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Report: Close feed Smog dogs future of pristine valley
County eyes new rules for fireplaces, saying air pollution will worsen as population grows.

By Samantha Worthington

Though the county has made great strides improving air quality, building officials proposed Monday to make wood-burning regulations stricter by requiring fireplaces to be Environmental Protection Agency-approved.

Today there is no limit on, or specifications for, wood-burning fireplaces in single-family homes. But the county could require gas fireplaces or chimney inserts in wood-burning ones to decrease air pollutants. Another option being eyed would limit the number of conventional fireplaces allowed. Wood-burning fireplaces are prohibited in commercial buildings.

County officials will decide in coming weeks how to approach the issue of curtailing pollution in a narrow valley prone to inversions. During high-pressure periods, cold air sinks to the valley floor, trapping contaminants.

More serious pollution problems existed in the 1980s before the county encouraged more efficient wood-burning methods. But the amber hue that occasionally hangs over Jackson Hole and the burning restrictions that accompany it could increase with growth. Under the current county development plan, the population could grow to about 40,000 people, more than double the 18,000 of the 2000 Census. As population grows, air quality could worsen.

"We are concerned that with growth and with the current regulations the air quality will decline," said Lori Fussell, an environmental engineer and Teton Air Quality Council member. "It's easy to see that with population growth."

Though Fussell said Teton County does not currently have an air quality problem, past problems occurred, and the county is concerned about maintaining clean air. "We're very fortunate our problem is of preservation right now rather than fixing a problem," she said.

This can be partly attributed to the county's proactive stance on air pollution said Brenda Ashworth, another council member and Teton County Environmental Health administrative assistant.

"The general trend is that we do have haze and we do have smoke," Ashworth said.

Despite the county's rapid growth, data shows that air quality has improved through the 1990s. In cooperation with the EPA, the county regularly analyzes air quality and has collected air samples for about 20 years. Air monitors on the county administration building's roof draw air through filters that are regularly analyzed.

Officials tested for "particulate matter 10" or PM 10, which means relatively large particles or pollution less than 10 microns in size. However, the county also now measures smaller particles, known as PM 2.5 particles, 2.5 microns in size. They are shown to cause more health problems, such as cancer, asthma and bronchitis.

The EPA considers PM 2.5 counts higher than 50 micrograms per cubic meter and PM 10 counts higher than 150 mg/cm a problem, said Michael Dart, the Teton County environmental health specialist.

The county keeps track of what are called the monthly 24 hour maximum and the monthly mean. These measurements are important for different reasons, Dart said. A spike in the 24-hour maximum measurements can indicate an acute hazard for people who have asthma, whereas the mean offers an understanding of long-term trends.

In 2003 Jackson's 24-hour maximum PM 2.5 count was 23.7 mg/cm, which occurred in December. The highest PM 10 count of 2003 was 67 mg/cm, also in December.

The highest recorded PM 10 count since 1982 occurred during the Yellowstone fires in 1988, when it spiked to 337.

The majority of single-family homes in the county use wood for some form of heat, according to the county's comprehensive plan, and wood stoves significantly contribute to pollution. A 1998 baseline study concluded wood burning caused from 64 to 73 percent of the PM 2.5 particulates.

Currently, two programs encourage citizens to use EPA-approved wood stoves. In the early 1990s the town and county enacted a rebate program that paid residents $400 to upgrade their stoves. "The stove rebate program has been a huge success," Ashworth said.

A grant program also gives $10,000 a year ­ $1,000 per household ­ to lower-income families to buy an EPA-compliant stove.

Wood stoves once caused a large amount of the pollution in the valley because the county did not regulate them. But wood can be a clean source of energy with the proper type of stove, correct burning or use of wood pellets.

"Any [new] stove in Teton County has to meet the EPA's definition, and it has helped a whole lot," said Dart. "East Jackson used to be a smoke ball." In the 1980s, wood stoves' popularity and their lack of standards significantly contributed to air pollution in the winter, he said.

Officials anticipate future problems if regulations aren't changed. Fussell said the air quality council members are looking at new regulations. Because fireplaces are not regulated by the EPA, yet remain popular, they may be targeted.

"We may require that all devices installed in houses be EPA-approved," Fussell said. "There are inserts to be used in conjunction with fireplaces."

Officials have only begun to investigate the issue.

"We're not sure where we're going," Fussell said. "We may limit the number of fireplaces in a house." Homeowners may no longer be able to have 12 open fireplaces, she said.

The Teton County Air Quality Council, comprised of concerned citizens and county officials, has made an effort to educate the public and focuses predominantly on open (brush-pile burning) and wood burning.

Currently, the county forecasts a burning index in an effort to improve air quality. The daily "burn" or "no burn" forecast informs citizens whether it is advisable to burn.

"Please heed the burning forecast, and remember it is your responsibility to find out if it is O.K. to burn today," the county Web page states. The Web address is www.mountainweather.com/BURN_FORECAST.htm and is listed on the weather page of the Jackson Hole Daily.

In conjunction with the forecast, the council mailed out an educational brochure to teach citizens how to properly operate and care for a wood burning stove.

Burning, however, is not the only factor that diminishes air quality. Automobiles may eclipse other factors related to pollution, according to a contested study. A few years ago a study revealed that automobiles caused most of the pollution in Teton County.

"A survey was done about six years ago and a lion's share, the highest percentage of pollution, came from activities related to vehicles ­ the road dust and vehicle emissions," said Sandy Shuptrine, former county commissioner.

But Fussell analyzed the data and said she couldn't rule out that wood stoves contributed more. The 1998 study concluded that automobile emissions only contributed 28 percent of the PM 2.5 particles.

"There was a lack of data during strong inversions because the equipment was too cold to function," Fussell said.

Despite the view that the study was inconclusive, automobiles will diminish air quality as Teton County grows. One of the county's goals, according to the comprehensive plan, is to reduce traffic by encouraging alternative transportation, such as bicycling, walking and mass transit. The START bus system is a tangible step.

"We're trying to get a broad picture of what affects air quality and figure out what we can control and what we can't," Ashworth said. "Keeping it good is the concern of the county."

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