The WRA has submitted a response on behalf of its members to Defra’s Clean Air Strategy 2018 consultation which closed this week.
The association supported most of the proposed actions in relation to the strategy, but felt the consultation caused confusion by linking the burning of wood domestically with commercially compliant biomass.
Julia Turner, Executive Director of the WRA, said Chapter IV IED compliant boilers are in a totally different league to domestic wood burners and are licensed to burn post-consumer waste wood that has been properly processed to an exact specification.
“These boilers are regulated 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Mrs Turner. “They also possess technology which ensures that their emissions are within strict tolerances, thus protecting the air we breathe.”
The WRA’s response went on to state it felt it would be impossible to police the domestic market in terms of the time and resource required, so the main focus should be on educating the public to burn clean, dry wood and on regulating the waste management sector to ensure that, if waste wood is being used, it is clean and untreated.
In addition the response highlighted further confusion in terms of Part B Local Authority permits, an issue the WRA has repeatedly expressed its concern about after finding inconsistencies in wording used in guidance to boiler manufacturers and fuel suppliers.
On the issue of mobile processing machinery using diesel, it must be accepted that this kind of machinery has a fixed short-term life span and is therefore fit for purpose. All current new machine’s engines meet the latest emission standards as do the machines that operate around shredders such as forklifts, excavators and loading shovels.
Many manufacturers also offer electric alternatives for all the above machines. There is a requirement for diesel due to many of the sites being located in areas where there is low power supply and until this can be increased, diesel is the only alternative.