Posted on 03/01/2008 10:27:38 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Mention air pollution, and what comes to mind? Factories. Oil refineries. Auto tailpipes.
Now Bay Area smog regulators are trying to crack down on another source that they say is just as significant, even if beloved: home fireplaces.
Citing growing medical research that soot causes more severe health problems than was previously realized, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is proposing a ban on all wood burning in fireplaces and wood stoves in the nine Bay Area counties during winter "Spare the Air" nights.
--snip--
If approved, fireplace police would enforce the rules, and neighbors would be encouraged to report neighbors.
"We understand a crackling fire is a long-held tradition of American family life," said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the air district, based in San Francisco.
"But traditions need to be changed when there is information showing that our health and our neighbors' health are impacted."
--snip--
Supporters compare wood smoke dangers to that of cigarette smoke, and note natural gas fires are much cleaner. Critics call the proposal bureaucracy run amok.
--snip--
Kathy Voss-Jensen and Joel Jensen favor the rules. Three years ago, the Redwood City couple got a new neighbor who burns wood nearly every winter day despite their requests to limit it.
"It's very noxious and irritating," she said. "We have to keep our windows closed tight for several hours a day. And we have to keep them closed all night."
Others say the proposal goes too far.
"I think this is a precursor to banning all wood burning. It is a camel's nose under the tent," said Steve Drenker, a Los Altos sales manager whose 1950s ranch home has a fireplace.
Drenker burns only dry oak, he said, and his fires do not smoke up the neighborhood.
(Excerpt) Read more at origin.mercurynews.com ...
There would, however be no exception for burning wood in pellet stoves, or modern, EPA-certified stoves and inserts.
“I have a big problem with it. You are going to tell somebody they paid $3,500 for an EPA-certified wood stove and they can’t use it?” said Kevin McAndrews, manager of the California Window & Fireplace Outlet in Campbell.
“fireplace police would enforce the rules, and neighbors would be encouraged to report neighbors.”
Environmental Brownshirt Stormtroopers patrolling the streets, and Liberal Secret Police/Stassi tactics...
You just KNEW it would eventually come to this..
First they came for the cigarette smokers, but I didn’t smoke so....
“It’s very noxious and irritating,” she said. “We have to keep our windows closed tight for several hours a day. And we have to keep them closed all night.”
I should hope so during the winter.
“There would, however be no exception for burning wood in pellet stoves, or modern, EPA-certified stoves and inserts.”
I think that’s funnier than h*ll!
Ah. Another reason to thank God for rescuing me from California, and bringing me to Georgia. :)
You’ll have to pry my 2 cords of winter firewood from my cold dead hands...
“bureaucracy run amok”
That which is not permitted is forbidden. Take a walk, they’ll tax your feet.....Keep socialists out of the country’s leadership!!!! STOP OBAMA ‘08
They can’t open their windows? Up here, where most of us burn wood, we cannot open the windows at all for months because it is below zero out there. We burn dry oak and there isn’t even any particulate visible on the mountains of snow on the roof or around the house. The wood smoke is identical in opacity to that from the propane furnaces.
When do people rebel? Food is very expensive. Gasoline is very expensive and home heating bills and electricity are already double or more what they were just a year ago. When you can’t afford to eat, heat or travel to work, what else is there to lose?
We could just ban paople, That would solve the problem. (Extreme sarcasm)
$3500? Um, no. Try $5k.
Loons.
All the leaves are brown.....and the sky is gray.....
” fireplace police would enforce the rules, and neighbors would be encouraged to report neighbors.”
The march towards our next revolution continues without pause or interruption.
We don’t have a fireplace in our house. However, some neighbors do, and they’re only a few acres over, so I can smell when they have a fire going.
It smells wonderful. I love it. I wish they’d burn more!
Memo to the Jensens:
In the WINTER, you are supposed to keep your doors and windows closed to keep the heat INSIDE your house.
Doing otherwise will waste precious resources you think are finite.
How many of these bay area residents think lighting up a doobie isn’t noxious?????
There are probably a lot of liberals willing to sue over this. If it’s good enough for the EPA - and wood is a renewable, local fuel at that - then it needs to be good enough for San Francisco.
“fireplace police would enforce the rules, and neighbors would be encouraged to report neighbors.”
You couldn’t make this stuff up. George Orwell’s vision of the future seems more prophetic every day.
When is No Flatulence Week?
Bay Area finally catching up? Been winter “no burn days” for years here in the Central Valley. Due in no small part (estimated at 25%) to pollution blowing in from the Bay Area on the prevailing winds.
http://www.valleyair.org/aqinfo/WoodBurnPage.htm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.