Avoiding Legal Battle, EPA Drops Wood Stove Air Rule ‘Sell-Through’ Plan

EPA is dropping a controversial plan to finalize a proposed “sell-through” extended compliance period for wood heaters to meet tougher air emissions standards, a decision that retailers have warned will strand them with unsaleable merchandise but that will help the agency avoid a legal battle with states opposed to the plan. Industry sources at the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA), which represents many retailers and manufacturers of stoves, say EPA officials informed them on a recent phone call they...