Posted on 12/28/2009 3:15:11 PM PST by SmithL
Another holiday. Another sweep of smoke scofflaws.
Bay Area air pollution inspectors found 47 homes where wood fires were on Christmas Day during a Spare the Air alert when cold, unhealthy air was forecast.
The tally was more than double the 22 violators detected on Thanksgiving Day when the Bay Area Air Quality Management District also called a Spare the Air alert.
Violators get written warnings for a first offense and $400 fines for a second offense.
While critics have bashed the air district for intruding on a holiday burning tradition, a spokesman for the agency on Monday defended the Christmas crackdown as protecting public health from soot that can trigger asthma attacks, and aggravate other respiratory and heart problems.
"We know a lot of people like to burn on this holiday, but it's our duty to protect public health," said Ralph Borrmann, an air district spokesman.
Ten air district inspectors patrolled the Bay Area on Christmas to watch for and sniff out burn violators.
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
>”Perhaps that is why I left California 15 years ago”
Ahhh, one of the very few SMART ones. I had anticipated many Kali’s attacking me cause even though they are conservative, “Its Not Their Fault”.
Only those, with TRUE cajones, would have recognized the enemy and left.
Sir/Ma’am, my hat is tipped to you in your general direction.
There's a WIDE DIVIDE between regulating when someone can engage in open burns, and forbidding someone from using their own personal in-home fireplace. A WIDE DIVIDE.
Someone need to tell you boys back in Ohio about the frog in the pot deal.
Just wait until they tie in with a real time data stream from an infrared satellite. The CDF has one for fire detection. What do you bet the fine money will go to cover the setup costs?
They've got to have SOME way to force you to use natural gas so that they can make more money on carbon credits. ;-)
Remember what I tol ya up thread about incrementalism?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OHIO
Council to vote on smoking ban next week
November 25, 2009 4:11:00 PM
After a dozen residents spoke Tuesday during a public hearing on a proposed smoking ban, the Columbus City Council is expected to vote on a ban Dec. 1.
A number of states I’m sure have plenty of open-burning regulations, mostly to prevent idiots from burning the place up. Here in SC burn bans are generally (dry)weather related.
Open burning is not the same as burning wood in a fireplace.
Was that the end of it?
I don't think so, I think it's just the thin edge of the wedge. Incrementalism. Little by little you reach a state of tyranny and say "How did we get here?"
Read the bottom...It show OEPA, not the local fire department.
Smoke waivers from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) are required for most prescribed fires and open burns.
I have an envelope at the ready with a penny in it for earthquake relief when the Big One comes. I really don’t think flyover country will miss the place.
How much public money was spent to pay these ten fanatics to work on Christmas Day, patrolling for woodsmoke??
And the same crew was out on Thanksgiving Day too??
Proof positive that if you shake the US hard enough all of the fruits an nuts roll into Kally-Fornea. And you people who continue to live there and put up with this fascism deserve whatever you get.
JR and Free Republic are based in California. I’d miss them.
Not familiar with the area, but what about people that may rely on wood-burning stoves to heat their homes?
Someone needs to start rolling burning tires into the offices of the Bay Area Air Quality Management board.
were do you live?
Excellent point, ES.
What a NEAT place to live!
Who do you think you are, Nelson Mandela?
I wish I had a fireplace, so I could organize a "Freedom Burn" in the future. Let's see how they handle seeing every fireplace going...
It is still very much true. The same "just following orders" defense by the welfare leeches by another name.
"The only thing necessary for evil government to exist, is an endless supply of evil administrators."
And uniformly ignorant, to boot.
California has banned any new wood burning stoves and fireplaces for about a year now. I have a brother in CA that just got under the wire with his pellet stove. This is out in the Mojave Desert, no less.
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