Old, uncertified wood stoves are smoky and inefficient. In the winter, this smoke can accumulate and lead to unhealthy air quality in the Colville River Valley. To help reduce these harmful impacts to human health, the Department of Ecology is offering $300 for your old wood stove at a turn-in event Sunday, April 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Stevens County Landfill (1257 Landfill Road, Kettle Falls, WA).

“Increasingly, smoky air is a year-round concern, with wildfires and outdoor burning,” said Paul Rossow, Air Quality specialist with Ecology. “We want to lessen people’s exposure and reducing smoke filled winter days is a good place to start.”  

To qualify for the wood stove turn-in event:

• You must live in the zip codes: 99101, 99109, 99114 or 99141
• Be at least 18-years-old
• Stoves must be in working order and free of firebricks, ash and debris
• Only wood stoves will be accepted -- no pellet stoves, camp stoves, barrel stoves, fire pits, chimineas or burn barrels
• Limit two per customer and to the first 150 wood stoves received

Those with qualifying stoves will receive a receipt and a check for $300 in the mail.

“Over the last 10 years, we’ve held many successful wood stove turn-in events in the Colville River Valley,” said Rossow. “We know that removing these outdated and inefficient devices will have direct, positive impacts on the air quality. And, it’s nice to put a bit of cash in folks’ pockets at the same time.”

Since the launch of the Colville River Valley wood stove turn-in event in 2012, over 500 wood stoves have been collected, destroyed and recycled. This equates to approximately 30,000 pounds or 15 tons of harmful emissions removed from the airshed.

Funds for the wood stove turn-in events were authorized by the state Legislature as part an effort to reduce air pollution caused by wood smoke.

For additional information, call 509-329-3574 or email AgBurnTeamERO@ecy.wa.gov.