WASHINGTON COUNTY Wood burning and Air Quality Public Health - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Wood burning and Air Quality

Public Health Advisory Council | April 14th, 2015

Agenda

• Air Quality 101
• Particulate Matter 2.5
• PM 2.5 in Washington County
• Work to date
• Strategies moving forward
• Discussion

Carbon Monoxide - Lead - Nitrogen Dioxide - Ozone - Particulates - Sulfur Dioxide

CO2 Benzene Formaldehyde Nitric Acid Acrolein Trimethylbenzene Arsenic Acetaldehyde Aniline Beryllium Biphenyl Phthalates Cadmium Chlorine Chlorobenzene Chromium Cobalt Cyanide Dioxins Ethylbenzene Manganese Nickel PAHs Styrene Toluene

Particulate Matter 2.5

• Byproduct of combustion
• Acts as a vehicle for heavy

metals and other toxics

• Health effects include:

– premature death in people with heart or lung disease, – nonfatal heart attacks, – irregular heartbeat, – aggravated asthma, – decreased lung function, and – Upper respiratory symptoms

• 1 ton of PM2.5 = $360,000 in

morbidity and mortality

Air Quality Monitors

Hare Field Monitor Highland Park Middle

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 J F M A M J J A S O N D

AQI Month

2013 Hillsboro Air Quality Index

Based on PM2.5 AQI Count Good 281 Mod 71 UFSG 8 Unhealthy 1 Missing 4 Total 365 Unhealthy For Sensitive Groups Good Moderate Unhealthy

Seasonal Peaks

Daily Patterns

Wood Smoke Patterns

• Wood smoke is a major source of

Particulate matter 2.5 in Washington County

• Daily patterns point to residential

wood burning

• Annual levels are highest during cold-

snaps in the winter

Unique Factors

• Geography
• Differences in policies and regulations
• Varying levels of access
• Intel permitting process

Geography

Inversions and Stagnation

Differences in Policy

Source: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Burn Ban Boundary

Source: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Varying Access to Alternatives

Intel Permitting Process

• Facility expansion is triggering a permit renewal
• Intel seeking to double emissions of PM 2.5
• If the permit is approved, Intel’s contribution will be

less than 1% of community-wide contribution

2014-15 Winter Season

Accomplishments:

• Hired Senior Program Coordinator
• Developed air quality communications plan
• Daily air quality forecasting
• Collaborating with various stakeholders (city

governments, utility providers, hearth/stove retailers, existing programs in Oregon)

Essential Elements of a Successful Program

• Community education and outreach

– Burn less – Burn wise

• Woodstove replacements and upgrades
• Curtailing wood smoke

– Voluntary programs – Mandatory programs

Education and Outreach

• Critical to the successful implementation of

every strategy

• Air Quality Education and Outreach

Advisory Team

– Develop key messaging – Identify the best communication channels – Identify outreach opportunities

Wood Stove Replacement Program

• Description: Incentivizing the removal and/or

replacement of old and uncertified wood stoves

• Advantages: Supports families who rely on

wood heating

• Disadvantages: replacing wood stoves

alone is not sufficient to reduce levels, can be costly

Curtail Indoor Burning

Policy options:

– Voluntary

• Forecasting the air quality
• Alerting the community of poor air quality
• Asking the community to burn less during “yellow” and “red”

days

– Mandatory

• Forecasting the air quality
• Alerting the community of poor air quality
• Asking the community to burn less during “yellow” days
• Prohibit burning on “red” days (exceptions for low-income

and sole-source)

Curtail Outdoor Burning

• Often called “backyard burning”, refers to the burning of

some household waste and yard debris.

• Accounts for 8% of annual PM 2.5 emissions.
• Inconsistent regulations:
• Policy questions:

– Should we regulate the unincorporated areas? – Should the County enforce the state metro-area burn ban – Should incorporated cities follow King City?

Discussion Questions

• How do we best talk with the community about

this issue?

• What is your general impression of the essential

elements (education, policy and wood stove change outs)?

• How do we balance individual rights and

community health?

• What opportunities do you see to mobilize the

community?

• What concerns do you have?