While it’s the season to get ready for Santa to come down your chimney, it’s also time to think about what is going up your chimney.
Wood and coal burning restriction season in Utah started Nov. 1 and runs through March 1, according to Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality.
The DAQ issues action alerts with restrictions on wood and coal burning. The alerts also include recommendations for vehicle use and industry actions to reduce emissions.
The action alerts are based on particle pollution that builds up during inversions, according to the DAQ.
Action alerts are issued and enforced by the DAQ. However, the Tooele County Health Department works to educate the public on the effects of poor air quality on health, along with limits people should put on activity during times of poor air quality, according to Amy Bate, the health department’s public information officer.
“Poor air affects all of us and exposure to air pollution can have an impact on many different aspects of our health,” she said. “Affected systems include the respiratory, pulmonary, cardiovascular and reproductive systems.”
The three levels of action alerts issued by the DEQ include unrestricted action, voluntary action, and mandatory action.
During times of unrestricted action, represented on notices by an open circle, wood and coal burning stoves may be used.
When a voluntary action alert is issued, represented by an inverted triangle, people are asked to voluntarily refrain from using wood and coal burning stoves and fireplaces. Vehicle use should be reduced by consolidating trips and industry is asked to voluntarily optimize operating conditions to reduce emissions.
At times of a mandatory action alert, represented by the X symbol, the use of wood and coal burning stoves is prohibited. Vehicle use should be reduced by consolidating trips and industry is asked to voluntarily optimize operating conditions to reduce emissions.
When mandatory restrictions are in place for wood and coal burning stoves and fireplaces, a violation may result in penalties ranging up to $299 per day.
The restriction on wood and coal burning stoves applies to fireplaces, wood stoves and boilers used for burning wood, coal, or any other non-gaseous and non-liquid fuel, both indoors and outdoors, but excludes outdoor wood boilers that are regulated by other DEQ rules.
The DAQ relies primarily on the reporting of burn restrictions by the public for enforcement of mandatory restrictions.
Violations of burn restrictions may be reported to DAQ by calling 801-536-4000 during business hours or by filling out a form online at: https://deq.utah.gov/legacy/compliance/air-quality/stationary-source/complaint-form.htm
If wood or coal burning is a household’s sole source of heat, the household may be exempt from the burn restriction if the household is registered with the DAQ.
In Tooele County, the action alert burn restrictions only apply in the area from the northernmost part of the Oquirrh Mountain range to the northernmost part of the Stansbury Mountain range and north of state Route 199 in Rush Valley.
Separate from the action alerts, the DAQ’s air quality alert system also includes the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index.
The AQI divides air quality into six, color-coded categories and related suggestions for individuals with health concerns.
When the AQI indicates the air quality is “good,” air pollution poses little or no risk. No restrictions on activity based on air quality are suggested.
At the “moderate” air quality level, highly-sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
When the air quality is reported as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” people with lung disease, such as asthma, and children, older adults and people who are active outdoors should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
When air quality reaches the “unhealthy” level, people in the sensitive groups listed above should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and everyone else should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
At the “very unhealthy level” people in the sensitive groups listed above should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and everyone else should limit outdoor exertion.
Air quality at the “hazardous” level would trigger health warnings of emergency conditions with the entire population most likely to be affected.
The Tooele County Health Department includes an air quality report and the action alert level for Tooele County on its website at tooelehealth.org.
The air quality report can also be found at the DAQ website at air.utah.gov/.
A phone app, UtahAir, for both Android and iOS users, is also available at air.utah.gov/. App users will receive action alerts and three-day forecasts to help plan the best times to exercise outdoors, or when to make consolidated trip for errands based on current conditions.
“It’s important to know what the Air Quality Index (AQI) is and to plan accordingly,” Bate said.