DOE asked to halt action on fireplace rule

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers, R-Wash., and 27 other members of the U.S. House sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu requesting that the DOE halt regulatory action that erroneously classifies decorative vented gas fireplaces and gas log sets as “direct heating equipment,” the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) announced. Under the current proposed rule, the decorative gas hearth products would have to meet the same energy efficient standards and regulations as heater-rated gas fireplaces, HPBA noted. The bipartisan group of House members has asked for suspension of the regulatory proceedings until Congress can enact legislation to clarify the differences between decorative gas hearth products and heater-rated gas hearth products. If enacted, the rulemaking would put thousands of U.S. manufacturing, distribution and retail jobs in peril, and it would eliminate the “much-desired amenity” from the American home, HPBA said. NPGA has been working with HPBA to oppose the rule.