Seyed Sadredin: Wood smoke can make Valley air dangerous to breathe

The Valley Air District’s mission is to improve the health and quality of life for all Valley residents through efficient, effective and entrepreneurial air quality management strategies.

We do this through regulations designed to protect public health, through public education to empower Valley residents, and through incentive programs that help residents, businesses and public agencies replace existing equipment and vehicles with something cleaner.

It’s vital that all residents understand air quality issues in the Valley, as air pollution affects all of us. Everyone’s cooperation is necessary to reach the tough air quality standards established by the federal EPA and the Valley’s clean-air goals.

The Valley Air District’s Check Before You Burn residential wood-burning rule was established to minimize the build-up of dangerous fine particulates called PM2.5 – often the kind emanating from wood smoke – in the air. This rule specifically improves air quality during winter months.

Wood smoke is a serious wintertime health threat. It increases the risk of lung disease, respiratory illness, heart attacks and stroke. Residential wood burning can contribute up to two-thirds of total winter-time PM2.5 emissions. Reducing emissions from wood smoke is crucial.

Look in The Bee or the district’s online site for the Check Before You Burn daily rating. Starting on Nov. 1 each year and going through February, Check Before Your Burn includes three possible curtailment levels.

▪ “No Restrictions, Burning Discouraged” means air quality is good and anyone can use their wood-burning device.

▪ “No Burning Unless Registered” means only individuals with a clean-burning wood insert or stove, who have registered that device with the Valley Air District, are allowed to burn.

▪ “No Burning For All” means air quality is very poor and use of all residential wood-burning devices is prohibited.

To complement the residential wood-burning rule, the Valley Air District’s Burn Cleaner grant program helps residents change from using open-hearth fireplaces or older wood-burning devices to clean-burning stoves and inserts. The District’s Burn Cleaner incentive program offers residents up to $1,000 off the cost of upgrading to an EPA-certified wood-burning stove or insert, pellet stove or insert, or a natural-gas stove or insert.

Low-income residents will be eligible for up to $2,500 off the cost of these appliances. In addition, Valley residents who choose to install a natural gas device can receive an additional $500. For a low-income resident, that’s a total of $3,000, which can typically cover the total expense of purchasing and installing such devices.

Registration information, grant program guidelines, Burn Cleaner application and a list of participating retailers is available on the Valley Air District’s website at valleyair.org/rule4901.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Seyed Sadredin: Wood smoke can make Valley air dangerous to breathe."