Wood smoke returns. The cooler temperature likely encouraged some recreational fireplace use. Fireplaces or bonfires, the air is smoky just about every evening in this town.
7:00 PM: No wood smoke yet this evening. 60 degrees.
8:00 PM: No wood smoke.
At this time I left the city. On my way back, the air was smoky on Lydia in Maplewood near Helen St. I encountered a few pockets of very smoky air in North St. Paul. I literally could not breathe at one point and had to hurry out of the area because the air was so smoky. I was in many smoky bars in my younger years and none of them were as smoky as the air I encountered this evening.
Does it not seem strange that smoking cigarettes is illegal in bars and restaurants but somebody can smoke up an entire neighborhood with a bonfire or a fireplace and that is perfectly acceptable? We can choose whether or not we want to go to a smoky restaurant. We cannot choose whether we want smoky air in our own yards or homes.
9:20 PM: Very faint wood smoke where we live. It is not as bad here as it is elsewhere around North St. Paul.
10:15 PM: Faint to light wood smoke varying with the breeze. 52 degrees.
11:30 PM: Light wood smoke at this time. It got smokier. Lucky us. Last check of the evening.
Recreational Fires Must Be Eliminated
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WELCOME TO HELL ON EARTH
The air is smoky from burning wood in North St. Paul, MN, almost every evening. It is a nightmare. What used to be a nice place to live has become a living hell.
WARNING: If you buy a house in North St. Paul, MN, you will regret it! It may be the biggest, most expensive mistake you ever make. You will breathe smoky air almost every day of your life in this town. This is not an exaggeration. The wood smoke in this town gets heavy and gets heavy often. When you want to get out of this dump of a town, how many people do you think are going to want to buy a house in a city where heavy air pollution every night is normal and clean air is rare? This blog gets thousands of visitors every year. The word is out: North St. Paul is a horrible place to live!
Fresh air is very rare around here. If you are considering moving to North St. Paul or buying a home here, I strongly recommend that you do not do it no matter how good of a price you get. The only way you will be happy in this town is if you love breathing smoky air almost every day. North St. Paul, MN, is a horrible place to live because of the smoky air!
Burning wood, grass, leaves, paper, cardboard, and sometimes plastic, construction materials, and chemicals, if it is combustible it gets burned in North St. Paul and you are going to breathe it.
The air was smoky 25 out of 31 evenings in July 2009. We had 37 hours of continuous wood smoke in the air Aug. 29th - 31st. There was wood smoke in the air 19 consecutive evenings from Aug. 21st to Sept. 8th. It rained heavily on Aug. 20th, providing the only relief we got from wood smoke for almost three weeks.
Is this a good way to live? No. It is a horrible way to live. Take it from someone who knows. Breathing smoky, polluted air every day is misery.
Every day in this city several people are having recreational fires. Every evening the air is filled with the stench of burning wood. I am one person sick and tired of breathing smoky air every day. Is it too much to ask to be able to breathe fresh air in your own home?
Who is responsible for this wood smoke nightmare? The four city council members are responsible. Council members Jan Walczak, Bob Bruton, Terry Furlong, and Dave Zick have refused to do anything about this wood smoke problem. They don't care if you have a child with asthma. They don't care if you have to live like a shut-in because the air is so polluted. They don't care if your sinuses burn because the wood smoke is so heavy.
Our four Council members have defended the rights of a small percentage of households to burn wood daily over the rights of all the rest of us to breathe.
You have no right to breathe under Walczak, Bruton, Furlong, and Zick. Burners have the right to burn wood 49 hours a week recreationally. The rest of us have no rights at all.
If you are considering purchasing real estate in the city of North Saint Paul, Minnesota (55109), factor this blog carefully into your decision. Buying a home in this city means that your kids will breathe smoky air while playing in the yard almost every day. Your baby will breathe smoky air in her crib should you leave the windows open around your house. If you leave your windows open you will wake up in the middle of the night choking on smoky air.
Perhaps worst of all, your utility rates will be high because you will have to run the air conditioner instead of leaving the windows open on a cool summer evening. You have no other choice because almost every night the air is too smoky to breathe in this city. Consider this blog your warning.
North St. Paul, Minnesota, is a wonderful community other than the wood smoke. If we could restore fresh air like we used to enjoy, life would be happy again. But that is not going to happen any time soon.
Tell others about this blog!
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The air is smoky from burning wood in North St. Paul, MN, almost every evening. It is a nightmare. What used to be a nice place to live has become a living hell.
WARNING: If you buy a house in North St. Paul, MN, you will regret it! It may be the biggest, most expensive mistake you ever make. You will breathe smoky air almost every day of your life in this town. This is not an exaggeration. The wood smoke in this town gets heavy and gets heavy often. When you want to get out of this dump of a town, how many people do you think are going to want to buy a house in a city where heavy air pollution every night is normal and clean air is rare? This blog gets thousands of visitors every year. The word is out: North St. Paul is a horrible place to live!
Fresh air is very rare around here. If you are considering moving to North St. Paul or buying a home here, I strongly recommend that you do not do it no matter how good of a price you get. The only way you will be happy in this town is if you love breathing smoky air almost every day. North St. Paul, MN, is a horrible place to live because of the smoky air!
Burning wood, grass, leaves, paper, cardboard, and sometimes plastic, construction materials, and chemicals, if it is combustible it gets burned in North St. Paul and you are going to breathe it.
The air was smoky 25 out of 31 evenings in July 2009. We had 37 hours of continuous wood smoke in the air Aug. 29th - 31st. There was wood smoke in the air 19 consecutive evenings from Aug. 21st to Sept. 8th. It rained heavily on Aug. 20th, providing the only relief we got from wood smoke for almost three weeks.
Is this a good way to live? No. It is a horrible way to live. Take it from someone who knows. Breathing smoky, polluted air every day is misery.
Every day in this city several people are having recreational fires. Every evening the air is filled with the stench of burning wood. I am one person sick and tired of breathing smoky air every day. Is it too much to ask to be able to breathe fresh air in your own home?
Who is responsible for this wood smoke nightmare? The four city council members are responsible. Council members Jan Walczak, Bob Bruton, Terry Furlong, and Dave Zick have refused to do anything about this wood smoke problem. They don't care if you have a child with asthma. They don't care if you have to live like a shut-in because the air is so polluted. They don't care if your sinuses burn because the wood smoke is so heavy.
Our four Council members have defended the rights of a small percentage of households to burn wood daily over the rights of all the rest of us to breathe.
You have no right to breathe under Walczak, Bruton, Furlong, and Zick. Burners have the right to burn wood 49 hours a week recreationally. The rest of us have no rights at all.
If you are considering purchasing real estate in the city of North Saint Paul, Minnesota (55109), factor this blog carefully into your decision. Buying a home in this city means that your kids will breathe smoky air while playing in the yard almost every day. Your baby will breathe smoky air in her crib should you leave the windows open around your house. If you leave your windows open you will wake up in the middle of the night choking on smoky air.
Perhaps worst of all, your utility rates will be high because you will have to run the air conditioner instead of leaving the windows open on a cool summer evening. You have no other choice because almost every night the air is too smoky to breathe in this city. Consider this blog your warning.
North St. Paul, Minnesota, is a wonderful community other than the wood smoke. If we could restore fresh air like we used to enjoy, life would be happy again. But that is not going to happen any time soon.
Tell others about this blog!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Thursday 04/15/2010 Air Pollution
4:35 PM: No wood smoke. 71 degrees, sunny.
7:00 PM: No wood smoke.
8:00 PM: No wood smoke.
9:00 PM: A very faint trace of wood smoke is blowing in on the wind. The smoke is barely noticeable and intermittent. When the wind blows right I can smell a little of it. If there is one thing you will know in this city it is the smell of wood smoke. You will smell it almost every day here.
10:00 PM: A very faint trace of wood smoke continues if the breeze is right.
Midnight: No smoke of any kind in the air.
There was not much wood smoke this evening. It was not a smoke-free evening. But we will take it over how polluted the air usually is in North St. Paul.
7:00 PM: No wood smoke.
8:00 PM: No wood smoke.
9:00 PM: A very faint trace of wood smoke is blowing in on the wind. The smoke is barely noticeable and intermittent. When the wind blows right I can smell a little of it. If there is one thing you will know in this city it is the smell of wood smoke. You will smell it almost every day here.
10:00 PM: A very faint trace of wood smoke continues if the breeze is right.
Midnight: No smoke of any kind in the air.
There was not much wood smoke this evening. It was not a smoke-free evening. But we will take it over how polluted the air usually is in North St. Paul.
Wednesday 04/14/2010 Air Pollution
There was no wood smoke where we live this evening. This is the second evening in a row without wood smoke! It rained during the late morning or early afternoon. The driveway was still a little wet at 7 PM. 69 degrees at 6:30 PM.
Tuesday 04/13/2010 Air Pollution
There was no wood smoke where we live this evening. Others were not so lucky. 68 degrees at 4:45 PM. It was nice evening to be outside for us.
I was out a little after 8 PM. I first encountered a faint trace of wood smoke at Helen St. & Indian Way. The breeze was blowing to the northwest this evening. I expected to find the wood smoke back in the Poplar-Swan horseshoe. It was faintly smoky in that area. My nose was getting irritated and tingly. The source was not back there. I lost the wood smoke on the west side of Silver Lake. I picked it up again by the dock. The wood smoke was strongest in front of a house on the east side of Reardon, 2nd or 3rd in from the corner of 19th. There was light wood smoke in front of the residence. I saw some chairs in the backyard. I did not see a fire. I cannot pinpoint it to any house. It was nearby.
The distance from where I first smelled the wood smoke to where I tracked it is close to 1/2 mile. A lot of people do not understand that wood smoke can travel far from where it is produced. Wood smoke does not stay confined to the property of the burner. It blows out of the burner's yard and into the lungs of everyone around him, even people a half-mile away.
I was out a little after 8 PM. I first encountered a faint trace of wood smoke at Helen St. & Indian Way. The breeze was blowing to the northwest this evening. I expected to find the wood smoke back in the Poplar-Swan horseshoe. It was faintly smoky in that area. My nose was getting irritated and tingly. The source was not back there. I lost the wood smoke on the west side of Silver Lake. I picked it up again by the dock. The wood smoke was strongest in front of a house on the east side of Reardon, 2nd or 3rd in from the corner of 19th. There was light wood smoke in front of the residence. I saw some chairs in the backyard. I did not see a fire. I cannot pinpoint it to any house. It was nearby.
The distance from where I first smelled the wood smoke to where I tracked it is close to 1/2 mile. A lot of people do not understand that wood smoke can travel far from where it is produced. Wood smoke does not stay confined to the property of the burner. It blows out of the burner's yard and into the lungs of everyone around him, even people a half-mile away.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday 04/12/2010 Air Pollution
A smoky Monday morning.
5:00 AM: Light to moderate wood smoke fills the air. The air stinks. 51 degrees.
4:30 PM: No wood smoke. Sunny, 66 degrees.
7:00 PM: A very faint smokiness is in the air that has a sweet smell to it. It smells a little like wood smoke but I cannot be certain. I just noticed it now. It could have been heavier earlier. The windows around the house were closed, for obvious reasons.
8:00 PM: No smoke.
8:45 PM: No smoke.
11:00 PM: No smoke. Last check of the evening.
This will count as an evening without wood smoke.
5:00 AM: Light to moderate wood smoke fills the air. The air stinks. 51 degrees.
4:30 PM: No wood smoke. Sunny, 66 degrees.
7:00 PM: A very faint smokiness is in the air that has a sweet smell to it. It smells a little like wood smoke but I cannot be certain. I just noticed it now. It could have been heavier earlier. The windows around the house were closed, for obvious reasons.
8:00 PM: No smoke.
8:45 PM: No smoke.
11:00 PM: No smoke. Last check of the evening.
This will count as an evening without wood smoke.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday 04/11/2010 Air Pollution
The wood smoke from yesterday evening continues into the early morning hours.
3:45 AM: Light wood smoke continues.
5:30 AM: Faint wood smoke can be detected in the air. That is 11 hours of continuous wood smoke in the air.
7:30 AM: The air is mostly clear. Thank God!
3:45 PM: Grass smoke and possibly wood smoke. Somebody is disposing of yard waste. I think I know who the culprit is.
5:05 PM: Light grass and wood smoke. Somebody is burning grass and wood. I went out and checked the usual suspect. Smoke was rising from his backyard. 69 degrees and sunny.
5:45 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. Same person as before.
6:30 PM: No smoke.
8:45 PM: No smoke.
There was no wood smoke up until 10 PM. The air was smoky at 5 AM the next morning. If the air is smoky that early when it is this warm, it had to have been smoky all night.
3:45 AM: Light wood smoke continues.
5:30 AM: Faint wood smoke can be detected in the air. That is 11 hours of continuous wood smoke in the air.
7:30 AM: The air is mostly clear. Thank God!
3:45 PM: Grass smoke and possibly wood smoke. Somebody is disposing of yard waste. I think I know who the culprit is.
5:05 PM: Light grass and wood smoke. Somebody is burning grass and wood. I went out and checked the usual suspect. Smoke was rising from his backyard. 69 degrees and sunny.
5:45 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. Same person as before.
6:30 PM: No smoke.
8:45 PM: No smoke.
There was no wood smoke up until 10 PM. The air was smoky at 5 AM the next morning. If the air is smoky that early when it is this warm, it had to have been smoky all night.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday 04/10/2010 Air Pollution
Have we died and gone to hell or are we still living in North St. Paul? You cannot tell the difference tonight!
It is a smoky evening of epic proportions. Not just a smoky evening, but an evening with smoke that stinks so badly I suspect that something else is being burned along with the wood.
2:30 AM: No wood smoke at this time but a very faint burnt wood smell is in the air. Other than the slight burnt wood smell the air is clear. Burnt wood odor in the morning usually means somebody had a bonfire.
7:00 AM: Fresh air!
Noon: No smoke of any kind yet.
3:15 PM: Faint grass smoke. Somebody is burning grass. Wood, grass, leaves, whatever people can get their hands on they burn in this nightmare of a town.
4:00 PM: Air is clear. Enjoy it while it lasts because it will not last long.
6:45 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. I do not see anyone near us burning. I suspect it is the same person who was burning at this time last week. That pyromaniac burns at least five days a week in the summer. He's not the only one who burns. There are several. There are three or four wood burners on every block. That is why the air is smoky every evening in this town. 64 degrees. An otherwise nice spring evening is shot to hell because of wood smoke pollution.
7:30 PM: Moderate wood smoke. Smoky as hell outside! We have the worst city council ever. The wood smoke is intense and there is something in it that stings your nose. This is not normal wood smoke.
I suspect the burner is burning wood to hide the disposal of waste. I do not know who it is. I went out and looked at the usual suspect's property and could not see any smoke rising. Wood smoke permeates the entire area and there is not much of a breeze so I can not pinpoint it to one property.
8:30 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. At least the toxic air pollution decreased in intensity.
9:00 PM: Moderate wood smoke. It is smoky as hell!
10:30 PM: Strong wood smoke. This smoke is so heavy you cannot stand it!
11:30 PM: Strong wood smoke continues. Last check of the evening.
The air was smoky at 3:45 AM and faintly smoky at 5:30 AM the next morning. That makes 11 hours of wood smoke this night.
Does North St. Paul, Minnesota, sound like a good place to live to you? You can thank city council members Jan Walczak and Bob Bruton for the smoky air. Both of them support wood burning and smoky air. Walczak and Bruton don't care about the elderly, the babies with developing lungs, or you.
It is a smoky evening of epic proportions. Not just a smoky evening, but an evening with smoke that stinks so badly I suspect that something else is being burned along with the wood.
2:30 AM: No wood smoke at this time but a very faint burnt wood smell is in the air. Other than the slight burnt wood smell the air is clear. Burnt wood odor in the morning usually means somebody had a bonfire.
7:00 AM: Fresh air!
Noon: No smoke of any kind yet.
3:15 PM: Faint grass smoke. Somebody is burning grass. Wood, grass, leaves, whatever people can get their hands on they burn in this nightmare of a town.
4:00 PM: Air is clear. Enjoy it while it lasts because it will not last long.
6:45 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. I do not see anyone near us burning. I suspect it is the same person who was burning at this time last week. That pyromaniac burns at least five days a week in the summer. He's not the only one who burns. There are several. There are three or four wood burners on every block. That is why the air is smoky every evening in this town. 64 degrees. An otherwise nice spring evening is shot to hell because of wood smoke pollution.
7:30 PM: Moderate wood smoke. Smoky as hell outside! We have the worst city council ever. The wood smoke is intense and there is something in it that stings your nose. This is not normal wood smoke.
I suspect the burner is burning wood to hide the disposal of waste. I do not know who it is. I went out and looked at the usual suspect's property and could not see any smoke rising. Wood smoke permeates the entire area and there is not much of a breeze so I can not pinpoint it to one property.
8:30 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. At least the toxic air pollution decreased in intensity.
9:00 PM: Moderate wood smoke. It is smoky as hell!
10:30 PM: Strong wood smoke. This smoke is so heavy you cannot stand it!
11:30 PM: Strong wood smoke continues. Last check of the evening.
The air was smoky at 3:45 AM and faintly smoky at 5:30 AM the next morning. That makes 11 hours of wood smoke this night.
Does North St. Paul, Minnesota, sound like a good place to live to you? You can thank city council members Jan Walczak and Bob Bruton for the smoky air. Both of them support wood burning and smoky air. Walczak and Bruton don't care about the elderly, the babies with developing lungs, or you.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday 04/09/2010 Air Pollution
2:15 AM: Very faint wood smoke is in the air at this time.
6:00 AM: A smokiness probably from vehicle exhaust is in the air.
4:35 PM: No wood smoke. 64 degrees. A nice spring day sure to be ruined by wood smoke.
8:00 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. It is smoky outside! You do not want to be sitting outside breathing this air. We closed our windows earlier. Nobody around me appears to be burning. I cannot see any smoke rising from any back yard or chimney. It could be a bonfire or a recreational use of a fireplace. I am not going out to look for it. Going to bed to dream about living in a city that doesn't have smoky air every day.
11:55 PM: The air is mostly fresh. I woke up and checked the air on my way back to bed.
6:00 AM: A smokiness probably from vehicle exhaust is in the air.
4:35 PM: No wood smoke. 64 degrees. A nice spring day sure to be ruined by wood smoke.
8:00 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. It is smoky outside! You do not want to be sitting outside breathing this air. We closed our windows earlier. Nobody around me appears to be burning. I cannot see any smoke rising from any back yard or chimney. It could be a bonfire or a recreational use of a fireplace. I am not going out to look for it. Going to bed to dream about living in a city that doesn't have smoky air every day.
11:55 PM: The air is mostly fresh. I woke up and checked the air on my way back to bed.
Thursday 04/08/2010 Air Pollution
There was no wood smoke in the air this evening until I noticed it after 2 AM. There was a very faint smokiness in the air before 6:30 PM. I cannot say it was wood smoke. It could have been vehicle exhaust with air conditions trapping the pollutants near the ground. 45 degrees at 10 PM.
Wednesday 04/07/2010 Air Pollution
There was no real wood smoke this evening. There was a very faint smoke of some kind coming out of the east for a period of time around 8:15 PM. I cannot say it was wood smoke. It could have been a grill. It was breezy at the time. 45 degrees at 11 PM.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday 04/06/2010 Air Pollution
3:15 AM: Light wood smoke. 51 degrees. I checked the air on my way back to bed.
5:30 AM: A very faint trace of wood smoke remains in the air.
There was no wood smoke this evening. 49 degrees at 5:20 PM with light rain. The cold and rain kept any recreational wood burners or yard waste burners from doing what they love to do. Nobody upwind or nearby was using a fireplace either. It was a rare evening of fresh air in the city of North St. Paul, Minnesota.
The weather forecast is for highs in the upper 60s to low 70s this weekend. If the forecast holds it is going to be a smoky weekend. The early spring is a mixed blessing.
5:30 AM: A very faint trace of wood smoke remains in the air.
There was no wood smoke this evening. 49 degrees at 5:20 PM with light rain. The cold and rain kept any recreational wood burners or yard waste burners from doing what they love to do. Nobody upwind or nearby was using a fireplace either. It was a rare evening of fresh air in the city of North St. Paul, Minnesota.
The weather forecast is for highs in the upper 60s to low 70s this weekend. If the forecast holds it is going to be a smoky weekend. The early spring is a mixed blessing.
Monday 04/05/2010 Air Pollution
1:00 AM: Fresh air.
5:00 AM: Fresh air.
5:00 PM: No wood smoke. 59 degrees, cloudy.
6:40 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. I do not know where it is coming from. I suspect it is from the same person who burned the prior two days during the early evening.
6:53 PM: Light rain falling at this time.
7:30 PM: No wood smoke.
9:00 PM: Faint to light wood smoke.
10:00 PM: Faint wood smoke. Last check of the evening.
5:00 AM: Fresh air.
5:00 PM: No wood smoke. 59 degrees, cloudy.
6:40 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. I do not know where it is coming from. I suspect it is from the same person who burned the prior two days during the early evening.
6:53 PM: Light rain falling at this time.
7:30 PM: No wood smoke.
9:00 PM: Faint to light wood smoke.
10:00 PM: Faint wood smoke. Last check of the evening.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Complaint to the EPA
I submitted a complaint to the federal Environmental Protection Agency this evening regarding the terrible wood smoke pollution in the city of North St. Paul, MN, using the agency's web submission form. The federal government mandated that Fairbanks, Alaska, clean up its air because of wood smoke pollution that exceeded federal guidelines. I am hoping for the same here.
I first contacted city council member Jan Walczak about the wood smoke problem in the city almost two years ago. She not only refused to help, but I found her reply to be belittling. I contacted city council members Bob Bruton, Dave Zick, and Terry Furlong in May of 2009. Bruton replied indicating his support for recreational wood burning and both Zick and Furlong ignored me completely. Mayor Mike Kuehn was sympathetic to our problem and feels strongly about it. Nobody on the city council cares if the smoky air triggers asthma attacks in children or makes it difficult for the elderly to breathe.
What I am ultimately after is the riddance of wood smoke pollution in North St. Paul, at least during the warm months of April through the end of October. I hope the EPA or another government agency will come out and measure the air pollution in the residential areas of the city. I think that wood smoke so strong it burns your sinuses would be beyond federal wood smoke pollution guidelines. If I can get the air pollution in the city measured and it exceeds federal guidelines, perhaps some legal action can be taken against the city.
This is the text of the complaint I submitted to the EPA.
I first contacted city council member Jan Walczak about the wood smoke problem in the city almost two years ago. She not only refused to help, but I found her reply to be belittling. I contacted city council members Bob Bruton, Dave Zick, and Terry Furlong in May of 2009. Bruton replied indicating his support for recreational wood burning and both Zick and Furlong ignored me completely. Mayor Mike Kuehn was sympathetic to our problem and feels strongly about it. Nobody on the city council cares if the smoky air triggers asthma attacks in children or makes it difficult for the elderly to breathe.
What I am ultimately after is the riddance of wood smoke pollution in North St. Paul, at least during the warm months of April through the end of October. I hope the EPA or another government agency will come out and measure the air pollution in the residential areas of the city. I think that wood smoke so strong it burns your sinuses would be beyond federal wood smoke pollution guidelines. If I can get the air pollution in the city measured and it exceeds federal guidelines, perhaps some legal action can be taken against the city.
This is the text of the complaint I submitted to the EPA.
I am writing about our terrible air pollution problem in North St. Paul, MN (zip code 55109). The city of North St. Paul is a separate city from St. Paul, MN. Many assume I am talking about the city of St. Paul when I am not. North St. Paul is a suburb northeast of the city of St. Paul.If the EPA refuses to help, I don't know what we can do. I will have to see if I can hire a company to come out and measure the air quality or something. I have no idea how much that would cost.
Wood smoke pollution is a major problem in our city. Every evening the air is very smoky. Wood smoke this strong cannot be within EPA guidelines. Often the wood smoke is so heavy it burns your sinuses, makes you short of breath, or makes you feel nauseous. If it does not rain, the air is smoky every evening all year round. Spring, summer, and fall are smokier than winter in this city due to the prevalence of backyard bonfires.
Our city council has refused to deal with this problem. I contacted the state of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency last year and was told there was nothing they could do about this problem since it was a local issue.
So what are we supposed to do? Breathe smoky air every day that is filled with particulate pollution and not only smells terrible but is also bad for our health? We have a lot of elderly people in this city and children who should not be breathing smoky air every day.
I recently read an article that the federal government made Fairbanks, Alaska, clean up its air because wood smoke emissions were not within federal guidelines. I would like the same thing here in North St. Paul.
I was wondering if it would be possible to get the air quality measured in some residential areas in the city of North St. Paul, MN. If we can get the air pollution in this city quantified, maybe we can do something about it.
The city council has refused to do anything. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has refused to help. I do not know where else I can turn. As I write this on Easter Sunday, the air has been very smoky for 4 hours now. It will likely be smoky all night long. As it often is.
Is there anything the EPA can do to help us? The root cause is the city's generous recreational burning ordinance. If you can help Fairbanks, AK, can you help us here in North St. Paul, MN?
My email: northsaintpaulresident@gmail.com
My wood smoke documentation blog: http://northsaintpaulresident.blogspot.com
Please forward this complaint to the appropriate department if necessary. Thank you.
Sunday 04/04/2010 Air Pollution
It is a polluted smoky hell of an Easter in North St. Paul again. We were treated to burning grass smoke Easter of 2009. This Easter, we have been given burning paper and wood smoke.
3:00 AM: Faint wood smoke from last evening lingers in the air.
4:45 PM: Moderate wood smoke and what smells like burning paper. There was no smoke prior to this. The same people who were burning yesterday evening are responsible for this evening's smoke. It is very smoky outside now.
5:45 PM: Light to moderate stinky wood smoke continues.
6:30 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke.
7:45 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke continues. That's three hours of continuous wood or paper smoke. 63 degrees.
It is going to be a long smoky hell of a night in North St. Paul. Just like every night.
8:20 PM: Moderate wood smoke. It has gotten smokier since the last check.
9:00 PM: Moderately strong wood smoke continues. You cannot stand to be outside in air this smoky. You will feel sick to your stomach in a short amount of time.
9:30 PM: Light wood smoke at this time.
10:30 PM: Mostly fresh air.
11:30 PM: Faint to light wood smoke.
3:00 AM: Faint wood smoke from last evening lingers in the air.
4:45 PM: Moderate wood smoke and what smells like burning paper. There was no smoke prior to this. The same people who were burning yesterday evening are responsible for this evening's smoke. It is very smoky outside now.
5:45 PM: Light to moderate stinky wood smoke continues.
6:30 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke.
7:45 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke continues. That's three hours of continuous wood or paper smoke. 63 degrees.
It is going to be a long smoky hell of a night in North St. Paul. Just like every night.
8:20 PM: Moderate wood smoke. It has gotten smokier since the last check.
9:00 PM: Moderately strong wood smoke continues. You cannot stand to be outside in air this smoky. You will feel sick to your stomach in a short amount of time.
9:30 PM: Light wood smoke at this time.
10:30 PM: Mostly fresh air.
11:30 PM: Faint to light wood smoke.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Saturday 04/03/2010 Air Pollution
It is another smoky hell of an evening in North St. Paul, MN.
5:45 AM: Very faint wood smoke remains in the air. I could smell it when I brought the newspaper in.
6:00 PM: No wood smoke. 59 degrees.
6:30 PM: Light wood smoke. I think I know who is doing it. I will go out and check.
It was who I thought it was. The burner is about 500 feet from city council member Jan Walczak's house. Walczak is a supporter of wood smoke pollution. It will be very smoky soon, the way Jan Walczak likes it. That polluter smokes up the entire neighborhood for hours at a time. Sometimes 10 hours or longer. He also burns grass late at night, sometimes after midnight.
7:40 PM: Moderate wood smoke. It is smoky as hell outside! I had to change my shirt because sticking my head out the door for a few seconds left a wood smoke odor in it. That is how potent the wood smoke is in North St. Paul. Stepping outside for a few seconds leaves your clothes reeking of wood smoke. 59 degrees.
North St. Paul, Minnesota, is a polluted nightmare
9:00 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke continues.
10:00 PM: Light wood smoke continues.
11:00 PM: Light wood smoke continues. Last check of the evening.
Faint wood smoke was still in the air at 3 AM.
5:45 AM: Very faint wood smoke remains in the air. I could smell it when I brought the newspaper in.
6:00 PM: No wood smoke. 59 degrees.
6:30 PM: Light wood smoke. I think I know who is doing it. I will go out and check.
It was who I thought it was. The burner is about 500 feet from city council member Jan Walczak's house. Walczak is a supporter of wood smoke pollution. It will be very smoky soon, the way Jan Walczak likes it. That polluter smokes up the entire neighborhood for hours at a time. Sometimes 10 hours or longer. He also burns grass late at night, sometimes after midnight.
7:40 PM: Moderate wood smoke. It is smoky as hell outside! I had to change my shirt because sticking my head out the door for a few seconds left a wood smoke odor in it. That is how potent the wood smoke is in North St. Paul. Stepping outside for a few seconds leaves your clothes reeking of wood smoke. 59 degrees.
North St. Paul, Minnesota, is a polluted nightmare
9:00 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke continues.
10:00 PM: Light wood smoke continues.
11:00 PM: Light wood smoke continues. Last check of the evening.
Faint wood smoke was still in the air at 3 AM.
Friday 04/02/2010 Air Pollution
4:30 PM: No wood smoke. 63 degrees. It rained earlier today.
9:00 PM: No wood smoke yet.
10:00 PM: No wood smoke.
10:45 PM: Very faint wood smoke is in the air. I can smell it just enough to detect its presence. I opened a window for a while and could smell the smoke in the room. Someone must be burning in the distance.
11:35 PM: Very faint wood smoke continues.
9:00 PM: No wood smoke yet.
10:00 PM: No wood smoke.
10:45 PM: Very faint wood smoke is in the air. I can smell it just enough to detect its presence. I opened a window for a while and could smell the smoke in the room. Someone must be burning in the distance.
11:35 PM: Very faint wood smoke continues.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Thursday 04/01/2010 Air Pollution
12:15 AM: Light to moderate wood smoke continues. This is why we can never leave the windows open at night in this town and have not been able to for years. It is like this all summer long at night.
2:00 AM: A very faint hint of wood smoke remains in the air. You can smell it, but not much.
5:00 AM: Fresh air! 54 degrees.
4:10 PM: No wood smoke. Fresh air! 77 degrees.
5:00 PM: No wood smoke. 79 degrees.
7:15 PM: No wood smoke yet. The wonderful fresh air continues. 80 degrees.
8:00 PM: Still fresh air.
9:00 PM: Wood smoke hasn't arrived yet.
10:30 PM: Still no wood smoke. Will we have a rare evening without wood smoke pollution?
Midnight: No wood smoke. Fresh air! 72 degrees.
This will be about the only nice evening we have all year without wood smoke pollution. If the temperature is between 70 and 90 degrees and it is not raining, the air is smoky in North St. Paul almost always.
At midnight I sat out on the deck for a short while enjoying the warm air and the nice breeze. Yesterday at this time the air was smoky. We were fortunate tonight.
2:00 AM: A very faint hint of wood smoke remains in the air. You can smell it, but not much.
5:00 AM: Fresh air! 54 degrees.
4:10 PM: No wood smoke. Fresh air! 77 degrees.
5:00 PM: No wood smoke. 79 degrees.
7:15 PM: No wood smoke yet. The wonderful fresh air continues. 80 degrees.
8:00 PM: Still fresh air.
9:00 PM: Wood smoke hasn't arrived yet.
10:30 PM: Still no wood smoke. Will we have a rare evening without wood smoke pollution?
Midnight: No wood smoke. Fresh air! 72 degrees.
This will be about the only nice evening we have all year without wood smoke pollution. If the temperature is between 70 and 90 degrees and it is not raining, the air is smoky in North St. Paul almost always.
At midnight I sat out on the deck for a short while enjoying the warm air and the nice breeze. Yesterday at this time the air was smoky. We were fortunate tonight.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday 03/31/2010 Air Pollution
4:30 PM: No wood smoke where we live. Fresh air! 75 degrees. A beautiful spring day! Enjoy that fresh air while it lasts because it will not last long.
6:00 PM: No wood smoke where we are. It was a little smoky over around 17th & 1st around 5:30 PM. It was wood smoke. I wonder if someone over there was grilling with wood.
7:15 PM: Very faint wood smoke at this time. I knew there would be wood smoke tonight. Close the windows.
7:30 PM: No real wood smoke at this time.
7:50 PM: A very faint smokiness is in the air. It smells more like grilling smoke than wood smoke. Wood smoke does not bother us. Smoke from grilling is not as irritating as wood smoke and does not last as long. Grilling food using propane or charcoal does not produce smoke for 10 hours like a smoldering bonfire does. 68 degrees.
8:30 PM: No wood smoke. The air is not fresh, but I'll take it.
10:30 PM: No wood smoke. Off to bed.
10:40 PM: Very faint to faint wood smoke. I checked one last time before turning in. Wouldn't you know, the air is getting smoky.
11:45 PM: Light to moderate wood and possibly yard waste smoke. I am not sure what all is burning, but the air reeks of it. There is not much yard waste yet unless somebody raked.
No, we could not possibly go an evening without wood smoke in North St. Paul. Yesterday the high winds prevented recreational burning. Not tonight.
6:00 PM: No wood smoke where we are. It was a little smoky over around 17th & 1st around 5:30 PM. It was wood smoke. I wonder if someone over there was grilling with wood.
7:15 PM: Very faint wood smoke at this time. I knew there would be wood smoke tonight. Close the windows.
7:30 PM: No real wood smoke at this time.
7:50 PM: A very faint smokiness is in the air. It smells more like grilling smoke than wood smoke. Wood smoke does not bother us. Smoke from grilling is not as irritating as wood smoke and does not last as long. Grilling food using propane or charcoal does not produce smoke for 10 hours like a smoldering bonfire does. 68 degrees.
8:30 PM: No wood smoke. The air is not fresh, but I'll take it.
10:30 PM: No wood smoke. Off to bed.
10:40 PM: Very faint to faint wood smoke. I checked one last time before turning in. Wouldn't you know, the air is getting smoky.
11:45 PM: Light to moderate wood and possibly yard waste smoke. I am not sure what all is burning, but the air reeks of it. There is not much yard waste yet unless somebody raked.
No, we could not possibly go an evening without wood smoke in North St. Paul. Yesterday the high winds prevented recreational burning. Not tonight.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday 03/30/2010 Air Pollution
It is a warm spring day. Smoky air is highly likely tonight. It would be uncharacteristic of the city of North St. Paul, MN, if we did not have polluted air. You can count on smoky air almost every evening during the warm months unless it rains.
4:40 PM: No wood smoke. 73 degrees, cloudy and breezy. Though it may be cloudy, the gray sky is not enough to diminish a beautiful spring day. This is our warmest day this year and I believe our warmest day in six months.
5:10 PM: No wood smoke yet. It is a little early for bonfires. Not early on the calendar as recreational air pollution begins as soon as it warms up enough to sit outside. Early on the clock. 74 degrees. The windows around the house are open. The breeze is blowing through the house and it feels great!
7:00 PM: No wood smoke. Windy.
8:00 PM: Out of the city. On my way back I noticed faint wood smoke at the intersection of Beam & McKnight. I do not know where it was coming from or if it was coming from the North St. Paul or Maplewood side.
It is very windy at this time. Strong wind gusts are coming out of the south. The wind changes direction every few minutes.
8:30 PM: No wood smoke. It is even windier than it was earlier. The air is fresh!
10:25 PM: Still no wood smoke where we are.
11:00 PM: No wood smoke.
I woke up and checked the air about quarter past midnight. There was no wood smoke.
The only explanation for the absence of wood smoke this evening is the strong wind.
4:40 PM: No wood smoke. 73 degrees, cloudy and breezy. Though it may be cloudy, the gray sky is not enough to diminish a beautiful spring day. This is our warmest day this year and I believe our warmest day in six months.
5:10 PM: No wood smoke yet. It is a little early for bonfires. Not early on the calendar as recreational air pollution begins as soon as it warms up enough to sit outside. Early on the clock. 74 degrees. The windows around the house are open. The breeze is blowing through the house and it feels great!
7:00 PM: No wood smoke. Windy.
8:00 PM: Out of the city. On my way back I noticed faint wood smoke at the intersection of Beam & McKnight. I do not know where it was coming from or if it was coming from the North St. Paul or Maplewood side.
It is very windy at this time. Strong wind gusts are coming out of the south. The wind changes direction every few minutes.
8:30 PM: No wood smoke. It is even windier than it was earlier. The air is fresh!
10:25 PM: Still no wood smoke where we are.
11:00 PM: No wood smoke.
I woke up and checked the air about quarter past midnight. There was no wood smoke.
The only explanation for the absence of wood smoke this evening is the strong wind.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday 03/29/2010 Air Pollution
If we do not have wood smoke tonight we will be lucky. The rest of the week will be smoky as hell as temperatures are expected to climb into the low to mid 70s. Bonfires will be smoking and smoldering all night long.
4:15 PM: No wood smoke. Fresh air! It will not last. 59 degrees.
6:00 PM: No wood smoke.
7:15 PM: No wood smoke that I can detect. There is a very faint unpleasant odor of some kind in the air coming out of the east.
9:00 PM: No wood smoke yet.
10:00 PM: Still no wood smoke.
Midnight: No wood smoke.
We made it an evening without smoky, polluted air! This is the calm before the storm.
4:15 PM: No wood smoke. Fresh air! It will not last. 59 degrees.
6:00 PM: No wood smoke.
7:15 PM: No wood smoke that I can detect. There is a very faint unpleasant odor of some kind in the air coming out of the east.
9:00 PM: No wood smoke yet.
10:00 PM: Still no wood smoke.
Midnight: No wood smoke.
We made it an evening without smoky, polluted air! This is the calm before the storm.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Recreational pollution season starts soon
Bonfire season starts soon in North St. Paul, MN. When the weather gets warm enough to have a bonfire, you will always find at least one person burning wood within a quarter of a mile upwind from you on any night. Usually, you will find several.
Spring, summer, and fall are smokier than winter in this nightmare of a city. Back in the late 1990s it was not like this. North St. Paul was a nice place to live. We left our windows open for days and weeks at a time and never once did we wake up in the middle of the night choking on smoky air. There was no smoky air then. Nobody burned wood except during the winter. We never had to be concerned about our house reeking of burning wood. Every evening has been smoky as hell the past few years. It gets worse every year.
We we will have a warm week. The forecast highs from Tuesday through Saturday are between 68 and 66 degrees with highs in the low to mid 70s on Wednesday and Thursday. Recreational bonfire pollution will start this week. When people start raking their yards we will be treated to smoke from burning grass, too.
I noticed in my visitor stats somebody today searched for the firepit rules in North St. Paul. Somebody is already preparing to pollute our air. This city is a polluted hell of a nightmare! People cannot live around here without smoking up our air!
After a smoky winter which was much smokier than the winter before, we get to look forward to even smokier air. Thank you Jan Walczak. You have done a great job turning this city into a bad place to live. I wish you would sell your home and go torture the residents of another city. We deserve so much better than you. This year I will be working to make sure all your elderly neighbors know you are the reason they have to breathe smoky air. Your neighbors will know you are the reason they cannot leave their windows open to enjoy a nice breezy evening. You, Jan Walczak, are the one ruining their golden years.
Spring, summer, and fall are smokier than winter in this nightmare of a city. Back in the late 1990s it was not like this. North St. Paul was a nice place to live. We left our windows open for days and weeks at a time and never once did we wake up in the middle of the night choking on smoky air. There was no smoky air then. Nobody burned wood except during the winter. We never had to be concerned about our house reeking of burning wood. Every evening has been smoky as hell the past few years. It gets worse every year.
We we will have a warm week. The forecast highs from Tuesday through Saturday are between 68 and 66 degrees with highs in the low to mid 70s on Wednesday and Thursday. Recreational bonfire pollution will start this week. When people start raking their yards we will be treated to smoke from burning grass, too.
I noticed in my visitor stats somebody today searched for the firepit rules in North St. Paul. Somebody is already preparing to pollute our air. This city is a polluted hell of a nightmare! People cannot live around here without smoking up our air!
After a smoky winter which was much smokier than the winter before, we get to look forward to even smokier air. Thank you Jan Walczak. You have done a great job turning this city into a bad place to live. I wish you would sell your home and go torture the residents of another city. We deserve so much better than you. This year I will be working to make sure all your elderly neighbors know you are the reason they have to breathe smoky air. Your neighbors will know you are the reason they cannot leave their windows open to enjoy a nice breezy evening. You, Jan Walczak, are the one ruining their golden years.
Sunday 03/28/2010 Air Pollution
It is another smoky, polluted evening in the city of North St. Paul, MN.
4:55 PM: A faint smokiness is in the air. It is probably wood smoke. Whatever the source, it stinks. 50 degrees and sunny.
8:30 PM: Light wood smoke at this time. 47 degrees.
9:15 PM: No noticeable wood smoke detected. The air is not fresh. It is not smoky.
11:45 PM: Light wood smoke at this time.
4:55 PM: A faint smokiness is in the air. It is probably wood smoke. Whatever the source, it stinks. 50 degrees and sunny.
8:30 PM: Light wood smoke at this time. 47 degrees.
9:15 PM: No noticeable wood smoke detected. The air is not fresh. It is not smoky.
11:45 PM: Light wood smoke at this time.
Saturday 03/27/2010 Air Pollution
2:30 PM: No wood smoke yet. There will be. There always is. 53 degrees.
3:15 PM: Faint to light stinky wood smoke coming in on the breeze. It stinks something terrible.
4:45 PM: No wood smoke.
8:15 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. It is very smoky outside. Horrible polluted North St. Paul air.
9:00 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke continues. Smoky misery.
9:30 PM: Faint wood smoke.
10:45 PM: No wood smoke. The air smells like rain.
Midnight: No wood smoke.
3:15 PM: Faint to light stinky wood smoke coming in on the breeze. It stinks something terrible.
4:45 PM: No wood smoke.
8:15 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke. It is very smoky outside. Horrible polluted North St. Paul air.
9:00 PM: Light to moderate wood smoke continues. Smoky misery.
9:30 PM: Faint wood smoke.
10:45 PM: No wood smoke. The air smells like rain.
Midnight: No wood smoke.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday 03/26/2010 Air Pollution
5:00 AM: A faint wood smokiness lingers in the air. 28 degrees.
7:00 AM: A trace of wood smoke remains.
5:45 PM: No wood smoke. 51 degrees.
7:45 PM: A very faint to faint wood smoke is blowing in from the south. It is windy this evening. It was smoky all along the south edge of Silver Lake. It was smokier down at 17th & Henry. To illustrate the dispersal of that wood smoke, you could smell it all the way down 19th Ave. past 1st St. N.
Wood smoke can travel far beyond the yard or chimney of the wood burner. Everybody downwind has to breathe that smoky, polluted air. The smoke blows away from the burner into the nostrils and lungs of hundreds or potentially thousands of people downwind. The burner does not suffer the consequences of his burning. Everybody around him does.
9:00 PM: Very faint to faint varying wood smoke is coming in on the wind.
10:00 PM: No real wood smoke can be detected at this time.
11:00 PM: No wood smoke.
7:00 AM: A trace of wood smoke remains.
5:45 PM: No wood smoke. 51 degrees.
7:45 PM: A very faint to faint wood smoke is blowing in from the south. It is windy this evening. It was smoky all along the south edge of Silver Lake. It was smokier down at 17th & Henry. To illustrate the dispersal of that wood smoke, you could smell it all the way down 19th Ave. past 1st St. N.
Wood smoke can travel far beyond the yard or chimney of the wood burner. Everybody downwind has to breathe that smoky, polluted air. The smoke blows away from the burner into the nostrils and lungs of hundreds or potentially thousands of people downwind. The burner does not suffer the consequences of his burning. Everybody around him does.
9:00 PM: Very faint to faint varying wood smoke is coming in on the wind.
10:00 PM: No real wood smoke can be detected at this time.
11:00 PM: No wood smoke.
Thursday 03/25/2010 Air Pollution
4:05 PM: No wood smoke. Fresh air. 35 degrees.
6:45 PM: No wood smoke.
8:45 PM: No wood smoke.
11:10 PM: Faint to light wood smoke at this time.
We could not make it an evening without wood smoke with temperatures in the 30s.
We had two evenings of fresh air this week. That is about all we can hope for in this polluted nightmare of a city.
6:45 PM: No wood smoke.
8:45 PM: No wood smoke.
11:10 PM: Faint to light wood smoke at this time.
We could not make it an evening without wood smoke with temperatures in the 30s.
We had two evenings of fresh air this week. That is about all we can hope for in this polluted nightmare of a city.
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