Should Fireplaces Be Regulated?

As the winter heating season settles in, the Energy Department finds itself in a tangle with the fireplace industry, specifically, makers of fake logs that use gas to produce flames. They're inflamed at the possibility of federal regulation of their products. The Wall Street Journalreports, one company has spent $20,000 to fight DoE. At issue is whether the fireplace sets are marketed as sources of heat or simply decorative. If heat sources, they are subject to regulation. Energy said it has no immediate plans to regulate gas consumption by the devices. But it claims the authority to do so.