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(WSYR-TV) Lysander, New York (WSYR-TV) - The town of Lysander is considering joining 50 other communities in New York that regulate or ban outdoor wood burning furnaces and boilers. The devices sit in a shed or outhouse-type structure and heat water, which then travels through pipes into the house.
There's quite a debate about the furnaces in Lysander. The Department of Environmental Conservation says studies show the emissions from outdoor furnaces do impact air quality.
Art and Sue Anthony live next door to one. “The kids can't go out and do snow forts without getting smoked out,” says Sue.
But owners of them insist the furnaces burn clean -- and save money. Brian Holz used to spend a thousand dollars each month on natural gas heat and hot water. Then, he bought an outdoor furnace three years ago for $10,000.
“With my savings in gas, it paid for itself in 2 1/2 years,” says Brian.
“Everyone's trying to come up with a way to beat the electric bill,” says Lysander town councilor Edward Reed. “Some options are great and some have trends that are negative.”
That's why Lysander town councilors are addressing the issue. They referenced legislation from all over the state.
“We didn't want to be too stringent, but [we] at least wanted a regulation that would give us some control,” says Reed.
The regulation would control new furnaces or boilers put in, but a lot of issues came up at the meeting -- such as how many feet they should be from property lines and how it'll be enforced. The town board decided to revise the ordinance before any sort of vote takes place.
The town board is also starting to work on a policy regarding the construction of windmills, as more communities deal with that issue.
Copyright 2008 Newport Television LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
There's quite a debate about the furnaces in Lysander. The Department of Environmental Conservation says studies show the emissions from outdoor furnaces do impact air quality.
Art and Sue Anthony live next door to one. “The kids can't go out and do snow forts without getting smoked out,” says Sue.
But owners of them insist the furnaces burn clean -- and save money. Brian Holz used to spend a thousand dollars each month on natural gas heat and hot water. Then, he bought an outdoor furnace three years ago for $10,000.
“With my savings in gas, it paid for itself in 2 1/2 years,” says Brian.
“Everyone's trying to come up with a way to beat the electric bill,” says Lysander town councilor Edward Reed. “Some options are great and some have trends that are negative.”
That's why Lysander town councilors are addressing the issue. They referenced legislation from all over the state.
“We didn't want to be too stringent, but [we] at least wanted a regulation that would give us some control,” says Reed.
The regulation would control new furnaces or boilers put in, but a lot of issues came up at the meeting -- such as how many feet they should be from property lines and how it'll be enforced. The town board decided to revise the ordinance before any sort of vote takes place.
The town board is also starting to work on a policy regarding the construction of windmills, as more communities deal with that issue.
Copyright 2008 Newport Television LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.