Grant to encourage stove replacement

Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency has received a $150,000 state grant to provide rebates for homeowners and low-income residents who replace uncertified wood stoves with cleaner-burning devices. The money was part of $3 million in grants awarded by the Washington Department of Ecology. The money came from the state’s tax on hazardous substances. The grant monies are aimed at improving air quality around the state by reducing wood smoke, which can pose serious health risks, said Stuart Clark, manager of the Ecology Department’s air quality program. A 2009 state analysis estimated that fine particles in smoke lead to about 1,100 deaths and $190 million in added health care costs each year in Washington. People with asthma and respiratory illnesses, children and older adults are most at risk.