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The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is asking the public to refrain from burning wood tonight and Tuesday.
While district officials have not issued Spare the Air alerts, they are recommending that residents refrain from burning wood to allow Bay
Area skies to recover from unhealthy levels of smoke pollution from the holiday weekend.
District spokeswoman Lisa Fasano said the smoke pollution was well over a healthy standard this weekend and the cold, still weather seen today
and expected Tuesday is keeping the condition stagnant.
“It’s taking longer than we’d hope for air to blow out,” Fasano said.
Spare the Air alerts were in effect this weekend, however Fasano said patrols were out monitoring residents and violations occurred.
According to Fasano, the district has logged about 285 potential violations since the Winter Spare the Air season began on Nov. 1.
During the winter months, wood smoke is the leading cause of air pollution in the Bay Area, according to district officials.
Wood smoke contains harmful pollutants such as soot and carbon monoxide and toxins such as dioxin, which has been linked to increased cancer
rates in adults.
More information about the ban can be found at www.sparetheair.org or by calling 877-4NO-BURN. Those wishing to receive automatic phone calls
when a Winter Spare the Air alert is issued can register by calling (800) 430-1515.
“Area skies to recover from unhealthy levels of smoke pollution from the holiday weekend.”
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Really? Didn’t CARB declare Christmas Eve & Christmas Day “Spare the Air” days? Seems like nobody’s paying attention to these enviro-nazis. Time to recycle this worthless, expensive agency.
enviro-whats?!!
Please accept a late Holiday gift, George — it’s a clue. The Bay Area is a wonderful place to live, and there are so many of us that’ve resolved to do so that we occasionally have to cooperate for the common good.
If you were still reading, I’d also tell you about the lack of rain and the atmospheric inversions we’ve had over the last several weeks, that have made the problem temporarily worse. Spare the Air helps, but is not a complete solution. I know my lungs have been scratchy for several days, and I’m not very suggestible.
If you really Need to see your air, there’s always that city down south…
Citizen paine is an enviro-nazi collaborator. He is the one who will report you to the authorities
I would accept this invitation to a flame war, but I can’t. Der Fuhrer hass reqvested no burnink.
Why not settle for half a loaf? Allow burning on non-burn days from those houses on the North side of the street. The next time from those houses on the south side. That way you cut the emisions in half! Better than what they are achieving now…..
Oddts und eefens on house numbers might work better, especially for those who live on N/S streets.
Can’t believe I couldn’t lit my fireplace on Christmas…can’t believe this.
In the 70’s the mantra was “set the thermostat at 67” and the government stresed the importance of saving energy.
I heard a government ad yesterday on the radio actually saying to “turn up your thermostat” instead of burning a log in the fireplace.
I get it that nobody likes poor air quality, and if we lived on top of each other in condominiums or apartments, maybe it would be an issue if a neighbor constantly burned logs in fireplace. But as usual liberal goverment has gone too far, putting the same restrictions on everyone, regardless of if you live in the country 20 miles from any neighbors, or live in an apartment. One size does not fit all.
Is it really better to require a person in the country to turn up his thermostat and use more energy to heat his home, than put one log in the fire place?
Citizen Pain…
I’m not interested in “the common good”… I’m selfish, self serving, and I’ll have a fire in my fireplace when I want one. If you have a hard time breathing, get a mask. Not my problem. Deal with it.
Who elected the Air Quality dudes? Who do they report to? Who do they answer to?
Our government has transformed into fascist controlling major industry for its own benefit and regulating every single facet of our lives. Every single facet. Is there anything that isn’t now regulated or controlled from top down?
I don’t think your ability to post baseless hyperbole on the internet is being censored by the government.
I will ignor the Nazis until they get AL GORE’S fat ass out of his private jet.
Really, Samantha? You’d do something that harms everyone just to get back at Al Gore? Are you gonna at least write to him and tell him, because otherwise he might not ever find out that you sure showed him!
Well George, at least you’re clear. Some folks go through life rationalizing their actions. I’m just sorry you don’t have a better cause to which to devote yourself.
The rest of us will pick up your slack. Breathe well!
In honor of Comrade Cardinal and Al (the sky is falling) Gore–I lit all three of my fireplaces last night!!
Sam: Marie Antoinette called — it seems you have inherited her head.
Please send it back to her — and tell her for the rest of us that it’s barely been used.
Better comrade cardinal sent it to Comrade Barry on ANOTHER vacation and his Marie Antoinette Mooshell hulaing in her thousand dollar sundresses eating lobster while cardinal and other minions obediently enjoy their tofu and grass clippings.
I’m done.
The profound nastiness and disrespect toward the Prez and First Lady can only have its roots in racism of the most cowardly sort (the anonymous kind).
I try to make it a point not to correspond with racists, or cowards.
It’s our kids and our kid’s kids that will really suffer. Happy New Year to all you selfish people.
A few facts might add to the initial discussion. From the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board website they have some interesting data (Key Events in History of Air Quality in CA). In 1995 there was statewide a 58% and 80% reduction in Nox and HC respectively despite a 137% increase in miles driven over 1970.
After 2000 however their quantifiable data in the timeline pretty much disappears and instead they note all of their legislative feats: they “adopted, sponsored, determined and amended” but little hard data after 2000.
So a great job was done in a 30 year time span, (thus children have been protected) in spite of increasing vehicle miles. So why the continuing onslaught of legislation and watchfulness down to what or when someone burns wood if they have a fireplace (and many don’t)? That seems picayune and more about keeping the agency viable along with the employees than about the need for air quality.