Older wood burning stoves pollute more than current models- much more. Sunday’s Oregonian article by Michael Milstein reports a potential law change that could require non-code wood burning stoves to be replaced when a house is sold:

About 94,000 homes in Oregon burn wood for heat, said David Collier of the DEQ. Surveys have found that roughly half of homes in Oregon that burn wood do so in wood stoves. But more than half of wood stoves used in the state are older, noncertified stoves that are major contributors to pollution.

The story continues:

The DEQ also has asked the governor to back legislation that would require replacement of noncertified wood stoves when a home is sold. Some Oregon cities already have or are considering such rules.

The potential outcome is that a buyer that buys today thinking that their stove is not an issue could find the same stove costing them to replace down the line.