US EPA "Incentivized Voluntary Program": In coordination with NESCAUM, USEPA officials from RTP in North Carolina developed an "Incentivized Voluntary Program" that would encourage OWB manufacturers on a nationwide basis to reduce emissions from newly manufactured OWBs. EPA involved stakeholders during meetings and conference calls to develop emission "guidelines", a test method, labels and an implementation time line. Stakeholders included manufacturers, the Hearth Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA), state regulators, NESCAUM and Environment Canada. Under this program, any manufacturers whose OWBs are tested and shown to be capable of meeting EPA's prescribed voluntary emission guideline will be allowed to display a label on each OWB that it meets EPA's criteria. The implementation of the voluntary program will involve multiple phases with increasingly more stringent particulate emission goals. For phase one of the program, the voluntary particulate emission guideline selected by USEPA is: 0.6 pounds per million BTUs (lbs/MMBTU) of heat input. This number is in the same general range as the limit now contained in Vermont's proposed rule (0.44 lbs/MMBTU of heat input). The phase II standard, as yet undetermined, is proposed to be an output based standard. EPA began implementing its voluntary program on January 29, 2007. USEPA has made clear that it does not intend to adopt mandatory emission limits or other mandatory requirements for OWBs in the foreseeable future. In order to implement its voluntary program in a timely manner, EPA developed a test method to measure the particulate emissions from OWBs: "Test Method 28 OWHH for Measurement of Particulate Emissions and Heating Efficiency of Outdoor Wood-fired Hydronic Heating Appliances". This test method is a modification of EPA Method 28 used for the laboratory certification testing of indoor woodstoves.

Details of the EPA program, a list of EPA certified OWBs and other information about OWBs (also called "hydronic heaters") can be found on this EPA website:

EPA - OWB/OWHH website  ||  The EPA Test Method 28 OWHH