vision2020
Re: FW: FW: field burning
While my daughter was growing up, I spent many hours and thousands of dollars
(after insurance) on medical care for her asthma. We lost time at work, time
at school and I have no doubt her life was impacted permanently as a result of
oxygen deprivation during her formative years. Smoke, particularly from field
burning, was a notable trigger of her asthma episodes and played a role in one
particularly severe episode. Sarah's lung capacity was measured in the
emergency room at a zero capacity. The fear in her young face was indelibly
imprinted on my memory, as is the knowledge that she might well have died.
My intention here is not to be melodramatic, only to emphasize the severity of
smoke's impact. Children die of asthma episodes. Smoke triggers asthma
episodes. I don't have the data, only a very personal and very painful history.
I would very much like to see a ban on field burning.
Sincerely,
Jennifer J. Swanberg
Loreca Stauber wrote:
> Hello Visionaries: Mr. Roetman's (of DEQ, Lewiston, Idaho) response (e-mail
> below) to Ms. Sandmeyer's complaint about field burning and smoke may be of
> value to those who have concerns about the practice of field burning. I
> would hope as people openly talk about the subject, solutions can be found
> and effected that meet mutual interests of those who burn and those who
> share the same space where fields are being burned. I will continue to
> share the information as these come up the Board of Commissioners' way.
> Loreca J. Stauber
> -----Original Message-----
> From: RAYLAN ROETMAN [mailto:RROETMAN@DEQ.STATE.ID.US]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 8:44 AM
> To: tutti@idaho.tds.net
> Cc: EKOPCZYN@DEQ.STATE.ID.US; JBELLATT@DEQ.STATE.ID.US;
> lstauber@latah.id.us
> Subject: Re: FW: field burning
>
> Dear Ms. Sandmeyer,
>
> Your e-mail to the Latah County Commissioners has been forwarded to the
> Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Lewiston Regional Office.
> In response, I am formally writing up your complaint. In addition, I have
> passed your e-mail on to the DEQ State Office in Boise and to the Department
> of Agriculture.
>
> With your serious health condition, you may want to request an air purifier
> for use during the agricultural burning seasons. Please contact the
> American Red Cross of Greater Idaho at 1-800-853-2570 or 208-947-HELP to
> obtain information as to the availability of air purifiers for Latah County
> residents.
>
> Also, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold an informal public
> meeting
> to receive comment on the USDA's Agricultural Air Quality Task Force
> agricultural burning and voluntary measures recommendations. I encourage
> you to state your concerns there. The meeting is
> open to all and is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on September 27,
> 2000 at
> the Ramada Inn, 8909 Airport Road, Spokane,
> Washington. For more information or to obtain copies of the recommendations
> please call 919-541-3223. To obtain copies of the recommendations via the
> Internet use the following Internet address:
> http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/faca/aaqtf.html. Follow the link for the
> Recommendations.
>
> Please feel free to contact me directly regarding this or any other air
> quality issue at 877-541-3304 or at the addresses provided below.
>
> Ray Roetman
> Air Quality Science Officer
> IDEQ - Lewiston Regional Office
> 1118 'F' Street
> Lewiston, ID 83501
> (208) 799-4370
> Fax (208) 799-3451
> rroetman@deq.state.id.us
>
> >>> "Loreca Stauber" <lstauber@latah.id.us> 09/19 4:43 PM >>>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tutti [mailto:tutti@idaho.tds.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 3:22 PM
> To: lstauber@latah.id.us
> Subject: field burning
>
> Dear Ms. Stauber, I wish to register a formal complaint with your office in
> regard to field burning in Latah County and the surrounding area.
> Yesterday, Sept. 18, I was in Moscow attending school at the university and
> working until approximately 4 PM. As I left my office to return to my home
> in Kendrick, I was inundated with thick smoke which remained with me during
> my entire drive home. I immediately rolled up all of my windows and closed
> the car vent, but by the time I reached home, I was incapcitated with an
> acute asthma attack. I have three different types of inhalers as well as a
> breathing machine that delivers a very strong dose of medication directly
> into my lungs. With the help of my friends and neighbors, I was able to do
> back-to-back treatments and finally alleviate my distress by 9:00 that
> evening. This time I did not require hospitalization, but with the field
> burning season upon us, I don't know how many more attacks I can head off
> here at home. This is a critically important issue and I hope that the
> commission will address it before too many of us have to suffer the
> consequences by either becomming sick or worse, killed by this insane
> policy and total disregard for air quality. Thank you for your attention to
> this matter. Sincerely, Marilyn (Tutti) Sandmeyer, P.O. Box 7, Kendrick,
> Id 83537
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