By JEFF MEYERS
Staff Writer
June 29, 2009 03:28 am
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PERU — Town councilors moved a step closer to finalizing the town's regulations on outdoor wood boilers.
Officials held a public hearing on the issue during its latest regular meeting, accepting comments from the community on a few proposed revisions to a law that was originally approved a year ago.
"Since then, with help from everybody's input, we've looked for ways to be less restrictive while still meeting our goals to protect our residents," said Town Supervisor Donald Covel as he opened the public-response session.
One revision was designed to eliminate seasonal restrictions on open wood boilers, he noted. The original law required owners to shut down in the spring and reopen the burners in the fall, but officials felt that was too restrictive considering how cold it can be in the North Country spring, Covel noted.
He also said there will be no restrictions on boilers used for commercial use.
The revisions also stipulate that spark arrestors must be included on wood boilers unless the manufacturer recommends against the use of them.
Covel suggested that residents could use a letter from the manufacturer stating that, but town attorney Donald Biggs said the owner must have a standardized written recommendation for the model in question, not just for the owner's specific boiler.
The town has also renewed the 90-day grace period for current owners to apply for a permit for existing boilers without penalty.
When Covel opened the hearing to the public, no residents had specific comments, though one man said his lawyer was "taking care of that."
E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com
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