EPA Presents Prestigious Clean Air Excellence Award to Clear Skies Unlimited

Words: David Kelly
/Public/News/20100702100000-1.jpg" width="530" height="298" border="0" alt="The HearthCATâ„¢ System from Clear Skies Unlimited.">
The HearthCATâ„¢ System from Clear Skies Unlimited.

For the first time since 1988, the EPA is revising the New Source Performance Standard for allowable emissions. They are including wood burning fireplaces in this revision and have created a test and certification program for every type of wood burning fireplace including masonry. According to EPA, by 2012, all wood burning fireplaces will be required to meet the new NSPS requirement projected @ 5.1 grams of particulates for each kilogram of wood burned (g/kg). A traditional masonry fireplace emits 12-15 g/kg of particulates. If a masonry fireplace doesn’t meet the new standard, it can’t be legally installed or operated. Needless to say, this new EPA Standard will have a significant impact on the entire wood burning masonry fireplace industry.

Clear Skies Unlimited has been working with EPA for years in developing a technology that would reduce particulates in masonry fireplaces below the new 5.1 g/kg limit. Clear Skies recently received the prestigious 2009 Clean Air Excellence Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency for their efforts. The US EPA officially recognized Clear Skies Unlimited at the annual EPA Clean Air Excellence Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC for its dedication to excellence in achieving clean air through new technology development. The Clean Air Excellence Award went to Clear Skies Unlimited based on the projected impact that their revolutionary HearthCATâ„¢ Wood Burning Fireplace Emission Control Technology will have on future wood burning fireplace emissions nationwide.

The HearthCAT technology reduces particulate emissions in wood burning fireplaces by as much as 90 percent. The HearthCATâ„¢ System has reduced PM2.5 in Isokern Modular Masonry Fireplaces to 2.9 g/kg, well below the EPA voluntary program Phase 2 emissions level of 5.1 g/kg. The HearthCATâ„¢-equipped Isokern Masonry Fireplaces are the cleanest burning open hearth fireplaces currently qualified under EPA’s new fireplace qualification program. The HearthCATâ„¢ technology has been successfully tested in masonry fireplaces for retro-fit applications and new construction. The HearthCATâ„¢ was recently approved wood burning fireplace retro-fit applications in most of the major air districts in California. The system is installed in under an hour, requires no power, is maintenance free and is affordable to the consumer.

Clear Skies has recently established the Whitacre Greer Company in Alliance, Ohio as the Master Distributor for the nationwide introduction of this technology to the masonry fireplace new construction market. The HearthCATâ„¢ System is the only passive technology that currently meets the new EPA performance requirement for masonry fireplace emissions. The technology is being very well received by masons and masonry contractors nationwide.

For more information visit www.clearskiesunlimited.com
GEN NXT: Luis Sontay
September 2026

For this month, the MCAA got to sit down with aspiring mason Luis Sontay. From taking an interest in masonry as a kid to placing 1st in a postsecondary competition, Luis’ dedication and passion for the trade is clear. Luis describes his early passion fo

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Mentmore Towers, Fort Point, and More
September 2026

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, UK, stands as a sweeping estate that represents the absolute peak of English masonry. Conceived with breathtaking scale and precision, the monumental complex is defined by

Justin Stengel
Masonry in the Media
Read More
The Alhambra
September 2026

High above Granada, Spain, the Alhambra offers masonry professionals something more than an architectural landmark. It is a working lesson in how relatively simple building materials, placed by skilled craftsmen and maintained over generations, can create

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
The Wall
September 2026

There is a story around Huntley Brothers that some of our guys simply call “The Wall.” I’ve told it enough times over the years that when I start telling it to one of our younger guys, I can see a few of the older ones rolling their eyes. They’ve heard i

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More