarded your Omni Sept 01, 2000 letter from Tiegs to TRPA: Attn Jennifer Quashnick, (tele) 775 58884547: She called this morning and said 7.5 grams per hour was OK...it is the upper limit allowed.

Can you send me what to detail; Are your packages similar to McNear packages? Do we have to buy a package or can our mason build it to your specs.

Thanks, Bill Simpson

Please visit http://www.orindaarchitect.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Buckley [mailto:buckley@rumford.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 10:41 PM
To: William Simpson
Subject: Re: TRPA

Bill,

I'm not sure. I was just told yesterday by an architect in Napa Valley that we were approved in the Tahoe area. I know a number of Rumford have been approved but I'm not clear about exactly who approved them in what specific area.

Four models of our Rumford fireplace, including the 36" wide model, were tested in an EPA certified lab and approved in Washington. Test results are at http://www.rumford.com/testRumfordresults.html

I recommend that you submit your plans specifying the 36"Rumford and include a copy of the letter from the test lab and the test results from the website address above and see if they approve it. We will be glad to talk with your building official or air quality regulator. The Rumfords should be approved anywhere that any wood-burning stoves or other wood-burning appliances are permitted.

Best,
Jim Buckley

>Do you qualify in the Tahoe area of California?
>TRPA; 1-775 588 4547; Jenniifer@air quality.
>I would like to spec a 36" there.
>Bill@Orindaarchitect.com