Press Release

Contact:           Christopher Dann, Public Information Officer
                        Air Pollution Control Division
                        (303) 692-3281
                        christopher.dann@state.co.us

For Immediate Release Monday, October 28, 2002

Wintertime Pollution Season Begins Nov. 1;
Independent Survey Provides New Information About Residential Wood Burning

DENVER – Nearly 90 percent of Denver-metropolitan area residents queried recognize and understand the meaning of color-coded pollution advisories issued each day during the winter, according to an independent survey conducted on behalf of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. However, some confusion still exists about where and to whom wood burning restrictions apply.

Meteorologists from the department's Air Pollution Control Division will issue the first red or blue advisory of the 2002-2003 High Pollution Season at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31. The first advisory will take effect at midnight on Nov. 1. Subsequent advisories will be issued daily at 4 p.m. and remain in effect for 24 hours. The five-month long season concludes Monday, March 31, 2002.

An independent survey focusing on residential wood burning practices, conducted during the summer by Market Analysis Professionals of Englewood, confirmed a number of assumptions that state officials have made since the last comprehensive survey was conducted more than a decade ago.

The new survey found that 87 percent of those interviewed are aware that wood burning restrictions exist on certain days, while 83 percent reported that they understand that a "red pollution day" means that burning wood at home is permitted in approved devices only. Among those who actually reported burning wood, understanding of the meaning of color-coded advisories was even higher at 90 percent.

"The informal feedback we have received through the years pointed to this level of recognition in the community," said Douglas H. Benevento, acting executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "However, we welcome the new, independent data provided by the survey. It confirms what we believed to be true."

Since the last survey 11 years ago, fewer residences have traditional wood burning fireplaces and a lower percentage of existing wood burning fireplaces are used. Although one in four households surveyed reported having a wood burning fireplace, nearly half of those households (42 percent) did not use them.

"The nature and frequency of residential wood burning really has changed during the past decade," Benevento said. "Studies have shown that the air pollution contribution from residential woodburning has decreased dramatically, and we believe our High Pollution Advisory Program has played a key role in that."

Benevento continued, "We do not have an advertising and marketing budget for this program. We rely on word-of-mouth and media support to get the information out to the public. The success of the red and blue advisories is really a testimonial to the community and the level of cooperation among the different interests committed to improving air quality."

Although program recognition is high, the survey revealed a fair amount of confusion still exists about where and to whom the wood burning restrictions apply. Slightly more than half of those interviewed either did not know if wood burning restrictions applied to them or reported that they lived in an area of town where residential wood burning was not restricted.

"We suspect that much of the confusion stems from the wide range of local ordinances within the metropolitan area that restrict wood burning activity during the winter," said Margie Perkins, director of the department's Air Pollution Control Division. "Some residents may be assuming that, if a local ordinance does not exist in their city, town or community, they are exempt from the restrictions. That's simply not the case. If no local ordinance exists, the enforcement of restrictions remains with the State of Colorado. Wood burning restrictions still apply."

The program area is defined as the seven Denver-metropolitan area counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson Counties). The only exceptions are for residences above 7,000' in elevation in extreme western parts of Boulder and Jefferson Counties, and residences east of Kiowa Creek in extreme eastern parts of Adams and Arapahoe Counties.

"There also are exemptions available for residents who demonstrate that wood burning in unapproved devices is a primary source of heat for their home," Perkins said. "However, such exemptions are rare and must be approved by the entity that has jurisdiction. The bottom line is, if you live in the seven counties, you likely are in the program area and must comply with the restrictions."

As a result of the survey's findings, the Air Pollution Control Division has stepped up efforts to resolve any lingering confusion among residents and representatives from local governments in the seven-county Denver-metropolitan area that regularly field questions about wood burning restrictions during the winter months.

The Regional Air Quality Council has assisted the division for years in getting the word out to municipalities in the metropolitan area about the High Pollution Advisory Program. The Regional Air Quality Council notifies municipalities each afternoon throughout the five-month of the current advisory.

In advance of this winter's effort, council staff members have provided local governments and their designated public information personnel with information for community newsletters about the wood burning restrictions, and guidance on how they can explain to residents where and to whom restrictions apply. Local government representatives are encouraged to inform residents with questions about the wood burning restrictions that the lack of a local ordinance does not exempt a community's residents from the program.

The High Pollution Advisory Program represents a long-standing commitment to cleaner air. Its focus is on responsible residential wood burning and vehicle use, and alternatives to driving alone.

Red advisories, which indicate that air quality conditions could lead to air pollution levels above federal and/or state standards, trigger mandatory wood burning restrictions and voluntary driving reductions. Burning is limited to approved wood stoves, pellet stoves, masonry heaters and fireplaces in the seven-county Denver-metropolitan area.

Blue advisories require no public action. However, residents are urged to consider using alternate modes of transportation whenever possible.

Each advisory includes both the current maximum air pollution concentration and visibility reading in the metropolitan area, as well as the highest readings for the day. Each advisory specifies which pollutant (carbon monoxide, particulate matter or ozone) is responsible for the day's current high and maximum high readings, and where those readings were recorded.

Most major Denver-metropolitan area media carry the advisories in some form as part of weather segments and weather pages, news briefs, traffic updates, and daily calendars and/or digests. The Air Pollution Control Division also maintains two telephone hotlines (303-758-4848 and 303-782-0211) with air quality information. The hotlines are updated with newly recorded messages daily.

Additionally, Internet users can surf to http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/advisory.html any time for the current advisory and current air pollution conditions recorded at any of several monitors located throughout the metropolitan area. Data is updated automatically each hour, 365 days a year.

Internet users also can select options that will display bar and line graphs for specific air pollutants to investigate daily and day-to-day trends at a given site, and reports that compare air pollution levels site-to-site. Information is archived.

A wide variety of web pages commonly accessed by Internet users have linked their pages to the current on-line advisory information. Instructions on how to link a website to the on-line advisory information are available at http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/banners.html, or add the following code to your page:

The High Pollution Advisory Program and a lot of the air pollution control strategies associated with wintertime in the Denver-metropolitan area were either the first or among the first in the nation," Benevento said. "Metropolitan areas throughout the country have followed our lead for years. These programs and strategies were a big part of Denver's return to clean air status this summer."

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