CLEAN AIR NEWSLINE

December 2005 Edition

In this issue:

Why do we call a burn ban?
Check before you burn
Tips for a clean, green holiday season
Clean Air Agency welcomes new public-at-large board member
Idling = 0 mpg (and pollutes the air, too)

Why do we call a burn ban?

As you may know, a burn ban is in effect for all of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. We called the ban on Friday, Dec. 9, and extended it on Dec. 13 until further notice, likely into the Dec. 17 weekend. The ban prohibits the use of wood-burning fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves, unless it is your only adequate source of heat, as well as all outdoor burning.

When does the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency call burn bans? We do it when stagnant weather conditions prevent pollutants from dispersing AND when fine particle concentrations at our neighborhood monitoring sites exceed the trigger established by the Washington State Legislature.

But why do we call burn bans? We do it for both health and legal reasons. Washington state regulations give clean air agencies the authority to issue burn bans during the above conditions to protect the health of our citizens.

So why should you stop burning during a burn ban if you have an open fireplace or an uncertified wood stove? Your wood smoke can cause serious health problems for you, your family and your neighbors, particularly those with asthma or other respiratory problems. And, it’s against the law to violate a burn ban.

And even if you do have a certified wood stove, it is your responsibility to burn properly. You are not allowed to smoke out your neighbor, and you are required to reduce smoke to a minimum all the time by burning only clean, seasoned wood and not restricting combustion air.

Will we have a burn ban for the holidays? We can’t see into the future nor can we change the weather, but all of us can control the amount of wood smoke we emit into our neighborhoods.

Check before you burn

You can keep an eye on both air-quality forecasts and current conditions from our Web site at www.pscleanair.org. You can see how the Puget Sound region’s current and forecasted air-quality rate on the Air Quality Index, a color-coded system for rating the levels of pollution. Our goal is to “keep it in the green.” You can also check in via our burn ban hotline at 1-800-595-4341. Our Web site also has information about cleaner burning practices and how to determine if your wood stove is EPA certified www.pscleanair.org/actions/woodstoves/certifiedws.aspx.

Tips for a clean, green holiday season

Recycle the wrap: As you share gifts with family and friends, remember not to burn any wrapping paper in your fireplace or wood stove. Burning paper is illegal, and the inks and foils used in wrapping paper often contain chemicals that can be toxic when burned. Instead, recycle non-foil wrapping paper along with your mixed paper, either curbside or at your local transfer station. Dispose of foil paper in the trash.

Burn smart, burn clean: Natural gas and propane stoves and fireplaces are the cleanest ways to warm the hearth for the season. Certified wood stoves are a cleaner alternative to open fireplaces and old uncertified stoves. Manufactured logs such as Duraflame are a great option for wood fires. Made of compressed sawdust, a recycled material, these logs burn much cleaner than cut firewood, and they burn longer for less hassle.

Tree-cycle the greens: When it’s time un-trim the tree, turn it into garden mulch for little or no money. It’s easy and air friendly. And remember, it is illegal to burn unseasoned wood, such as a fresh Christmas tree, in your fireplace or wood stove. To prepare your tree for recycling, remove hangers, ornaments and tinsel. Flocked trees can’t be recycled, and some tree-cycling programs have diameter limits. Some programs offer people wood chips to mulch their gardens. For tree-cycling resources, click to http://www.pscleanair.org/news/newsroom/releases/2005/12_12_yule_tips.aspx.

Clean Air Agency welcomes new public-at-large board member

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board of Directors has selected Marina Cofer-Wildsmith to fill its public-at-large position. The position was vacated by Janet Chalupnik upon her retirement in September.

“I’m committed to serving the people of the Puget Sound region in protecting air quality,” says Cofer-Wildsmith, the chief executive officer for the American Lung Association of Washington, “because the improvements we make, as individuals and as a community, protect public health as well as the health of our environment.”

The agency’s Board is made up of representatives from each of the four counties in its jurisdiction (King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish), a representative from the largest city in each county (Seattle, Bremerton, Tacoma and Everett), and one member representing the public-at-large.

To learn more about the public-at-large position, click to http://www.pscleanair.org/news/newsroom/releases/2005/12_15_cofer-wildsmith.aspx.

Idling = 0 mpg (and pollutes the air, too)

Have you ever left your car engine running while you waited to pick up your children, or while you waited in the drive-through line at your bank or a favorite fast-food restaurant? Have you sometimes let your engine idle for several minutes to warm up your car first thing in the morning? Most of us have. But when you leave your car or truck running while it’s parked or sitting still, the engine produces air pollution. This pollution contributes to problems like smog and global warming, as well as being harmful to health.

A great deal of idling takes place at schools, where buses and cars line up to drop off and pick up children, and the children end up breathing the exhaust. Stopping unnecessary vehicle idling is one relatively easy way to contribute to improved air quality and respiratory health in our communities.

Your local Northwest air agencies have developed a Web site with ideas and tools for conducting an anti-idling program at schools. Materials may also be adaptable for programs at other locations. Check it out at: http://www.airwatchnorthwest.org/noidlezone.

About the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency

The mission of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is to ensure that people in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties have clean, healthy air to breathe. Our job is to provide air quality management services on behalf of cities and counties for their citizens. We do this by adopting and enforcing air quality regulations, sponsoring voluntary initiatives to improve air quality, and educating people and businesses about clean-air choices. To learn more about our work, visit us at www.pscleanair.org.

About the Clean Air Newsline

Clean Air Newsline is a monthly electronic newsletter to provide air quality information to the residents of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Subscribers receive the latest on air quality news, trends and projects that affect our local communities and the air we breathe. Feel free to pass the information along to others.

We also use the Newsline as needed to send timely and important messages about burn bans, Smog Watches and early calls to action when air quality deteriorates.

If you would like to subscribe, you can do so at www.pscleanair.org/news/email_list.shtml. Be sure to select Clean Air Newsline to be added to the e-mailing list.