After three woodstove collections, the Allegheny County Health Department is offering county residents a chance to dispose of old wood stoves and outdoor wood-fired boilers that do not meet current national emission standards in return for cash incentives.

“The Health Department’s ‘bounty’ program has been extremely successful in terms of helping residents switch to better performing equipment, but also benefiting our air quality as well,” said Health Department Director Dr. Karen Hacker. “I’m proud that we are able to offer these opportunities to our residents and that these collections allow us to continue moving towards the goal of reducing or eliminating fine particulate pollution.”

The Health Department is offering a $500 cash incentive for non-Phase II outdoor wood-fired boilers and a $200 gift card for uncertified wood stoves. Uncertified wood stoves do not have a permanent EPA placard on the side or back and were made prior to new manufacturing standards set by EPA in 1988.

Registrants can choose a gift card for either Home Depot, Kmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, GetGo or Giant Eagle. The program is for Allegheny County residents, and participants must register in advance at http://www.achd.net/air/bounty/, or by calling 412-578-8106.

Registration is required in advance, but wood stoves and boilers must be turned in at a collection event to be held on Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Skating Rink Parking Lot in South Park, at the intersection of One Hundred Acre Drive and Corrigan Drive. No stoves or boilers will be accepted the day of the event from anyone who has not registered.

Stoves and boilers will be processed by Tube City IMS at its Recycling and Processing Facility in West Mifflin.

The bounty program was established to help reduce fine particulate pollution from wood smoke within Allegheny County. In addition to fine particulate pollution, wood smoke contains numerous air toxics and can exacerbate existing respiratory conditions. It is supported by a $75,000 grant from the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund.

For more information or to register, call 412-578-8106 or visit www.achd.net/air/bounty/. Registrations will be accepted until Wednesday, June 3.

Since 2013, the Health Department has collected 150 devices manufactured before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set emission standards for such equipment. All of the devices were recycled by Tube City, IMS, helping to reduce wood-burning emissions in Allegheny County.