Clean Air Audit Process for Wood-Burning Heaters Upheld

The Environmental Protection Agency’s process for audit testing wood-burning heaters for compliance with emission limits under the Clean Air Act properly addresses the risk of variability between tests, the D.C. Circuit said Friday.

Residential wood-burning heaters warm many homes in the U.S., but produce pollution “which transcends geographic borders and exposes major portions of the population to grave health consequences,” the court said. EPA issued a rule in 2015 updating the standards under which it audits the heaters’ compliance with emission limits.

A manufacturer can obtain an initial certification to sell an entire model line based on satisfactory emissions testing ...