I am finishing a basement and am trying to decide what to do about a second heat source. I've used kerosene in the past but am looking for something more permanent. GAS and propane are getting more and more expensive as of late and there is a big cost for setting up the initial storage. Wood stoves maybe the most practical but wood maybe hard to find in a pinch if everyone else is looking for wood too. Wood pellets can be stockpiled but can the pellet stove be used after the supply runs out? What about COAL? I've heard of new direct vent coal stoves which are nice on costs of installation. As for supply bags of coal are available just like bags of wood pellets. If that supply runs out coal reserves are still a 100 miles out of town. I assume wood can be burned in a coal stove but is there some law that says it isn't legal. The info I've read says that coal stoves are approved to burn wood in Canada but coal only in the US.
I think the law you are talking about is the one that stove manuafacturers vaguely refer to when they want to sell you a more expensive stove that they say is "EPA approved." I called the Environmental Protection Agency and a gentleman said there really isn't such a thing. Stoves that are well designed and burn the fuel better will not have visible emissions to the degree that other stoves will. Stove salesman then claim those stoves are EPA approved.
There are some ordinances around that require no visible emissions during "no burn" days near certain metropolitan areas. But that requires an "official" to be out monitoring the area. If they see visible emmisions, they come back in 30 minutes and check. If they still see emmissions they can cite you. Even a crummy stove can burn well if you are burning good wood and burning it hot. But I have never found out who is supposed to do the checking in my area. Furthermore, I have never heard of anyone getting cited.
The bottom line is this. Burn good wood in a good (resonably priced) stove and do it the proper way and you will be fine. In my opinion, you shoudn't get sucked into paying a lot more for an "EPA approved" stove because there really isn't one.
Just be smart about how you use it.
See Joel's books on how to make sure that your stove is getting enough combustion air to burn the wood right. Or buy one that he reccommends. What you don't want to do is starve the fuel (meaning not enough air). You burn the wood better by carefully closing down the damper. The stove you pick should have a sophisiticated damper system in it. Also, I don't know where you live, but in my area in Utah there is a lot of wood available even though we live in a dessert. You just have to know where to look. Oh, and you should by a good axe, wedge, sledgehammer, and quality chainsaw.
We are going to install a wood stove. I have experience heating with both wood and coal. Unless you have a supply of hard coal (not soft coal) local, I'd choose to heat with wood. Pellets are easy to handle but when they are gone, they are gone. You can always cut wood. I visit home construction sites or lumber mills in summer and pick up tailings. While I don't recommend burning pine in a banked up stove unless you are very, very proactive about chimney cleaning, it can be used to start a hard-wood fire or give you a quick burst of heat if you need it. Most contractors will be all to happy if you help them clean up a home construction site. 2-3 Pickup loads will last through even a New England winter.
Here is a great site which speaks to all kinds of wood stove issues:
http://hearth.com/
The issue with using coal in a wood stove is that coal burns much hotter than wood. I used a Vermont Castings Vigilant but it required a Coal Grate to burn coal. Add to that, you always get a little smell in the house from a wood stove. Coal smells bad, IMHO.
There are many stoves which receive "EPA" approval through efficiency v/s a catalyst. I'd opt away from a catalyst stove. They clog, restrict firebox size, etc... Besides, I am not especially worried about getting any government approval for my woodstove (let alone much else).
I think we are going to opt for the Jotul Oslo. Here is a link:
http://www.hearth.com/jotul/oslo.html