Residential Wood Smoke Workshop: Nashville, TN; March 6-8, 2018
Who should attend?
The meeting is intended for state, local, tribal, federal and non-profit organization personnel who are interested in learning about and discussing residential wood combustion program issues, opportunities, challenges and lessons learned. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to see firsthand various advanced hearth technologies, many of them burning wood, wood pellets and gas and meet with hearth industry representatives. Questions about this event should be directed to Larry Brockman (Brockman.Larry@epa.gov).
Where should I stay?
Due to size of the HBPA Trade Show/EXPO and the more than 7,000 hearth industry attendees EPA was unable to negotiate a block of rooms in downtown Nashville at the federal government rate (i.e., $170/night) for Workshop participants. There are several options to find a hotel room:
- There is a block of rooms reserved at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel (2025 Rosa L Parks Blvd) at the federal government rate of $170/night (taxes not included) until Tuesday, February 13.
- The Millennium Hotel is approximately 3 miles from the Music City Center where the Workshop will take place
- Call (800) 457-4460 to make your reservation with the Millennium and ask for the “EPA Workshop” group block.
- You will need to provide your address, email, room, and bed type, along with other special request when making your reservation.
- A deposit is required for a reservation but you can cancel 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival.
- A second block of rooms has been reserved at the at the Homewood Suites Inn Downtown Nashville, (706 Church Street) at $199/night plus taxes ($29 over federal per diem).
- Rooms are available for the following days - March 4th through the 11th.
- The room block is available until Thursday, February 15.
- This hotel is located less a half mile from the Music City Center.
- The Homewood Suites includes a free breakfast and WiFi.
- To access this room, block:
- call the hotel at 615-742-5550 and ask for in house reservations
- reference the EPA Workshop block confirmation #928-55-539
We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to book your room right away even if your travel is uncertain, just book a room that allows for changes.
*IMPORTANT: On Tuesday, March 6 you will be responsible for transportation to the Music City Convention Center where the Workshop is being held and back to your hotel - options include taking an Uber, taxi or Hotel Shuttle (Millennium has a small shuttle). On Wednesday and Thursday there will be HPBA EXPO buses that you can catch at your hotel or near your hotel to the Convention Center and back to your hotel if you book with one of the hotels listed above – more details will be provided at the Workshop
How do I register?
There is no cost to register but you do need to submit a registration form at http://events.eventzilla.net/e/residential-wood-smoke-workshop-nashville-tn-march-68-2018-2138945854. You are welcome to attend all or some of the sessions. DO NOT register through the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association’s (HPBA) EXPO website. By registering through the Workshop you will receive an EXPO badge that allows you to access to HPBA EXPO through Saturday. However, we would encourage you to check out the website to see background on the EXPO: http://hpbexpo.com/
Transportation:
Transportation to Millennium Maxwell House Hotel from the Nashville Airport cost around $25 via taxi and Uber. Getting from the Homewood Suites Inn from the airport via taxi is around $25 and Uber is $20.
*IMPORTANT: On Tuesday, March 6 you will be responsible for transportation to the Music City Convention Center where the Workshop is being held and back to your hotel - options include taking an Uber, taxi or Hotel Shuttle (Millennium has a small shuttle). On Wednesday and Thursday there will be HPBA EXPO buses that you can catch at your hotel or near your hotel to the Convention Center and back to your hotel – more details will be provided at the Workshop.
AGENDA: Residential Wood Smoke Workshop -Nashville Music City Convention Center
March 6, (Tues.) 1 pm – 5 pm: Overview of Residential Wood Smoke Programs and Strategies
Location - Music City Convention Center. Room 110AB
1:00 pm - Welcome and Introductions (Adam Baumgart Getz, US EPA OAQPS & Mary Uhl, Executive Director, Western States Air Resources Council)
1:15 pm – Exposure to Woodsmoke: A Discussion of the Health Risks and the Burning Practices that Reduce Risk (Gillian Gawne-Mittelstaedt, Director, Tribal Healthy Homes Network)
2:00 pm – Intro to Hearth Products/Wood Burning Appliances and the Nature and Magnitude of Residential Wood Smoke (Larry Brockman, EPA)
2:15 pm – EPA’s Residential Wood Smoke Efforts: Who’s Who, and What’s What?
- EPA Organizational Structure, Agency & Program Contacts (Adam Baumgart-Getz)
- Burn Wise Education Program (Larry Brockman)
- Voluntary Fireplace Program (Larry Brockman)
3:00 pm – Break
3:15 pm - EPA’s Residential Wood Smoke Efforts: Who’s Who, and What’s What? (Continued)
- Wood Heater New Source Performance Standard (NSPS)
- NSPS Implementation (Amanda Aldridge, EPA)
- NSPS Compliance Assurance and Environmental (Rafael Sanchez, EPA)
4:00 pm - TBD
4:30 pm – Overview of Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association and EXPO, John Crouch, Director, Government Affairs: Hearth, Pation, and Barbecue Association
4:55 pm – Wrap-up/Plans for Wednesday’s Session
5:00 pm - Adjourn
6:00 pm - Networking event – TBD
March 7 (Wed.) 8:30 am – 5 pm - Strategies for Residential Wood Combustion: Sharing experiences, lessons learned and information
Location: Music City Convention Center. Room 110AB
8:30 am - Welcome/expectations for the day– Larry Brockman, US EPA
8:45 am - Regulatory approaches to Residential Wood Combustion
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Rural Program: Oregon Speaker (Invited)
- Open Discussion (30 minutes)
9:45 am - Fireplace Incentive Programs
- California Air District TBD
- Open Discussion (15 minutes)
10:15 am – Break
10:30 am – “Cord wood” vs “Crib wood” Testing: What’s the big deal and why is it important? (Adam Baumgart-Getz)
10:50 am National Workgroup on Changeout Framework: Recommended Components and Incentives (Lisa Rector, NESCAUM)
11:15 am Central Heating (Hydronic Heater/Forced Air Furnaces)
- TBD
- Open Discussion (20 minutes)
11:45 am - Lunch on your own
1:00 pm - Wood/Coal Stove Changeout Programs – Case studies, lessons learned & evaluation
- Navajo Nation's Wood and Coal Stove Changeout Program (Invited: Michael King and Tennille Begay)
- State/local
- Michigan Post Changeout Assessment: American Lung Association (Invited)
- Open Discussion (30 minutes)
3:15 – Break
3:30 – Education/Outreach Programs
- Minnesota State Fair Learn Before You Burn Exhibit: Mary Jean Fenske, Supervisor, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- S/L/T
- Education around Energy Efficiency and Wood Burning Appliances: John Ackerly, President, Alliance for Green Heat
- Open Discussion (30 minutes)
5:00 pm - Meeting adjourns
6:00-9:00 pm – Possible Hearth Industry Regional Affiliate Networking Events
March 8 (Thurs.) 8:30 am – 11:30 am – Wood Burning Appliance Replacement Incentive Programs: Resource Available and Funding Options
Location: Music City Convention Center. Room 110AB
8:30 am – Federal Resources/Funding
9:45 am – Environmental Settlement Agreements - What are they, how do they work? (Speaker: TBD)
10:15 am Break
10:30 am California’s Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program (Alan Abbs, Executive Director, CAPCOA)
11:00 am State/Local/Tribal Funding Options
11:45 am - Lunch on your own
March 8 (Thurs.) 12:45 pm – 5:00 pm – Guided Tour of Hearth EXPO Floor
12:45 pm - Getting to Know the Hearth Industry
1:30 – 4:30 pm Guided Tour of Hearth EXPO Floor: Walk the indoor and outdoor “burn area”, view various technologies, including the newest and learn how they work, meet hearth industry representatives.
4:50 pm – Feedback, Q & A and summary of Hearth Expo Tour
4:50 - 5:00 pm Workshop Evaluation & Wrap up
5:00-7:30 pm - HBPA Expo Big Green Egg Cook-off Networking
We strongly encourage those who have the flexibility to stay around until Friday, March 9 and to continue touring the HPBA EXPO/Trade Show. This will give you the opportunity to visit with hearth manufacturers and learn more about the various appliances (gas, wood, wood pellet and coal) as you will not be able to cover the entire floor on Thursday afternoon. The EXPO floor is larger than 4 football fields in size.
