Oct 8, 2014 By David Singer 2 min read

The Allegheny County Health Department announced it had received 149 woodstoves since launching a “bounty program” last year, with the latest collection of 29 stoves at Boyce Park in September.

The program offered $200 gift cards and $500 cash for old woodstoves and outdoor wood-fired boilers that were out of current emissions standards. The Allegheny County Clean Air Fund had provided $75,000 to fund the incentive-based program.

“This last collection was the third time we held one, and we may do another collection program in the future. We can’t say for sure when or where, but because of this success we’re looking to do another if we can get more funds,” health department spokesman Guillermo Cole said.

“If you have an indoor or outdoor woodstove or a broiler that doesn’t meet national emission standards, Alaina Conner can notify you of our next collection if we have it,” Cole said.

Conner can be reached by email at aconner@achd.net, or by phone at 412-578-8106.

“We created the bounty program in response to an increasing number of citizen complaints about wood-burning emissions and have been very pleased with the results,” county medical director Dr. Karen Hacker said.

“Smoke and fine particulate pollution from old woodstoves and outdoor wood-fired broilers will be reduced this winter thanks to the bounty program.”