I am writing for several folks who are looking to breath free. We live in Candler NC, 28715. We have a couple who live in our little valley and they burn all the time. They have burned three times this week since Monday and three times last week. They would have burned more, but it rained. The people I am writing for are older people who live in a mobile home park, who have all kinds of health problems. They range from COPD, breathing problems to cancer survivors. Just like me they want to breath free. We have not been able to get any of the local agencies to help us. We have been told they are within their rights. So where are our rights?
That is what we want to know. We have all tired to talk to these people about burning less, but they will not hear of it. They could move the burning onto the main part of their land which is near their home, but they will not do that either. They don't want smoke in their home, but it is okay for us. Our central heating and cooling units bring in the smoke when we have our windows closed. When it is nice, like it had been, we like to open our windows and we get a home full of smoke from them. They have threaten us to stop calling on them and they have told one lady that she must have done something to deserve not being able to breath. They feel they have all the rights. I wonder if you can tell us where to go to get help. I am going to look on the internet under rights and see what I can find. We are sick of these people and all the abuse we have to take from them. We should have rights too.
Thank you for listening.
Vicki Myers
Dear Vicki,
You ask an excellent question: Why do wood-burning neighbors have the right to pollute your air but you have no rights to breathe clean air?
I spoke to Kevin Lance, the burning inspector for West North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency and Tom Mather, the public information officer at North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The state says neighbors can burn leaves and yard brush on burn days, and it's against the law to burn man-made products. BUT if burning becomes a nuisance, you can get a note from your doctor and the state air quality agency can levy a fine if those who burn and cause a nuisance refuse to stop. If after a warning, the neighbors still don't comply they can be fined up to thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, from what I understand, your district is under the jurisdiction of West N. Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency and Kevin Lance. I say "unfortunately" because when I spoke to Kevin he said that a "nuisance" is hard to enforce. He said he's personally been out to your area one time and he "never deemed it as a nuisance."
Now we all know you can't judge air quality from one visit or one hour.
Air quality changes as quickly as the wind blows but it doesn't mean your location wasn't affected.
If many people are complaining of fine particulates and corresponding health problems, I trust there is a problem that must be addressed.
If it were me, I'd take photos of the smoke, get a note from my doctor, and visit Kevin so he can put a personal face and story to the calls and letters he's received thus far.
That said, I'm sorry you and your neighbors suffer physically, emotionally, and spiritually from insensitive neighbors.
The ash of fine particulates showering into your homes, seems symptomatic of a darker cultural problem of self-centered humans unwilling to exercise compassion.
How maddening to use your precious energy, "fighting" insensitivity, which, seems prevalent in our It's-All-About-Me culture--just in order to breathe.
I came up with a few ways you might deal with your neighbors' smoke, which you may have already explored:
1. Speak up (in person with authorities), and have others speak up for you. I wonder if these burning neighbors go to Church or have some sort of spiritual leaning, in which case, if you went to their pastor or ? to suggest teaching compassion and compromise.
2. Buy air purifiers. I realize this is an expense and it may not do the trick if it's a lot of smoke but another reader here, bought two air purifiers to deal with her thoughtless neighbors' wood-burning and she found some relief.
3. Move and or relocate on burn days. I realize this may not be possible, and it doesn't guarantee that you move to an area with a thoughtless new neighbor. If you do move, keep in mind particulates can get stuck in a Valley and winds tend to blow east.
4. Work with your clean air agency to create new laws to allow wood-burning only at certain times so that you can be forewarned. Though it sounds like you've explored this option to no avail.
Here are three organizations that may also have ideas for you to explore, it includes a link to an Oregon clean air agency that apparently deals effectively with wood smoke.
Lane Regional Air Quality AQMD
I'm sorry I can't wave a magic wand and transform your neighbors into compassionate souls eager to find a way to ease your suffering by finding a solution to their burning needs, which doesn't negatively impact your lungs.
If I had such a wand, this would be a loving, peaceful world powered by the sun with clean air for all.
For whatever comfort it may be, I have listened to you, heard you, and you're not alone.
I wish you better breathing soon.
Best wishes,
Donna
If you found value in this Ask Donna column, you may enjoy my response to a woman suffering from her neighbor's sage and incense burning here.
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