Mark Freeman tapped the show-and-tell method to drive home his point on how environmental regulations are strapping his wood stove company.

The president and CEO of Kuma Stoves in Garwood on Thursday brought a display of two pipes — one 15 times longer than the other — to illustrate the same ratio of how much the EPA has required stove emissions to be reduced in recent years.

"If the auto industry did that, you all may have had to walk here today," he told officials with the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration during a regulatory roundtable attended by about 50 at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn. "Enough is enough."

The SBA hosted the event to hear how federal regulations are hampering small businesses. Input from Thursday’s roundtable and others will be compiled into a report for Congress to review when considering to cut regulations under a directive from President Donald J. Trump.

Freeman said the EPA has not been willing to come to the negotiating table with the wood stove industry when it comes to further reducing emissions, so the sides are tied up in litigation.

"We need some help; we need relief," Freeman said. "The emission target is unreasonable and onerous." Full story. Brian Walker/CdaPress

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