People are always somewhat surprised when I tell them that the air quality in Missoula, Montana – especially during the winters months – is right up there with the worst air in the nation. To say Missoula has a fragile ‘air-shed’ would be a significant understatement.
In fact, a 2011 American Lung Association “State of the Air” report, gave Missoula’s air quality a D grade, which doesn’t sound too great, except that the grade for the previous few years was an F. From time to time the air gets so bad in Missoula that the Missoula City-County Health Department has to issue a Stage 2 air pollution warning, alerting the public that particulate pollution in Missoula’s air exceeds national limits. Yep, this is basically Missoula’s ‘dirty’ secret, as Missoula ranks 59th among the 230 most-polluted American cities for short-term particle pollution.
Clearly the geography of the Missoula Valley and our wintertime weather patterns are a big reason why our air is so bad. The valley is prone to some pretty severe inversions, which can last for weeks, and weeks.
Today, the Missoulian is reporting that Roseburg Forest Products – one of the more vocal supporters of Senator Tester’s mandated logging bill, the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act – will be paying $130,925 for “numerous permit violations over the previous five years at its Missoula particleboard plant.” Here’s more information from the article:
“State officials say that in 2011 Roseburg submitted revised air pollution monitoring reports that revealed numerous permit violations over the previous five years at its Missoula particleboard plant. Violations included improperly certifying that the company was in compliance with its air quality permit, failing to inspect equipment and not using gasoline vapor control equipment.”
Apparently, the $130,925 will go towards a wood-stove change-out program up in community of Seeley Lake, which sits an hour north of the Missoula Valley and during the winter-months may have even worse air quality than Missoula.
Finally, it should also be pointed out that while Roseburg Forest Products was repeatedly violating air pollution standards, they were also part of a $30,000 statewide newspaper ad campaign calling for more logging of our national forests by exempting many Montana timber sales from judicial review and the citizen appeal process.
UPDATE: The Missoulian is reporting that the mill manager was fired as a result of these air pollution violations.
Am surprised and sorry to hear that Msla still has such a bad air pollution problem. We lived in Lincoln back in early 60’s and had to drive to Msla or Great Falls for any serious shopping. Learned early on that winter trips down the Blackfoot to Msla took us into horrible air, at that time mainly due to tepee burners smoking it up.
Rarely go thru there these days, but recall that the problem the last few decades was the stink from the pulp mill downriver from town. Guess that is gone along with the tepee burners, but always something going on. Winter inversions are tough to deal with, and something we see often here in Coeur d’Alene/Spokane airshed.
Looks like last summer in Bozeman.
Here’s some more information, which may be of interest:
The following information came via someone else who works in the Missoula City County Health Department:
That’s certainly some troubling news. Perhaps there is an industry “mole” within the State Department of Environmental Quality.
I also have to wonder if there is any connection between Roseburg’s decision to “come clean” at this moment in time with 5 years worth of violations and the recent appointment of a new head of DEQ (former Tester aide Stone-Manning, who’s main focus in Tester’s office was the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act)? Remember, Roseburg Forest Products is one of the original “timber partners” supporting Tester’s FJRA.
And I wonder if there is any connection between Roseburg’s “thoughtful” decision to direct the money to clearing the air in Seeley to make it safe for a biomass plant at Pyramid Mountain Lumber (which has been discussed as part of Tester’s FJRA), and the recent appointment of a new head at DEQ? I wonder if the timing of the settlement and the cleaner stoves for Seeley have any connection to Tester’s bill or to the new head of DEQ? Just wonderin’, of course…..