Pure air group seeks cleaner wood stoves

Steve Eckels wants to rid the air of the bad smells and health threats associated with wood smoke.

At a Flathead County Board of Health meeting Thursday, Eckels made the case for supporting conversion to clean-burning wood stoves and restricting wood burning during inversions.

Eckels, a Flathead High School music teacher, said he moved to Kalispell five years ago.

"In the winter, I noticed a stench smell in the air," he said.

Eckels said he had a severe emotional reaction to finding pollution and a health threat in the midst of Montana's rural beauty. He then contacted Bob Habeck at the state Department of Environmental Quality.

"I asked if I should forget all this and move or pursue making the area cleaner," Eckels said.

With Habeck's encouragement, Eckels opted to stay and coordinate a grass-roots effort for cleaner air with the Flathead City-County Health Department.

As a result, a "think tank" pure air committee formed. Its members include Eckels and Christa Bourne, minister; Claire Harball, respiratory therapist; Glen Aasheim, physician and board of health member; Mary Ruby, Open Hearth Fireplace Shop; Andrea Baumgardner, school nurse; and Joe Unterreiner, Kalispell Area Chamber of Commerce.

Eckels described the committee's mission as increasing awareness of air quality health issues and encouraging citizen participation in cleaning the air.

The committee hopes to find government and private financial help for conversions to catalytic wood stoves. These stoves create high burning temperatures which convert smoke and gases to heat.

In his presentation to the health board, Eckels pointed out that Kalispell was designated a "non-attainment area" for air quality in 1989.

In 1991, Flathead County approved strategies to improve the air, including refraining from wood burning during periods of poor air quality.

Eckels told the board that John Crouch, an expert on clean-burning wood stoves, had agreed to come to the Flathead to make a presentation. Crouch serves as the public information expert for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.

According to Eckels, Crouch agreed to pay his own travel expenses for an event on Sept. 8. He asked only that an official with the health department confirm that the department will participate.

Eckels distributed a handout with the results of his research into the health threat posed by wood smoke from stoves not certified as clean burning by the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the handout:

. EPA estimates the lifetime cancer risk for wood smoke at 12 times greater than from an equal volume of second-hand tobacco smoke.

. Burning two cords of wood produces the same amount of mutagenic particles as driving 13 gas-powered cars 10,000 miles each at 20 mpg.

. Hazardous substances contained in wood smoke include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, benzene, formaldehyde, benzoapyrene, dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

People interested in Eckels' work may reach him at 257-6878.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.