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Department of Ecology News Release - December 10, 2002
02-224
OLYMPIA - The stagnant air that settled over the Pacific Northwest on Nov. 25 has left Eastern Washington, allowing air quality to return to healthier levels.
As a result, the Department of Ecology (Ecology) has lifted its air quality advisory for the remaining part of the state. The advisory was lifted for Western Washington on Dec. 4.
"We've had a longer-than-normal pattern of stagnant air hanging over the state, and it's finally gone," said Dick Stender, an Ecology meteorologist. "But stagnant weather conditions are not unusual during Washington's winters."
In winter, there is often no wind and no mixing of different layers of air. A layer of warm air can settle over an area and trap cooler air below. This is called an "inversion." The lower layer of air is kept close to the earth where people breathe, and becomes increasingly dirty as more and more pollutants are released by cars, wood stoves and other sources.
Wood-smoke pollution also can be extremely heavy during the winter. Nearly half of Washington's households have wood stoves or fireplaces. During air inversions, wood smoke can become especially heavy in residential areas, forcing many people indoors and prompting burn bans in some places.
"We'll continue to monitor the situation throughout the season," said Stender. "Meanwhile, people should do all they can to get ready for the next stagnant weather condition. That means replacing older wood stoves with certified stoves or cleaner fuels, getting cars tuned and keeping tires inflated."
People who want to know if it's okay to use their wood stove or fireplace should call their local clean-air agency. A good rule is that if it is windy or rainy outside, it's probably okay to use a woodstove or fireplace. If the air is very foggy or still, there is probably an air inversion and burning is not a good idea.
Contact: Leslie Thorpe, Public Information Manager, 360-407-6848; pager, 360-534-8590
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
