Montrealers could get $900 to dump old woodstoves

Montrealers with wood-burning stoves and fireplaces could get up to $900 under an environmental incentive announced Monday.

The Feu Vert program is designed to encourage Montrealers to replace their old stove or fireplace with a less polluting electric, pellet-burning, natural gas or propane appliance.

The $6-million program is funded by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks and administered by Quebec environment group quiterre.

'The program will therefore improve both air quality and quality of life.' Pierre Arcand, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks.

Pierre Arcand, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, was at a news conference Monday to announce the initiative.

"By reducing the number of woodstoves and fireplaces on the island of Montreal, the Feu Vert program tackles the areas largest source of fine particle emissions emissions that have an impact on health and the environment," said Arcand. "The program will therefore improve both air quality and quality of life."

According to quiterre, more than 85,000 homes on the island of Montreal have a woodstove or fireplace. The group says they arethe main source of fine particle emissions in Quebec.

The city says a conventional woodstove or fireplace burning for only nine hours emits as many fine particles as a car travelling 18,000 km.