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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

EPA: "Burn Wisely" – Tax Credit Extended for New Wood Stoves

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Monday, February 21, 2011   

AUGUSTA, Maine - Despite the tease of some warmer temperatures, Old Man Winter still keeps a firm grip on New England, and there are still a few weeks left of burning wood for heat. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers some tips about how to burn wood wisely and safely and get more bang for your buck in the process.

Alison Davis, senior advisor for public affairs with the EPA's Office of Air Quality & Standards, says it's very important to make sure your wood is seasoned properly, which means keeping wood dry and covered for at least six months before burning. A simple way to test wood is to knock two pieces together.

"And if you hear kind of a hollow sound, that means it's seasoned. And you want it to be really dry because if it's dry, it's going to burn hotter and so you're not spending that heat to burn water out of the wood."

Davis says it's best to burn hardwood such as maple or oak, and never to burn treated wood as that can be toxic. She says an EPA-certified wood stove is better for the environment and also more fuel efficient than others.

In addition to burning the right kind of wood, Davis says you can save money by keeping your fire small and really hot. Also be sure to have your stoves or other burning appliances serviced every year, and be sure to keep your chimney clean.

"If you keep your chimney clean, that provides a good draft for your wood burning appliance, so it pulls smoke out of the house, but it also reduces the risk of a chimney fire, which of course can be a big safety issue."

Federal tax credits have been extended to the end of this year for new wood stoves.

More tips from the EPA's Burn Wise Program can be found at epa.gov



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