Environmental agency wants Limburg to look into ban on wood burning

The province of Limburg should consider a ban on wood burning for private individuals on days when the smoke lingers due to little wind or humid weather. This is the advice from the Omgevingsdienst Zuid-Limburg in a report about the air quality in Limburg.

The environmental agency said that the implementation of provincial wood-burning rules is “low-hanging fruit” to improve the air quality and health. “A national policy for wood burning has been needed for decades, and there still isn’t a clear result,” said the environmental agency. “A good example from Limburg could work positively and lead by example, like the municipality of Amersfoort has shown.”

Since October 2024, Amersfoort has implemented a ban on the use of wood-burning stoves on days when the smoke may blow away. The municipality did this to combat nuisance and health issues. Wood smoke contains all kinds of harmful substances, from carcinogenic substances to particulate matter and from benzene to carbon monoxide.

The province of Limburg has indicated that it is up to the government and municipalities to bring in stricter rules on wood burning. However, the province is working on public campaigns on social media regarding responsible wood burning, a spokesperson for the representative responsible for this, Marc van Caldenberg, said.

Limburg could push municipalities to implement stricter policies, but that is currently not the case, the spokesperson said.