The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) seeks your help in protecting public health during the cold days of this Holiday Season.
This week, weather forecasts call for a continuation of the cold, foggy conditions that settled over much of our region after Thanksgiving. Under these conditions, smoke and other air pollutants don’t dissipate efficiently. As a result, some areas may see elevated levels of air pollution.
To reduce the threat of increased air quality problems, ORCAA suggests that residents reduce activities that contribute to air pollution. Here are some other things people can do to help protect the air we breathe:
- Always use your woodstove or fireplace properly to ensure the cleanest burning possible. Remember that excess smoke is always illegal. To learn more about clean-burning techniques and to find a current list of certified woodstoves and fireplaces, visit ORCAA’s webpage, Indoor Wood Heating.
- Consider upgrading your wood stove or fireplace insert to a cleaner burning device, or even an energy-efficient heat pump system. ORCAA offers financial incentives through its Wood Smoke Reduction Program to make the switch to cleaner, more efficient means of home heating.
- Delay burning yard waste until weather conditions allow better air quality. Or compost that yard waste instead of burning it. Composting does not affect air quality and provides you with a rich source of organic fertilizer for your yard and garden next spring.
- Limit your driving as much as possible, since vehicles are a big source of air pollution year-round.
- Check ORCAA’s site for Current Air Quality and County Burning Restrictions.
To learn about the health effects of air pollution, check out the Clean Air Outdoors | American Lung Association
