The Wood Smoke Activist Network

Transcript

1 The Wood Smoke Activist Network February 2013 Newsletter Educating the world about the health and climate impacts of wood smoke. Editor: Shirley Brandie 1/2/2013 2 Volume 5, Issue 2 February, 2013 Title Fighting Wood Smoke Pollution from the Grassroots to Government Level Editor: Shirley Brandie Co-Editor: Julie Mellum Welcome! We hope that this newsletter will give you the information and inspiration you need. Regain clean air to breathe and eliminate the wood burning that is affecting your health and your home environment. Please pass this issue on to others in need of help and suggest that they send an email to [email protected] to be added to the mailing list. Mission Statement Our mission is to educate all citizens about wood smoke as a major form of hazardous air pollution that affects our health, our home, the use of our property, water, crops, livestock, the environment, and climate change. We urge citizens everywhere to work with their elected officials to name wood smoke a public nuisance and create bans/by-laws to finally end the devastating effects of residential wood smoke. **** A doctor’s letter verifying how wood smoke compromises your health or public health in general would be beneficial in showing that wood smoke truly is doing damage to you.**** 3 Newsworthy Links Fairbanks, Alaska being smothered by woodsmoke - school children affected in their schools Wood burning creates an average of 5 tons of harmful PM2.5 emissions per day in the South Coast Air Basin. Asthmatics at increased risk of pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism is when the main artery of the lung or the bronchi becomes blocked. Wood smoke has Candia neighbors fired up enough to file suit The suit seeks an injunction to stop the Johnsons from burning wood, as well as unspecified monetary damages. _______________________________________________________________________ Wood smoke burns PoCo resident Homeowner says emissions from a neighbourhood chimney are making him sick. Metro Vancouver should take action on wood smoke Metro Vancouver has been considering smoke regulation since winter 2008. _____________________________________________________________ 4 Court orders EPA to try again on soot standards Today's ruling means EPA must look again at the implementation of the existing standards. Separately, the agency recently set new standards for fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, that cover particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (Greenwire, Dec. 14, 2012). Smoky Hollow furnaces ordered shut down At the township's December meeting, township Solicitor Ronald Tomasko said Adams County President Judge John Kuhn has issued an injunction permanently banning Gun Club property owner David Lease from operating any outdoor furnace without township authorization. This shows how a city DOES have the power to help! Shirley Scientists to conduct impact study of wood smoke Scientists found that concentrations of particulates in the atmosphere from wood smoke increased twofold from December 2010 to the same period in 2012. State sues owners of outdoor boilers near Woodriver school The state of Alaska filed its first lawsuit against the owners of two outdoor hydronic wood boilers last week, an unprecedented step in the ongoing battle to clean up Fairbanks’ wintertime air. *****White Rock snuffs wood-burning stove***** Council gave unanimous support to all of St. Louis’s recommendations.The stove was to be removed within 30 days, at an estimated cost of $300. 5 Attorneys needed: Lawsuits may be the only answer Our goal for 2013: To find attorneys who will take wood smoke cases across the U.S. and in Canada. Many of us have fought wood smoke for years. New tactics must be tried if we are to succeed. What is needed: People must band together and bring suits against our towns, cities and municipalities. Individual law suits are being won against OWBs more often now. We can also initiate lawsuits against indoor wood burning, against neighbors or our cities that allow burning. Yes, it will cost money to be part of a law suit, but what are the alternatives? And what are our priorities? Scraping up the money to hire an attorney may be our last hope, especially as wood burning becomes more ingrained and supported by the EPA. Start thinking about how you might initiate or become part of a lawsuit. It will also get attention to the topic that we wouldn’t get otherwise. We MUST find a way to reduce wood smoke. One winning case would make a tremendous difference in EVERY town, township and city, once their leaders see that it can be done. Next steps: Let our searches begin across Canada and the U.S. Talk to environmental attorneys, real estate attorneys, or civil rights attorneys to find the right “fit”. If enough people start calling, attorneys will respond to the demand. Ask them if they would write a letter to offending neighbors or cities because they allow burning to violate our property rights to breathe clean air on our own properties. Ask them if they would consider taking a case further. Search for attorneys (civil rights attorneys?) who might consider suing cities for allowing wood burning when the smoke presents a physical barrier in public spaces. Most all cities have “accessibility requirements” to remove such barriers in order to allow all people, including those with disabilities, to participate in public events in public spaces, such as city parks, streets and sidewalks. Many cities now have laws against tobacco smoking in parks; why not against wood burning? Asthma, migraines, heart disease and other conditions are recognized disabilities under the ADA in the U.S. You don’t have to be “on disability” to file a suit. Wood smoke as a physical barrier is discriminatory. See www.burningissues.org under “Legal.” Minnesota’s Environmental Rights Act allows Minnesotans the right to bring suit against individuals, governments or other entities if clean air laws are being violated. Other states may have similar laws. The Civil Rights Act from earlier decades in the U.S. also states that the right to breathe clean air is a basic civil right. Remember that wood smoke violates most nuisance ordinances, which aren’t being enforced. A legal letter or law suit that requires cities to start prosecuting nuisance ordinances, rather than pressing for a full ban on recreational burning may be a good start. But it’s also time to press for full bans if enough people can join the cause. 6 Keep in mind that there is increasing pressure on cities to reduce black carbon soot and to improve school attendance to close achievement gaps. Act now. Please help us get names of attorneys who are taking cases. We will list them in this newsletter if they are open to it. This could provide good advertising for them at no cost. Keep in mind that there is increasing pressure on cities to reduce black carbon soot and to improve school attendance to close the achievement gaps. May 2013 be the year of legal action! Please contact [email protected] for help with wood smoke problems in the US Or [email protected] for those in Canada 7 Letter sent to [email protected] Wood Smoke is Deadly Smoke from wood stoves can be deadly over time to those at risk, and quickly when it causes a fatal asthma attack. Every time wood smoke wafts into the air, fine soot particles that are bundled with lead, mercury, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and other toxins are released into the air. I have read that the American Cancer Society classifies wood smoke as a probable carcinogen. Within 45 seconds of breathing wood smoke, it infiltrates every major organ system in our bodies. Some people will suffer asthma attacks on the spot. Others will die of heart attacks or asthma attacks hours or days later. This delayed reaction to wood smoke happens when the mucous membranes, irritated by the pollution, become inflamed enough to cause pneumonia, asthma attacks, heart attacks, or COPD exacerbations. Many people with asthma do not associate asthma attacks with wood smoke exposure because of this delay. How do we deal with the life-threatening oppression of wood smoke in our increasingly toxic world? Number one, we must press our cities to disallow wood burning for fun, food and fuel, in favor of cleaner, healthier options. Immediate bans should be placed on any new wood burning restaurant grills, because wood smoke is obliterating life as we know it. The Harvard School of Public Health has proven that people die prematurely from particle pollution— even those with no known health problems. What are the alternatives if we don’t stop rampant wood burning? A planet that will die faster, along with our children and other inhabitants of our smoked-out cities. Let’s get real, folks. The smoke from wood stoves can cause premature deaths, and even kill. Forcing this toxic pollution on others must be stopped! Brenda Wardell 8 Letter To Environment and Human Health, Inc. We moved 2 years ago, still can't sell our home to this day--property value went to heck.....all our life's savings, our freedom to enjoy our home and yard shot......had to move for health and peace (nasty people). Town supervisors grand-fathered the OWB in and the DEP and local health Dept. ignored umpteen calls. A few lawyers were told to mind their own business and jurisdiction by the town. The owners of the OWB have parents (wealthy coal baron) who paid off the town., and now work w/ them at election time. It was a no win situation, even w/ Dr's. notes, pictures of my breathing apparatus,(husband's CABG/ surgery was old and the smoke bothered him terrible, I suffered severe bronchitis) , our smoke alarms would wake us up, our electric bill was sky high (due to air purifiers running 24/7) -- one on each level of our split level home. We had to put plastic over the inside of our double hung new Anderson windows, because the smoke would somehow sneak in. We had to insulate our garage, and when we would open the garage doors if gone out for groceries, shopping etc. we would get bombarded with a gust of smoldering exhaust. They burned green, wet wood, boxes, insulation, trash etc. the first year, just to spite us, because he knew he and his young sons could get away with it... The town cops feared him, and it was a big joke... he would let it SMOLDER, especially when they saw you going out for the mail, sweeping the front , or raking the leaves, etc. Their OWB was allowed 42 ft. away from our front porch..(residential area) 1/2 acre lots.......we even took videos of the smolder and the town didn't want to see or hear about it...... We now have 2 taxes, 2 utility bills, 2 water bills, 2 sewer bills, 2 insurances, have to maintain the lawn and upkeep the home in order to sell it. He refused to raise the chimney and told the code officer to mind his own business. Yet he had a cherry picker in his enormous garage for his tree trimming business on the side, and could have easily raised it up. He kept 14-20 cords of wood all thrown around back then, until of late, forced to pile it, cover it and put a fence up. 9 So glad to be away and love our home now, but to be forced to move away and still pay taxes etc. shouldn't be. We have the problem of trying to sell it. A lovely place, well kept, best of everything and had to drop the price by $100,000 so far........... I understand from one old neighbor that the OWB had to be replaced, due to them burning green wood etc. (or someone in that old neighborhood sabotaged it) ;it blew up they said, and it doesn't smolder much anymore, but our lives were disrupted and our home sits. We need to sell it soon, or all our savings will be gone. So I fully understand your situations and hear you loud and clear............ Who can afford to move? But when your health is at risk---you have no choice. 10 UN Rights By: Vic Steblin, December 11, 2012 The United Nations introduced the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, soon after the atrocities of World War II with the intent “that human rights should be protected by the rule of law”. The following four articles bear on matters of environmental health and are relevant with respect to wood smoke. Summarized from “Environmentally Induced Illnesses, Ethics, Risk Assessment and Human Rights”, by Thomas Kerns, 2001, p111, 112. (RA 566 .K465) Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Exposure to needless pollutants like wood smoke violates security of person. Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his (or her) privacy, family, or home. Contaminated homes and intruding environmental toxicants like pesticides or wood smoke violate this right. Article 17. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his (or her) property. People forced to leave their homes even temporarily because of wood smoke have had this right violated. Article 25. Motherhood and children are entitled to special care and assistance. Children exposed to pesticides, tobacco smoke or wood smoke have been subjected to a violation of the security of their persons. In 1840 Alexis de Tocqueville first introduced the idea of human rights as that of virtue introduced into the political world. Since then, well founded codes of human rights have become established and are supposedly less susceptible to stakeholder abuse than the more recent practice of risk assessment. In the Wild West, the matter of needless wood smoke by an obstinate neighbor would have been settled quickly, but because of modern law, the authorities should act promptly. 11 For those that are unsure if they are not creating smoke that is getting into their neighbours homes and limiting their neighbours use of their property, please take the time to watch the following videos. Please remember that there is no safe level of wood smoke! – Shirley ___________________________________________________________ The Port Alberni, B.C. Fire Department Videos A special thanks to the Port Alberni Fire Department for their permission to publish their links. o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dooe5jHhmp0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnNxkJ5aK-M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmStviYgek4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MfWP0HjgnA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lk4jFG7zWI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qClpqShHXQs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHhhk_0FeQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx-Z87_SSXQ 12 EPA chief Lisa Jackson steps down Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson announced Thursday that she's stepping down after four-year tenure marked by her agency's first greenhouse gas regulations and repeated battles with industry groups and GOP lawmakers. Lisa has done amazing work for the protection of the environment and human health and we all will miss her and appreciate everything that she has done for all of us. During her term, the EPA set the first standards for emitting mercury, arsenic and other toxins from power plants, and this month, it finalized tougher limits for emitting fine-particle soot from smokestacks, wood-burning stoves and diesel vehicles. She stood up to big industry and never backed down amid the criticisms put to her by those that would trade health for money. She rocked big industry and never backed down. There is not one of us who will ever forget this strong and determined woman who did all she could to protect all of us and our families. We wish her the best for whatever direction her new life takes her. 13 CMHC Calculator By Vic Steblin, December 28, 2012 The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) presents an 85 page “Guide to Residential Wood Heating” at the site www.cmhcschl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/enefcosa/upload/wood_heating_EN_W.pdf. P4 states “If you heat with wood now or are considering the use of wood fuel for home heating, this book is for you.” This guide is well worth scanning. It explains the complexity of heating with wood and shows how to compare various costs. For example the costs of electricity to natural gas to wood are about 3:2:1 when using a formula on P81 that includes Energy Cost per Unit, Energy Content, Heating Load, and System Efficiency. This formula takes into account many factors including type of fuel, age of house, and location in Canada. I calculated my medium sized house in Prince George, BC to have costs of about $3000, $2000, $1000 per year when comparing electricity, gas and wood. Now for the main problem. What average person has the time and expertise to burn wood properly? The guide covers topics like advantages, disadvantages, required fitness levels, air pollution, wood storage, modern designs, catalytic vs non-catalytic models, pellet technology, etc. There are so many ever-changing rules to follow on certification, flue-pipes, chimney liners, shield, floor pads, clearances, etc. There are suggestions about avoiding basement locations, avoiding outside chimneys, proper safety, installation, inserts, stove locations, maintenance, etc. The many problems mentioned are back drafts, keeping flue gases hot, efficient loading procedures, appropriate ventilation, chimney sizes, chimney fires, creosote cleaning, smoke spillage, negative pressure, stack effect, cold back draft at standby, etc. Decent burning requires knowledge of wood types, storage techniques, moisture content, the phases of combustion, lighting and rekindling techniques, etc. Wood burners need special permits, inspection, and increased fire insurance. Who follows page 57 which states “The most important rule is: NEVER LET THE FIRE SMOULDER.” Why would anyone burn wood in crowded areas to smoke out neighbors instead of letting a programmable thermostat keep costs down? 14 Letter OWB 35 FT IN OUR DOOR NO ONE WILL HELP US... THIRD WINTER OF THIS TOXIC SMOKE (INDIANA) WHY DO WE HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS AND CAN’T SELL OUR HOME AND HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO GET AWAY FROM THE SMOKE AND SMELL THAT SATURATES OUR HOME EVERDAY AND DESTROYS OUR HEALTH AND OUR ENJOYMENT OF LIFE? TODAY WE SAT HERE SICK AT OUR STOMACKS, HEADACHES AND NOSE, EYES AND THROAT BURNING. WE ARE LIVING ON ANTIBOTICES FOR ONE SINUS INFECTION AFTER ANOTHER.NO MORE GET IT CLEARED UP AND HERE WE GO AGAIN AND I HAVE BREAST CANCER. I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE TO BE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW IT IS DESTROYING A LIFE HERE. PROBLEM I HAVE IS WHY DOESN’T ANYONE CARE? I WISH SOMEONE WITH SOME HUMAN COMPASSION COULD COME HERE AND EXPLAIN IT TO US ON A DAY LIKE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS. I WILL TAKE TIME TO SAY A PRAYER FOR YOU ALL TOO. IT DOESNT COST A THING TO BE HUMAN. 15 Woodstoves like Wildfires By Vic Steblin, January 10, 2013 The BC Medical Journal of December 2012 has an article by Catherine Elliott et al titled “Health Impacts of Wildfires” which summarizes how the Environmental Health Services of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control examined the effects of three of the worst wildfire seasons on record in BC. The article states that “There is clear evidence that wildfire smoke causes exacerbations of chronic lung disease, … To date we have demonstrated that, at the community level, dispensations of asthma rescue medications (salbutamol0 rise rapidly during wildfire smoke events. Our evidence shows that increases in dispensations are associated with measured concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in fire-affected communities but not in communities where high particulate matter arises from traffic and other sources.” If wildfires cause asthma with high enough smoke then why would a wood stove be any different for a neighbor close enough to the same type of smoke? And for a community in a valley during a winter inversion the result is the same, clear evidence of exacerbations to chronic lung disease. Wildfires are considered a hazard of great concern and yet community officials allow the same type of hazard with a neighborhood wood stove. This is a clear example of an unacceptable double standard. Wood stoves should be banned where there are alternative cleaner sources for home heat. 16 BOZO of the Month In my opinion http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/ Here is a site that will prove to you the intensity of dislike for those of us who are sick and tired of breathing in their smoke. One member has gone to the point of suggesting that they try to crash my web site. Looking at my stats, it appears that the majority of the Bozos are giving it their best shot. Not to worry. It is impossible for them to take down my site. I have left a message for them on my home page telling them how to do it but they obviously cannot figure it out. It goes to show you how out-of-touch the members of that site are. They have been so concerned about their burning and the guilt they must feel that they will stop at nothing to prevent people from hearing the truth about wood smoke. The only thing that they are accomplishing is raising my visitor stats. So, what can we do about this? Well, some may want to join their site as members and straighten out these bone-heads. Turning the tables on them is fair play and who knows maybe some of them will understand eventually and change their ways. Shirley 17 2nd BOZO of the Month In my opinion Rockville, Maryland According to their web site, Bloomberg Business Week, Money Magazine, and U.S. News & World Report named Rockville a great place to live, work and start a business in 2010. I wonder if they would think the same way if they visited today. From what I am told, the charge of 50 cents per bag for garbage pickup has led people to burn their trash to save money. Burning trash, including wood, emits many cancer-causing pollutants into the air, many of which enter the homes and properties of their neighbors. Sad to say, but most people will continue to burn their trash until they are forced to stop. It seems to me that the mayor and council members there would do well to get out of the office and take a ride to see what is going on and find a way to end this burning. Is the 50 cents worth destroying the air quality? I realize that there is a significant cash flow problem but is money more important than the health of the residents? Shirley 18 I ran across this quote from Wikipedia and thought it would be of help to some of you: Under the common law, persons in possession of real property (either land owners or tenants) are entitled to the quiet enjoyment of their lands. If a neighbour interferes with that quiet enjoyment, either by creating smells, sounds, pollution or any other hazard that extends past the boundaries of the property, the affected party may make a claim in nuisance. Legally, the term "nuisance" is traditionally used in three ways: 1) to describe an activity or condition that is harmful or annoying to others (e.g., indecent conduct, a rubbish heap or a smoking chimney) 2) to describe the harm caused by the before-mentioned activity or condition (e.g., loud noises or objectionable odors) 3) to describe a legal liability that arises from the combination of the two. However, the "interference" was not the result of a neighbor stealing land or trespassing on the land. Instead, it arose from activities taking place on another person's land that affected the enjoyment of that land. The law of nuisance was created to stop such bothersome activities or conduct when they unreasonably interfered either with the rights of other private landowners (i.e., private nuisance) or with the rights of the general public (i.e., public nuisance). A public nuisance is an unreasonable interference with the public's right to property. It includes conduct that interferes with public health, safety, peace or convenience. The unreasonableness may be evidenced by statute, or by the nature of the act, including how long, and how bad, the effects of the activity may be. A private nuisance is simply a violation of one's use of quiet enjoyment of land. It doesn't include trespass. To be a nuisance, the level of interference must rise above the merely aesthetic. For example: if your neighbour paints their house purple, it may offend you; however, it doesn't rise to the level of nuisance. In most cases, normal uses of a property that can constitute quiet enjoyment cannot be restrained in nuisance either. For example, the sound of a crying baby may be annoying, but it is an expected part of quiet enjoyment of property and does not constitute a nuisance. 19 Deadly devices??? Most devices and activities capable of harming or killing people require the owner to undertake certified training. Every appliance used for burning is used by people with absolutely no more training than the booklet that comes with the appliance. And yet these ‘deadly devices’ are in use in every country, city, town and neighborhood. The only regulations in place are any bans and/or bylaws put in place by municipalities. And even most of these bans or bylaws are not investigated for compliance unless someone calls in a complaint… many times even more than one complaint needs to be called in to get someone out to see what is going on. What about backyard fires or fire pits? Most of you have likely heard about the recent death of two young people who used gasoline to get the fire going and it blew up in their faces. It’s sad and unthinkable that these young people had no idea of the danger of a backyard fire. I believe it was last year that a young child died in a similar way when her night dress got too close to the fire. What a horrible way to die! And this young child was there with her parents who should have known how dangerous a fire can be. The parents must be heart-broken to know that a single lapse of attention near a fire caused a pain that can never be eased. A friend recently attended an event where they were actually having firetossing!!!!! Can you believe it? It seems to be everywhere, this fascination with fire. I just don’t get it! When are our municipalities going to step to the plate? How many people have to die from fire or become sick from the smoke before they do something to prevent unnecessary risks? My guess is that until it affects them personally they will sit on their duffs and get paid for ignoring the issue. Shirley 20 Although inspired in part by real attitudes, behaviors, and situations, the following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event. Any resemblance to people or neighborhoods you have observed is purely coincidental. Smoketopia Sweethearts to Wed on Valentine's Day February is the month of hearts and flowers, so it seems natural for Soothaven Sweethearts Fritz Loofer and Bimbie Smith to choose Valentine's Day to tie the knot. The entire community of Soothaven, the dome-covered residential development for those who can't get enough smoke, is invited. "Why not invite everyone?" shrugs Bimbie, containing her excitement. She is the owner of Domes Day Tanning Salon, a Soothaven business that offers conventional ultraviolet tanning and creosote spray-on tans. "We're having the ceremony at the giant community firepit on the commons, so they'll all be there anyway." Fritz Loofer, Bimbie's smitten fiance, heads up the Smoketopia County Prescribed Burn Coalition. The lovebirds are widely considered to be Smoketopia County's power couple, and are referred to by locals as "Frimbie." Loofer is not as practical as Bimbie, at least not right now anyway. He fell for her when they competed against each other in the drip torch contest at the Smoketopia International Games, and his head has been in the particulate ever since. "I guess a lot of guys would have been upset to be bested by a girl in the drip torch competition, but for Bimbie and me, the sparks flew right from that very first moment the fires were being lit," he says. "She won twice that day: the contest and my heart." "There are so many things to do and so little time," Bimbie states flatly. "My bridesmaids will all need to get my creosote spray-on tan so there's a uniform look. That's my main concern." Bimbie's life philosophy is to multi-task, and she applies this outlook to her upcoming nuptials. "Yes Fritz and I are getting married, but there's no reason my attendants can't also be an advertisement for my tanning business. When they walk down the aisle they'll hand out 50%off coupons to any teenage girls in attendance. It's important for adolescent girls to look healthy and I'm offering to cut short, I mean a shortcut to that look." 21 Bimbie is not the only person in Soothaven who is multi-tasking this month. Mary Nunbright has been hired to coordinate the Loofer-Smith event and her head is spinning. "Bimbie and Fritz want to walk down an aisle of hisand-hers firepits, so all the pits have to be spray-painted, half pink and half blue. We're borrowing them from residents so it's something borrowed and something blue. We'll have screens for people in the back so they can view the couple exchanging vows in case the smoke makes it hard to see from there. I've got Wes Pestergall and Punky Sparkburn to usher, and Stewart Padidiette will be handling the guest book," continues Mary. "I told him it was all right to set up his creosote-red pepper jelly cart next to the book. Then I need to keep hanging Bimbie's wedding dress out in different locations. It has to get the right tinge of tobacco-stain yellow fading into brownish-gray over the pink of the gown to achieve an ombre effect. I hung it at the tobaccosmoking commons area firepit for the yellow stains. Someone snuffed out a cigarette butt near the bottom of the dress, so I had everyone there do the same thing all the way around to make sort of a burnt out border, very lacy. Down by the hemline we're hoping for a luxuriant woodtar hue as the final shade in the ombre process, and we think that will be stunning over the border made by the butts. A lot of cigarettes were sacrificed for the sake of fashion!" Mary is frustrated that there are no florists in Soothaven. "Why we don't have a florist here is beyond me," she says. "We're such a vibrant community and florists love living things. I can't find anyone from out of county to bring flowers, so I have get artificial ones." Mary suddenly remembers that Bimbie's wedding shoes must be tinted to harmonize with the gown and hurries off in a panic to look for a jar of creosote shoe polish. Over at the Soothaven clubhouse, Stewart Padidiette and Wes Pestergall have been working all morning to fill the swimming pool with fire wood for the wedding reception. They stop to take a break and Stewart explains that there will be a giant bonfire located in the empty pool. "It's the perfect spot, that's what Wes was saying to me the other day. We volunteered to stoke the pool as our wedding gift. We'll hose the wood down before it's lit up, to get plenty of smoke. Mary says it has to smolder, to represent Frimbie's smoldering passion. I'm not one to gossip but I think there was a little trouble in paradise over that. I hear Bimbie wanted pink smoke and Fritz was more of a purist for the traditional gray." Wes finds this funny. "I guess we'll learn at the reception who chooses the smoke in that marriage," he laughs. 22 Punky Sparkburn backs his flatbed truck up to the clubhouse with another load of wood, and scowls at Stewart and Wes's joviality. He's irritated that his firepit has been commandeered for the wedding. "It better not come back pink, that's all I can say. I told Nunbright to paint mine blue." Punky thinks that social events in general, and weddings in particular, are a lot of malarky. For him the only thing that matters is the food, and he doesn't understand why vows aren't exchanged at buffet tables. "I'm an usher and that carries over into the reception as far as I'm concerned," he grumbles. "I'm seating myself next to the cake." Wes and Stewart aren't dispirited by Punky's mood. They're in concurrence that Fritz and Bimbie deserve each other, but have a friendly running debate over which will be more breathtaking-- the bride or the bonfire. Stewart admires feminine pulchritude, but his money is on the bonfire. Without a doubt, he is right. ©Katherine Troidl 1-17-13 23 Editorial Why is it that most people would never dream of feeding something to a diabetic that would cause that person to go into a diabetic coma? Or, feed a person with allergies the very food or drink that they are allergic to? Many people whole-heartedly support the Cancer Society and participate in the cancer walks and donate as much money as they can, hoping to find a cure for cancer. Why it that these same, assumedly caring, people would not think twice about getting a roaring fire going and polluting the entire neighborhood (and more) with the carcinogens that burning wood produces? Many of these same people have a backyard burning pleasure ritual, as well. The smoke enters the homes of their neighbors…. more carcinogens spread to others….. Yet, when a neighbor tries to inform the burner of the wood smoke entering their home and the potential risk of developing cancer, the burner explodes in indignation. This generally leads to an increase in smoke output. So, put it this way…. complaints lead to more smoke 9 times out of 10. Our mayors and council members are very well aware that this is the circle it goes in… complain/more smoke/complain again/more smoke. And on & on it goes. It will not end until a municipality ends it. If you do not complain repeatedly and give proof by way of digital dated photos it will never end. It is as if a municipality wants you to suffer to the point that you will take them to court before they will do the obvious thing and create a nuisance smoke bylaw. Not all mayors and councilors are afraid to stand up to burners and will do their best to help. Perhaps the ones that object to a bylaw are afraid that someone with a grudge against them will turn them in for nuisance smoke if there is a bylaw. People wanting clean air to breathe (the majority) will vote them out as soon as they can and good riddance to them. Shirley 24 Legal Help **Note to any legal firm that can provide help with residential wood smoke issues and wishes to add their name to this page.** Please email Shirley with your state/province, name of firm, who to contact (email address & telephone) NOTICE of FLORIDA and KENTUCKY ATTORNEY WILLING TO CONSIDER WOOD SMOKE CASES, perhaps on a contingency. Attorney Sherri Myers is a Florida attorney who is also licensed to practice in Kentucky and in 2 federal courts. She specializes in the rights of persons with disabilities, many of whom may be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, the civil rights law that is intended to ensure that citizens with disabilities such as asthma, for example, have “access” to public spaces such as city parks, streets and sidewalks. A federal court in northern Iowa ordered the town of Mallard, Iowa, to disallow wood and leaf burning, because the smoke presented a physical barrier to a small child with severe asthma, making her unable to use city streets and sidewalks. Sherri is interested in legal issues that impact persons with multiple chemical sensitivity and other environmental illnesses. She also serves on the Pensacola City Council and in that role is working to influence governmental policies on environmental issues. She is the Advocacy Coordinator for the Center for Independent Living Disability Resource Center. Sherri lives in Pensacola, which is located in the panhandle of Florida. Contact her at [email protected]. Phone: (850) 484-0902 25 Legal Help Outdoor Wood Boilers have the potential to create nuisances or harm human health by releasing unsafe levels of Particulate Pollution and other cancer causing air contaminants. Scientific studies and lab testing have shown that some Outdoor Wood Boilers exceed EPA safe air thresholds at levels that can cause both short and long term health problems, even death. The American Lung Association states that anyone can be affected by particle pollution but several groups are most at risk:  Children under 18  Adults 65 and older  Anyone with chronic lung disease, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema  Anyone with a cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, or congestive heart failure and diabetes. Joe Ritch an attorney in Corpus Christi Texas who specializes in nuisance and product liability believes everyone should be able to live in their home and enjoy their property without fear of harm. If you or someone you love is being adversely affected by the contaminants emitted from an Outdoor Wood Boiler you may be eligible for representation with no out of pocket expenses. To have your case evaluated please call 361-885-7500 and ask for Joseph Ritch. 26 Wood smoke: Know the Facts Wood Smoke… 1. Violates the property rights of others to use and enjoy their property smoke-free. 2. Contains many of the same toxins that are in tobacco smoke. These include lead, mercury, arsenic, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbon monoxide and dioxin(s), “some of the most insidious chemicals known to man.” (Harvard School of Public Health). They also accumulate in the environment. 3. Is implicated in asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature death in people of all ages, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 4. Violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Guidelines by presenting a “barrier” to those with disabilities such as asthma, preventing them from accessing public spaces. Parks, bike paths, playgrounds, sidewalks, outdoor sports and public gatherings are often inaccessible and unhealthy, due to wood smoke. 5. Stresses everyone’s immune system. Children, the elderly, and those with asthma, lung or heart issues, diabetes or other disabilities are among the most vulnerable. 6. Is a major source of black carbon soot fine particulates, which are bundled with cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemicals. 7. Is implicated in reproductive birth defects and childhood diseases including asthma, pneumonia, cancer, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, allergies and other disorders. 8. Interferes with the seeding of rain and moisture in clouds, and also accelerates the melting of glaciers (www.burningissues.org/carwww/science/Climate/index.html) and www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/20/black-carbon-emissions). 9. Burning wood is an increasingly serious fire hazard. Please don’t burn wood! For more information, contact [email protected] Website: www.takebacktheair.com 27 JOIN OUR NEW NETWORK! Our cause has gained great momentum, with more people joining the anti-wood smoke efforts weekly. Our focus now is to help everyone connect with others near us nation-wide in the US and Canada. We must unite in pressuring our municipalities and governments toward wood smoke regulations as soon as possible. Therefore, I am looking for Volunteer Wood Smoke Coordinators in EVERY STATE & PROVINCE to field and manage wood smoke complaints and issues in their own state or province. The goal is to share information nation-wide and to focus on wood smoke regulation. I think it’s safe to say that anyone reading this newsletter probably has issues with wood smoke. If you are willing to give your name and email address so we can form a visible network please email Shirley or Julie. Perhaps you would be willing to help with letter writing, flyer passing, etc. No money is required, just a willingness to be someone others can contact for support or more involvement. Contact Julie at [email protected] if you would like your name to appear on our state/province–wide contacts page or if you’d like to become your state or province’s “representative” to coordinate contacts within your state or province. Contact Julie, also, if you’d like to learn who else is fighting wood smoke in your area and if you want concrete suggestions on how to get results. Network Representative List To find a list of representatives in your area or to volunteer for your State or Province please refer to the “LINKS” page on my web site. 28 All burning results in very fine micro particulates and there is no safe level of this asbestos sized, dangerous air pollutant. Solid fuels, such as pellets and especially wood, produce more smoke and emit more fine particulate air pollutants than cleaner fuels such as gas and electricity. 29 Bylaws & Bans **I am beginning to compile a list of municipalities that are acting on wood smoke emissions. Please send me a link to any that you find to be added to the list.** ***I have starred the ones that I believe have best protected their residents from wood smoke. Golden, BRITISH COLUMBIA- passed a bylaw prohibiting the installation of any solid fuel burning appliance (Bylaw # 1150). Hampstead, QUEBEC - banned all new installations of wood stoves and ordered existing wood stoves to be removed within 7 years. (Bylaw # 729-2) Montreal, QUEBEC (Apr. 29/2009) - no further installation of any wood burning stoves or fireplaces. Suffolk, NEW JERSEY - bans all OWBs within 1000 feet of another house. Stillwater, MINNESOTA - bans all wood burning or boiling stoves existing and future (March 11, 2010). Pleasant Prairie, WISCONSIN - bans all new outdoor wood furnaces and wood boilers. Savage City, MINNESOTA - prohibits outdoor wood boilers (OWBs). Burnsville, MINNESOTA - banned OWBs December 2008. New Prague, MINNESOTA - total ban on OWBs. Grand Forks, BRITISH COLUMBIA - The bylaw states that “no person shall create a nuisance using a wood burning appliance in such a way as to disturb the health and comfort of two or more persons from separate dwellings.” Enforcement would be complaint driven and fines could be up to $500. Houston, BRITISH COLUMBIA - requires uncertified appliances to be removed by 2010. 30 St. Thomas, ONTARIO - prohibits the use of outdoor fireplaces including wood boilers and chimeneas. Sarnia, ONTARIO - has set stringent restrictions on setback distances for outdoor boiler operations from the nearest dwellings and property lines. Nation, ONTARIO - outdoor wood boiler specifications have been set which include minimum lot sizes, distance from property lines and distances from property buildings. Elmira, NEW YORK - Ban on smoke and other deleterious fumes that cross property lines onto the property of another. Fines are $250 for a second offence or a jail term. Best ban in the country! Marion, IOWA -prohibits new outdoor wood-burning boilers within city limits and to regulate existing setups. All existing boilers must be registered by Jan. 1; have smokestacks two feet higher than any residential roof within 300 feet of the system; and be removed when the property changes hands. CONNECTICUT - Avon, Granby, Tolland, Hebron, Woodbridge, South Windsor, Portland, Norfolk, Ridgefield, Haddam, Cheshire, West Hartford, Hamden, North Haven, Simsbury and New Fairfield – 17 towns have banned outdoor wood furnaces in order to protect the health and property values of their citizens. Inver Grove Heights, MINNESOTA - Nov. 15, 2010 - council bans all OWBs. All OWBs must be removed from properties by Oct. 01, 2011. The STATE of WASHINGTON - has laws to address neighbor's wood smoke. According to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, “generating excessive smoke is not only unneighborly, it’s illegal. Under state regulations, smoke from a person’s chimney cannot exceed 20 percent opacity for six consecutive minutes. Greater smoke densities could result in fines from air pollution control officials. It is always illegal to smoke out your neighbor. Everyone has a right to breathe clean air. If smoke from your fire is affecting your neighbors, it is considered a nuisance and subject to enforcement action.” Salmon Arm, BRITISH COLUMBIA - No person shall install an Outdoor Solid-Fuel Combustion Appliance in or about any premises. 31 Huron East, ONTARIO - Bylaw passed - all new OWB's to have minimum setback allowances and lot sizes. A great improvement over what they had before – nothing. Nappanee - Bans Outdoor Wood Furnaces Twinsburg, OHIO - Council voted 7-0 in favor of adding outdoor wood-burning furnaces or boilers to a list of items that are restricted. Marion County, INDIANA – OWB ban. Evansville, INDIANA – OWB ban. Long Beach, INDIANA – OWB ban. City of LaPorte, INDIANA – OWB ban. Michigan City, INDIANA – OWB ban. Butler, Indiana – Bans OWBs within city limits. Waterloo, ONTARIO - No person shall set or maintain an open air fire. Hamilton, ONTARIO - No person shall conduct an open air in a manner that creates a nuisance.... Caledonia, WISCONSIN - Bans all new OWB installations except in agricultural areas. Port Alberni, BRITISH COLUMBIA – (2012) All newly installed wood burning appliances must be EPA listed. Beginning in 2017 (5 years from now) all existing wood burning appliances must be EPA listed. Prohibition of unpermitted fuels. $200 fine for non-compliance, per violation. Inspectors have the right to enter to determine compliance with bylaw. Grand Forks, BRITISH COLUMBIA – No person shall create a nuisance using a wood burning appliance…. 32 Photos and Videos Just a few photos to show to your public officials and others you want to convince that only a ban on smoke release will change this! Click here for videos To see some photos that victims of wood smoke have sent click here To have your own photo listed, send an email to: [email protected] Click here for links to more information 33 34 Canadian Action Activities Wood smoke is a major problem in all of America and Canada. National efforts are gaining momentum. Regardless of where we live, our actions should focus on getting our national governments to regulate wood smoke. To make an impact, if each reader calls or emails each of these contacts, we can move mountains. Go for it now! Health Canada assesses scientific evidence about the health effects of wood smoke and makes this information available to Canadians. Health Canada is also working with other government departments to determine the best ways to minimize risks associated with wood smoke. In addition, Health Canada is a contributor to the Burn it Smart! Campaign sponsored by Natural Resources Canada. Environment Canada: www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair Health Canada: [email protected] Air Health Effects Division, Safe Environments Program, Health Canada 400 Cooper Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9 Telephone: (613) 957-1876 Natural Resources Canada Burn it Smart! Sir William Logan Building, 11th Floor, 580 Booth Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4 Write or email to your local council & MPs to request that they create or amend a bylaw to cover nuisance smoke. Preferably, a ban on all wood burning in residential areas. ____________________________________________________________ The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has released the latest news on Smog http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/air/smog/index.php ____________________________________________________________ Click here for the Canadian Bill of Rights You can apply for a review here. 35 U.S. Action Activities URGENT—Immediate Action ALWAYS Needed A new EPA-certified wood stove promotion gives a 30% tax credit and a huge discount to the public. It is being funded by stimulus money from the US government. This flies in the face of the known hazards of wood smoke that the EPA acknowledges on their website. If we don’t stop our states’ stimulus money from funding this major promotion, it will be next to impossible to regulate or ban wood burning in any form. If you have never protested wood smoke or called your public officials before, this is the time to do it!  Contact your US Senators and Representatives, as well as your state Senators and Representatives and City Council members. Ask them to see that the stimulus money does not go towards this promotion. It is crucial to let your elected officials know that you don’t want the stimulus money used for this promotion in your community—but only to apply to gas or electric technology. (California has a change-out program that only allows swap-outs to gas or electric.)  Let them know that wood smoke is a major health hazard and is a major contributor to global warming.  Send an email to others and ask them for their help too. (See suggested email below).  Be sure to call your US legislators and State legislators and City Council Members, to alert them to the problem and asking for their help too in keeping new EPA certified wood burning equipment out of your community, even if a state-wide promotion allows them.  If we don’t stop this unthinkable promotion, there is little hope for a healthy legacy for our children and grandchildren. 36 Action #1- Suggested message for calling and emailing U.S. legislators and state legislators. Please also relay on to others and urge them to contact others. _________________________ Date: Dear (elected official): Please use your influence to disallow stimulus money to be used for EPA wood stove promotion in (your state and/or your community.) According to the EPA’s own website, wood smoke is a killer responsible for premature deaths nation-wide at a rate of 3% of the total deaths every year from fine particle pollution. (Harvard School of Public Health). That is close to 73,000 people in the U.S. each year--an epidemic! Wood smoke is extremely hazardous for children, the elderly and especially those with asthma. Asthma is already the number one reason for school absenteeism. It is even implicated in sudden infant death syndrome. Our states are looking for ways to limit fine particulate pollution and better air quality. This should be a “no-brainer.” Wood smoke emits over 9,600 % more lead than natural gas, according to the EPA’s own data. It also emits benzene, arsenic, mercury, formaldehyde, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and dioxins, persistent organic compounds that do not break down in the environment or in human lungs, crops, soil and water supply. See http://BurningIssues.org for the facts. Please do not allow stimulus money to be used for promoting more pollution. (Sign your name and contact info) _____________________________ 37 About the Editors: Shirley Brandie Ontario Director of Canadian Clean Air Alliance http://canadiancleanairalliance.ca Shirley is retired from a medical laboratory and currently doing in-depth research on the effects of wood smoke on health and the environment. Web site: http://WoodBurnerSmoke.net Julie Mellum Minneapolis Julie is a Realtor who knows that wood smoke devalues real estate as a “material fact” that can affect a potential buyer’s use and enjoyment of your property. She continually researches the latest science on wood smoke and is a member of the Edina, MN Community Health Committee. Web site: Take Back the Air If you would like to have your wood smoke story published, click here to email it. * We do not accept responsibility for errors in articles submitted for publication. It is the responsibility of the author to ensure the facts are, to the best of their knowledge, correct. ** ** Please note that articles submitted for publication may be edited for grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. Send an email to [email protected] to be added to the mailing list.