Freedom of Air - Public Awareness of Outdoor Wood Boilers

You may or may not have noticed lately, but there has been an abundance of stories in Alaska in the news section this site regarding "OWBs" and wood smoke pollution.

Alaska Fairbanks Borough has been mandated by the U.S. EPA to clean up its PM 2.5 levels by a certain date because they have some of the poorest air quality in all of the U.S. To follow this you can read the stories in the "news section" for more background.

The point we wanted to make was this:

It is apparent Outwood Boilers are part of the major source of PM 2.5 in this borough in Alaska. In this part of the country OWBs have been unregulated for many years and now they are playing "catch up" in trying to curb their pollution problems with OWBs.

The mayor of Fairbanks is being admirable in this as being quoted in many articles stating he is for regulation of OWBs and other burning devices.

Fairbanks is an example of sitting dormant for many years, doing nothing, and now they are paying the consequences of smoke pollution. 

Can we learn from our city in Alaska? Even Alaska is being forced to resolve their OWB influx. This is the part of the country where OWBs could easily be used on a year round basis.

If OWBs continue to be unregulated in other states how many years will it be before we are FORCED to do something about this in other states?

Curb the problem now and save our lungs the hassle.

Below is a picture taken at a Fairbanks Council Meeting. Notice what the small sign says:

Photo Courtesy of: Fairbanks Daily New-Miner 2010