An EPA analysis reveals burning wood as the top cause of cancer in Oregon’s air.
Think again before lighting that fireplace: The pollution from burning wood is an even greater risk in Oregon than the benzene released from automobiles, according to the EPA.
The EPA assessment, based on 2002 emissions data, ranked Oregon’s air high in cancer risk. The state placed third highest in the nation in the number of people — about 152,000 — living in census tracts with a cancer risk of 100 in a million, the EPA’s benchmark level of concern.
But that’s largely because Oregon has done a far better job documenting the generation of wood smoke, Palma said, including surveying residents three times since 2000 to gauge actual wood stove and fireplace use.
Read the full story at OregonLive.com.
