Editor's note: This article was updated at 7:40 p.m. with details on fines for violators of the no-burn order.
Residents from Marina del Rey through Long Beach in Los Angeles County, as well as several coastal Orange County areas, will be under a "no-burn" alert from midnight Tuesday through midnight Wednesday due to an unhealthy air quality forecast from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
According to an email alert from the AQMD, the air quality for Wednesday is predicted to be unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Because of this, residents may not burn "wood or manufactured fire logs" in their fireplaces or outdoor fire pits from midnight tonight through midnight Wednesday under the AQMD's "Check Before You Burn" program, Sam Atwood of the AQMD said.
People caught burning wood in their fireplaces during a no-burn alert face fines, according to an email from the AQMD. First-time violators can be fined $50, though they may attend a wood smoke awareness course in lieu of paying the fine. On the second violation, the fine increases to $150, or the resident may install a dedicated gas-fueled fireplace. Third-time violators will be either fined $500 or forced to fund a project that will benefit the environment.
Multiple violations are accrued during individual wood-burning seasons from November through February. To report a suspected violation, call 800-288-7664 or visit aqmd.gov.
The no-burn area stretches from Inglewood on the north to Laguna Niguel on the south, to Anaheim Hills on the east. In Los Angeles County, it includes the cities of Culver City, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Gardena, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Pedro and Long Beach, among others, according to a map provided by the AQMD.
Wood burning creates an average of 5 tons of harmful PM2.5—very fine particulate matter that's 1/30th the width of a human hair—emissions per day in the South Coast Air Basin, which is four times the amount emitted from all power plants in the area, according to the AQMD. These small particles can lodge deep in the lungs and cause respiratory health problems, and long-term exposure can lead to reduced lung function and chronic bronchitis.
According to Dr. Joshua Davidson, a physician in Torrance who specializes in allergy and immunology, air quality alerts should be taken seriously.
"Individuals with COPD, asthma and hay fever should consider spending a good amount of time indoors (Wednesday)," he said. "Limiting outdoor exercise is also a good idea."
—City News Service contributed to this report.
Either way, individuals with COPD, asthma and hay fever should consider spending a good amount of time indoors tomorrow. Limiting outdoor exercise is also a good idea.
The AQMD sent out two alerts—one for the wood-burning ban and one for the poor air quality. Because they're related, I put them in the same story.
Where's the paragraph about about how the new Redondo AES power plant is going increase particulate emissions 5-15 times and no alerts will be issued because it will only be a local exposure, not a regional one the AQMD only seems to care about. But of course, even the regional impacts are exempted by AQMD Rule 1304, which allows AES to violate normal rules requiring offsets. According to AES' own application for a new permit, the concentration of dangerous particulate emissions IN OUR AREA is already out of compliance with both State and Federal standards, and their emissions are going to move OUR AREA even further out of compliance. Seems the AQMD only cares about the region, which is why Redondo residents need to vote YES on A. NO new power plant. Shame on the AQMD for ignoring local impacts.
As I said on another article, I am so tired of the No Power Plant people hijacking every single article on the internet to argue about the power plant. Sure, I understand the debate and comments on actual power plant articles, but as I said before, I am waiting for the No Power Plant people to hijack an article on the Cat of the Week (This cat of the week will DIE of particulates anyway!!! Don't adopt him!!). Like most people, I don't like the power plant and would love to see it go but the tactics of the No Power Plant folks like you Mr. Brand piss me off beyond belief. It is to the point where I will mostly likely be voting NO on Measure A just because I hate how you are going about it. I would rather inhale particulates than read the pollution that is spewed out on every single article, regardless of whether it is about the power plant or not. I am authoring Measure B that rezones Bill Brand and Jim Light's computers to keep them from posting comments on articles irrelevant to the power plant debate. YES on Measure B.
Bill is addressing the article's comparison to power plant emissions. So Bill's comments do address the article. Vote how you want, but at least read the article before you go on an ad hominem attack. If you have a problem with the veracity of the information, then post a cogent, substantiated rebuttal. I did like your Cat of the Week reference. It made me laugh, so thanks for bringing some humor to the debate.
take on any of the real issues that matter. Notice that most of their curtailments cost them nothing but annoyance to us. So many pigs at the trough.
For those that are tired of the NIMBY rhetoric, we invite you to visit www.RevitalizeRedondo.org and support a No Vote on Measure A.
The particulate matter pollution increase of 500% to 1500% of a new power plant (17.1 tons - 49.7 tons annually depending on the run rate capacity, anywhere from 25% to 73%) is documented in AES' application to the CEC that AES filed on November 21, 2012. The numbers are theirs. And they clearly demonstrate that a new power plant will be DIRTIER, not cleaner. Here's the link to their application and all other documentation related to this project, including the "intervener" concerns from the City of Redondo Beach: http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/redondo_beach/documents/ At present, the existing power plant emits 3.3 tons of particulate matter annually. With proposed smoke stacks lower to the ground and a drastic increase in operating capacity, this 44-ton increase in dangerous, toxic pollution permeates the community even more as lower plumes decrease dissipation into the atmosphere. Proximity matters when it comes to particulate matter pollution. This is not mentioned in the AQMD article above. YES on Measure A, March 5, 2013!
If you want to stop a new Redondo Beach AES POWERPLANT on our waterfront that will massively increase pollution of our LOCAL South Bay air for the next 50+ years and consequently harm our health, blights our harbor for future generations, and pays little taxes, then vote March 5th!! YES on MEASURE A It's our chance of a lifetime!
The opposition mailers, the opposition lawn signs, a City Planning Commissioner and at least one resident are all funded by AES. The people you are denigrating are unpaid volunteers committed to improving our city.
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/16/business/fi-williams16 The only one trying to steal property is AES and that property is our clean air. AES does not have a right to run a new plant. It's the decision of Redondo Beach citizens via zoning and the people of California via the California Energy Commission. So the notion that someone is taking their property is unfounded. They don't have a permit for a new plant. Hey Bob, why didn't your buddies at AES create their propaganda mailer cover photo with their paid model riding a bicycle with the giant AES smokestacks in the background? Stop pollution in the South Bay… Yes on A.
No on Measure A. Save property rights. The next "activist" group to come along may take something that you care about away.
I am sure Fred's home is surrounded by other homes. His home does not emit tons of pollutants. It does not blight their properties. It is not 80 feet high. It does not have turbines and pumps and fans running round the clock. It does not lower surrounding property values and business revenues. The AES power plant is incompatible with development on mall sides of its property line. It is no longer needed and it is bad for our town. It is time for it to go. Where were you when the city rezoned thousands of properties in 1992? Commercial and Industrial to residential, downzoning residential properties. Where were your cries then? Where were you when Mayor Gin vetoed the Pearl Plaza project that conformed with all zoning requirements? No Bob Boren rants then. Hmmm. Look at the small print on all those anti-measure A fliers and lawn signs....funded by AES. Don't fall for it.