Many people burn wood in New England. The reasons given for
wood burning include that it reduces our dependence on oil and
gas, saves money, is advantageous because wood is a renewable
resource, and wood fires are aesthetically pleasing.
All of us need clean air to breath. The unintended consequence
of wood burning is wood smoke pollution. Much research has been
done on the effects of particulate air pollution (soot). In
many communities, the vast majority of this type of pollution
comes from local sources, including residential wood heating
and trash incineration.
Masscleanair is an ad hoc committee created to provide information
to Massachusetts residents who are concerned about wood smoke
exposures, as well as for those who use wood for heating and
would like information about its health and environmental effects.
We are interested in making sure that people with concerns about
the air quality in their neighborhoods know where to go to find
help. We welcome your questions, and are interested in hearing
about experiences in your community.
Masscleanair has drawn heavily on the information provided on
the www.burningissues.org
website and thanks Burning Issues for their work over the years.
We encourage you to visit their site for a more extensive collection
of information.
