The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

The Peru Town Board conducted its scheduled Public Hearing on proposed amendments to the outdoor Wood Boiler Law which they passed in September 2008. The Board proposed dropping Definition 3. B. as it relates to commercial enterprises and Prohibition 5. 2) which prohibited an outdoor wood boiler within 750 feet of any H-2 district.

No one commented on the proposed law changes. Instead, every speaker voiced complaints about the law. Robert Millett said the spark arrester he was forced to install resulted in his boiler building and boiler being destroyed by fire. He claimed that the spark arrester caused a creosote build-up. He said he had been using the boiler for seven years before installing the arrester and had never had a problem. Town Attorney Donald Biggs asked if the fire department had determined the cause of the fire and Millett said they had not.  Biggs commented that Town Board members had thoroughly researched the spark arrester requirement and that Millett’s claim ran counter to the literature that they had reviewed. Nevertheless, Biggs said the Board should take Millett’s comments under consideration and research on the issue.  Lawrence Bosley commented that all pre-existing boilers should have been grandfathered without the requirement of the planning and zoning board approval process. He vehemently disagrees with the requirement that all pre-existing boilers must apply for a new permit in the year 2023. He mentioned suing the board members individually for their actions. 

The public hearing concluded with Town Attorney Donald Biggs stating that another public hearing would be required if the board decides to rescind the spark arrester requirement.