OAKRIDGE/WESTFIR, Ore. - Replace old, smoky wood stoves and clean the air -- or else.  That's the challenge from the feds to the Oakridge-Westfir area.

At issue: stricter air pollution standards under the Clean Air Act.

Oakridge leaders say they are not surprised, but feel a little bit like the goalposts have been moved in the middle of the game.  The mayor says if the feds want cleaner air, show us the money.

It's official.  Oakridge doesn't meet standards for what's called fine particulate pollution.  That's the word from the Environmental Protection Agency this week.

Federal standards got tighter at the end of 2006. 

"They cut it almost in half, and that made it hard for Oakridge to meet the new standard," Sally Markos of the Lane Regional air Protection Agency explains.

With close to half the town heating with wood, plus wintertime inversions, it's a smoky combination.  Now Oakridge and LRAPA have 3 years to draw up an action plan and 5 years to meet the tougher standards.

Officials say the air problem in Oakridge can be solved, but whether they can do it in 5 years, they just don't know. However, Mayor Don Hampton says they're going to need more money.

"I think if the federal government wants us to solve the problem I think they're going to have to help us financially," says Hampton.  

He's talking about grants to help residents swap out old, smoky wood stoves with certified new stoves or pellet stoves.

Don Reesman says he took advantage of a $2,000 grant two years ago to get this unit.

"If everybody who had a wood stove would go to pellet stoves, we wouldn't have a problem up here," Reesman said.

"If we can find the funding, we estimate we need to replace about 50 to 60 old uncertified wood stoves with cleaner burning devices and we will see a positive impact on air quality," Markos said.

Mayor Hampton says they'll also have to start enforcing a local Oakridge ordinance, banning wood stove use on those "red" advisory days.  Under the law, fines could run as high as $500.

LRAPA hopes new grant or voucher programs will be funded next year by the incoming Obama administration.

Money in a 2006 program for new wood stoves has run out.  The only help available to homeowners now, is a one time $300 state energy tax credit on the purchase of a certified wood stove or pellet stove.