Air Matters, October 2009

Volume 4 Issue 5

Bureau of Air Management
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707

• A Leafy Situation
• Commerce Department Receives EPA Clean Diesel Award
• Realigning Air Management

A Leafy Situation
By Lindsay Haas

Fall is here and the leaves have started to change color. Soon the ground will be littered with falling leaves, a sure sign the seasons have changed. One of the many autumn chores we are laden with is what to do with all of those leaves and yard clippings we collect over the next few months.

The burning of leaves and yard waste has been a fall tradition for generations, but it has now become a tradition to discard. Burning leaves is not only unhealthy, but also unneighborly, unnecessary, unsafe -- and it might be illegal.

Unhealthy

Toxins and fine particles are released into the air while leaves burn. According to the EPA, leaf burning releases particle pollution, hydrocarbons (which contain a number of toxic, irritating and carcinogenic compounds), and carbon monoxide into the air. All of these pollutants can harm human health by causing coughing, wheezing, lung or eye irritation or even asthma attacks.

• Fine particles can reach into the furthest areas of our lungs and remain there for some time, causing inflammation and irritation and reducing the lungs’ ability to work properly.
• Hydrocarbons are created when burning leaves, especially if they are wet and have poor air circulation. Hydrocarbons are irritants to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Some hydrocarbons are also known carcinogens.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is created during incomplete combustion. When breathed in, CO can enter the blood stream and take the place of oxygen. This can lead to your muscles, organs, and brain not receiving enough oxygen to function properly.

Unneighborly

The smoke from burning leaves does not stay in the yard where it is generated. Air pollution travels and your neighbors may not appreciate the smoke in their yard when they are out enjoying a nice autumn day.

Unsafe

Each year many wild fires in the state are caused by open burning fires, such as those burning leaves and other yard waste, that get out of control. Fighting these fires is costly and dangerous.

Illegal?

The burning of leaves may also be illegal where you live. Check with your local municipality to see if there are burning restrictions in your area.

Alternatives to burning leaves

So what else can you do with your leaves? May people enjoy composting their leaves this time of year. Piling up leaves for the winter not only creates habitat for Wisconsin’s wildlife, but it also allows the leaves to decompose and creates a nutrient rich soil.

If you do not live in an area where composting is possible, try riding over the leaves with a lawn mower a few times to cut them into small pieces. This way you may be able to leave them right on your lawn. You can also call your local government and see if they collect leaves and yard debris. They will be able to tell you if there are any special rules associated with their collection of yard waste (certain days of the month for pick up, certain containers that need to be used, where the yard waste needs to be placed, etc.).

For more information

• DNR's open burning web pages
• EPA website on residential leaf burning [exit DNR]

Hass is a DNR Air Quality Educator and is located in Waukesha.

Commerce Department Receives EPA Clean Diesel Award
By Thomas Coogan

On September 17, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5’s Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative Leadership Group recognized the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for its work in reducing diesel emissions.

Since 2006, Commerce has administered the Diesel Truck Idling Reduction Grant Program, which provides grants to Wisconsin motor carriers of up to 50 percent for the cost to purchase and install idle reduction technologies (IRU). IRUs provide power for heat, air conditioning, and other auxiliaries so that the main drive engines of trucks can be shut off when not in over-the-road use. The program has helped motor carriers purchase more than 1,100 idle reduction devices. Commerce estimates that over two million gallons of fuel have been saved. In addition, the devices have reduced nitrogen oxides by 25 percent, particulate matter by almost 18 percent, and carbon dioxide by nearly five percent.

Funding for this year’s program was made available by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Applications for this year’s funding cycle will be accepted until October 23, 2009. The department anticipates awarding $2 million in funds in 2009.

For more information about the program, please visit the Wisconsin Diesel Truck Idling Reduction Grant Program [exit DNR].

Coogan is a Program Manager with the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and is located in Madison.

Realigning Air Management
By Autumn E. Sabo

The Bureau of Air Management is proposing a staffing realignment. The changes are due to budget cuts requiring the reduction of management positions and our goal of “organizational streamlining with a focus on efficiency, effectiveness, and completing the needed work,” according to John Melby, Air Management Bureau Director. The realignment will help the Bureau concentrate on strategic areas: addressing climate change, protecting public health and the environment, and supporting economic vitality. We hope to get final agency approval for the proposed staffing changes before November.

As a result of the dissolution of the DNR Bureau of Education & Information, the Environmental Analysis and Outreach Section will gain additional air quality outreach and education personnel. In addition, the number of sections within Air Management will drop from seven to six as the current Emission Inventory and Small Source Section is eliminated. Emission inventory and asbestos staff will move to the renamed Compliance, Enforcement and Emission Inventory Section, with the exception of two limited-term asbestos positions that will be managed by regional supervisors. The refrigerant program will report directly to the Bureau Director. In addition, several individual positions will be moved but these positions are all currently vacant other than electronics technical and information support, which will transfer from the Management Section (to be renamed Business Support and IT) to Monitoring.

Allocation of position duties is being reexamined but constituent contacts will generally remain the same. This Air Management Organizational Chart shows the proposed new structure. If you have questions about the Air Management Bureau realignment, please contact John Melby at 608.264.8884 or john.melbyjr@wisconsin.gov.

Sabo is a DNR Air Quality Educator and is located in Madison.

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