UPDATE 12/11/03...The building is still vacant and the air here is still having problems.It seems that the major sources of particulate pollution are from the south and west of this area.At this time the problem locally is fireplaces and fireplace soot.
9/26/03...Looks like he has moved out.It wasn't anything but "he went broke".Now if the factories messing up the air here would stop.Daydreaming i guess.
9/10/03...No one at the shop today and NO SMOKE!!
9/5/03...This week has been relatively smoke free.I hope this continues.When they take away your air,what is left?
8/10/03Today was a tough day here.In fact,the whole week has been tough.Here is a brief rundown.Temperatures have been near or over 100s all week.Air quality has been in the hazardous for all groups range once this week.Air quality has been in the hazardous for sensitive groups range twice this week.Wood ash was dumped from the local polluters dumpster into a carry truck on thursday.This ash is loose and when its dumped from overhead,it releases large quantities of ash into the air in the area.This happens on a regular basis and the ash can be smelled in the air here.Wood ash is deadly and it carries lead,radioactive particles and carcinogens to name a few.It should be handled as a hazardous waste,not as ordinary dumpster trash.Today,to top it all off,it rained.Normally that would be a good thing but the smoke from the bbq shop was wafting through my yard and continued on through the night.With the humidity and the heat,it was quite nauseating.
So i spent my day from when i arrived home,until now,sealed up in the confines of my home.Fun huh?
7/21/03...I finally got an email from the city official in charge of compliance with ordinances. Apparently the city and state inspector got together and did a test on the smoke.I havent heard from the state inspector but am hoping to get some word soon.Apparently the business owner has said that he "hardly smokes any meat"in his smokehouse, but from the wording of the ciy inspectors ...i wonder if the right stack was tested
7/04/03...The state agencies and county have pretty much bailed out on me and left me here with no reasonable alternatives to dealing with this problem.Apparently its not "their home"so they dont see any need to get involved.DON'T-GIVE-A-DAMISM is alive and well in the state of texas.The air quality reflects that too.
I feel the liability that this problem is incurring is going to be astronomical in terms of health and smoke damages if this problem isnt resolved soon.The lack of response by the people(city hall) that allowed this business to open is a big reason why the area has such poor air quality.I have seen the city council go into long debates over snow cone stands,and apartment complexes,and child molesters,and bull-dozing houses,and flood control,yet,when an incinerator smelling polluter affects the lives of hundreds of citizens,its ignored.I have given the officials here plenty of chances to respond.I want to resolve this issue reasonably,but that takes cooperation.Its been 4 months of smoke for me.One day is too long.I will give the county and state every chance to respond as well.How much longer will it be?On this site i attempt to demonstrtate that all the research has been done on ash and soot.The courts have ruled,the pollution is visible to us all around us.ITS TIME TO ACT!!!
Hello,its 4:30 am here on july 1,2003.I have just been through, and am currently enduring a long day of air pollution(code red ,or unhealthy, for everyone) and I have been in a smoky cloud all night from the local BBQ shop.The stinky ,incinerator smelling smoke has been wafting across the yard all night,and its quite nauseating to be outdoors.I have been attempting to contact various agencies with the city,county and state regarding this matter.This is the fourth month of this problem for me and I hope that eventually I will be able to resolve this issue.
So far,neither the mayor,James Outszs,Code enforcement official,Wayne Carlisle,the fire department,or city hall in general have responded in 4 months of emailing their offices.Not one email confirming my attempts to complain or anything.The county and state agencies have responded to some degree.I will keep you updated on what happens.At least some one cares enough to confirm my emails.
Location of smokestacks on polluter in question.
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| .... | .... | .... | .... | <---1 smokestack of 3 |
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| .... | .... | <--2 additional stacksupdate 1 stack removed as of 9/03 |
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Smoke is more than just cigarettes or forest fires.Any smoke damages health and belongings. It is my hope that this page will help anyone sufferring from smoke inhalation in their life on a daily basis to understand the problem and learn from my experiences and those of others.
| The following passage appears on this page http://www.burningissues.org/tables/mortalitytable.html When Smoke Meets the Human Body 'Moderate smoke inhalation reduces oxygen delivery, and increases oxygen demands on your body. It will matter a great deal to your body when you are exposed. Periods of particular susceptibility include: prenatal, childhood while the body is growing and is not fully protected by the immune system, or following cancer chemotherapy when the immune system is disabled. Smoke can be devastating to an individual following transplant surgery, during a case of the flu, or in addition to other body stresses of disease or emotional upset. Ambient levels of particulate pollution are related to mortality rates. We can go over the body systems and look at how WS can cause upset and even death to these systems. Particulate pollution is soot. Wood smoke soot kills people. It always has. Well preserved mummies from 5,000 years ago (when there were no cars or diesel soot) show ravaged lungs at early ages. Wood smoke kills people just like cigarette smoke does. As with cigarette smoke, people who don't burn are exposed as well but on a larger scale. We know that cigarette smoke shortens lives. All smoke shortens lives. As long as populations are exposed to wood smoke it is clear that deaths will be increased in proportion to the smoke in the air.' |
| I have an issue...the issue is smoke..smoke is referred to as pm or particulate matter by the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA.Here is a page from their web site demonstrating sources of particulate matter. http://www.epa.gov/oar/urbanair/pm/what1.html This smoke or pm is affecting my life and has been affecting it since april of this year..This is from the epa web site,it discusses pm and some effects caused by it being in the air. http://www.epa.gov/oar/urbanair/pm/chf.html.  click for larger image As you can see this is the problem...smoke...it emits from two smokestacks that sit on top of a small shed in the back of a recently opened BBQ shop near my home,and a larger stack that is on top of the main building,also the smoke billows out from the smokehouse in the back and has a terrible ,incinerator like odor, when the person lighting the fire is burning cardboard etc., or overdoes the lighter fluid that they use to ignite the firewood(logs),scrap lumber,brush,etc. that is burned in the shed. So what?You might ask. Why should i care what someone does? The reason is,because its bad for my health.I live in an area with POOR AIR QUALITY ALREADY.ITS RATED F AT THE EPA WEB SITE FOR TARRANT COUNTY.ADDING INCINERATOR TYPE WOOD SMOKE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT A GOOD THING TO DO. Who says it is? The whole internet says,the government says(EPA),science says,medical research says...wood and coal smoke fires are bad for you whether its from a house burning or a forest fire or a bbq pit or a charcoal weenie roast..is potentially deadly and kills a lot of people every year,it destroys belongings and the environment,and hurts anyone and anything exposed to it..yes smoke kills. Smoke is referred to in the Environmental Protection Agencies literature as PM or particulate matter. http://www.epa.gov/oar/urbanair/pm/chf.html ..hellooooo...SMOKE KILLS...!!!!! I researched the internet when this problem first started at my house in april of this year.I discovered volumes of web sites on this matter.My reasons for researching the matter were because the smoke was making me feel bad when i was working in my yard,getting my mail,washing my clothes,working on my car,walking down the road,or doing any of countless activities outside that i have to do on a daily basis.In addition it was enterring my house and permeating the neighborhood for long periods of time. Just imagine,going outside and having a stinky smoulderring toxic carcinogen-microparticle laden incinerator smelling wood based smoke hitting you in the face all the time when you walk out of your front or back door..it gets old real fast.It will contribute to health problems not only for me but for others in this area,possibly even death...I work in my yard and i engage in a lot of activities outside...thats all ended now until this issue is resolved.If you would like to read more on the issue please consult this page: http://www.burningissues.org/fact-sheet.htm You may ask,why the big deal its just smoke? My response is,read the page and you will see,this smoke is worse than having a giant cigarette blowing smoke at my neighborhood,its deadly material.The carcinogens and harmful gases and particles dont just disappear in the wind,they linger,they are microscopic and go deep into the lungs.The particles penetrate houses because they are so tiny,and they dont leave the body because of their size,a recipe for serious health problems.This is well documented. The stacks that are affecting me are low to the ground,and the winds here blow the smoke down toward the ground and keep it on ground level for a long period of time... lots of people and children are affected by it.  click for larger image This bbq restaurant is unique in that it is... 1.close to homes and is using a primitive wood burning shed to cook some of the meat it sells..children play in the area between the shed on the left and the houses on the right,they park their cars there..  click for larger image 2.The smoky shed is close to a washateria that is where people go to wash their clothes...this car is parked within ten feet of the smokestacks blowing intense micro-particle and carcinogen laden smoke down onto and into the car, and anyone in the area of the washateria, and on into the neighborhood...the smoke is so intense that it can be smelled blocks away.People sit near that area where the car is...right out there in the smoke...a very hazardous situation...and their ignorance will lead to health problems...its documented...read it for yourself... http://www.burningissues.org/fact-sheet.htm In addition smoke from these stacks blows on neighboring businesses and school children that walk by on the adjacent busy road..cherry lane.There are a lot of potential problems here regarding the health of school children,they are especially affected by smoke because their immune systems are not fuly developed. There are two schools nearby.I have seen children walking from school in the smoke as it blows down cherry lane,an adjacent road.Usually they are walking in the afternoons when the air here is especially bad and the smoke just adds to the problem.  click for larger image  click for larger image It is a nuisance,and a health hazard to all of us that live here and the messiness that is in public view and often "burning paper" or burning lumber smells as well as noxious smoke that emits from the back shed often,nd left smoulderring unattended at night, is unacceptable to me and to others that live here. In addition,whenever smokestacks are mentioned in the state regulations,they always have a height and flow rate,as part of the regulations and calculations they require,for some businesses.This business has LOW SMOKESTACKS and NO FLOW RATE TO SPEAK OF so the smoke just hovers in the area when the wind is low and blows at ground level when there is a breeze.Its the nature of biomass produced smoke to hug the ground,making it especially bad for the residents and businesses in the area. UPDATE  click for larger image The bbq shop was visited by a representative from the Texas commission on environmental quality,on may 29,2003, but the smoke wasn't being emitted at the time,later that day,in the afternoon,smoke was again being emitted,and this is the proof.Note the two sooty smoke stacks with the one emitting the smoke on the left in line with the washeteria overhang(just below).If you click for a larger image you can see the stack emitting the smoke clearly.  click for larger image This picture is an accurate image of the smoky haze that is purely caused by the emissions from the stacks located about 7 feet from the ground on top of the "smokehouse"in back of the bbq shop.The smoke was drifting in waves across the alley behind the shop,across people that were standing near the washeteria,across people that were driving,walking and riding their bicycles.Children and adults were being exposed to this toxic clouds. This matter needs to be dealt with before people start sufferring major health problems and property is damaged and loses its value as well. It seems that..bbq and some other food-handling related facilites are permitted by rule click herewhich means that they are not required to be permitted by the state,however they do have some guidelines.The state representative has been very helpful,and as a result of his help,i have found a regulation that,in my opinion, covers the problem...click here This facility fails in two areas,as i see it,in this regulation,it is under the 100 foot distance minimum between it and inhabited buildings(par 2)including businesses as well as residential buildings,no distinction made here ,there is a washeteria within 15 feet of the stacks with a family that works there often with the doors open and the smoke blows in, and houses across the back of the narrow alley as well as down two adjacent streets,there are manned outdoor businesses to the north,and south,and the smokestacks exceed the 5 percent opacity mentioned in the regulations (par 6).The problem is that the facility is just too close to people and the emissions are too dense.This county is FAILING the ozone level and particulate standards for the air here, so that makes it much worse on the residents here when this situation is happening with local pollution.I hope to resolve this matter soon with the state reps. help.  click here for larger image. Here is more problems,burning during unhealthy pollution days,and burning all night when the wind is low.This picture was taken at approximately 10:30 am on July 4,2003.Note the smoke plume rising from the back of the building on the left and the smoky haze generally in the area around the trees.This is what i am breathing here!!A strong smoke odor was noted not only in my yard all night(see odor logs) but on Cherry Lane for several blocks as well as i drove by this morning and my yard as well.This isnt light smoke,this is incinerator type smoke. UPDATE 6/25/03I was told by state rep that permit by rule,general rules,as cited above,doesn't apply to the permitted by rule facilities listed in the regulations.He cited his "supervisor"as the source of the interpretation of the regulation,however i have noticed that on the state web site the lawyers usually interpret the regulations.So i have an issue there.The state rep has said he will attempt to schedule another "sniff test visit"for odor.I suggested that the state rep try to visit when the smoke is being emitted,he has furnsished me an odor log file which i had difficulty using on my computer so i made one on a web page and the link is at the top of this page entitled odor logs,it is current.I have yet to hear if this will be sufficient to help him make a determination as to the proper time to visit.Meanwhile the problem continues. Update 7/04/03 The rep from the texas commission on environmental quality drove by the business on 7/02/03 for a "sniff test" and i did confirm with him that smoke was being emitted prior to his visit,and suggested that he inspect the smokehouse and ash dump because i can see that dumping the ash into a truck is going to make more mess around here.He emailed me later that day and said in his letter that he "drove by"and didnt "see"any smoke so he didnt stop and will reschedule for another day.The problem continues. Today was the worst day so far.Check out this pic of the smokey shed taken today,July 4,at approximately 10:30 am.There were people standing in this smoke,apparently the fire got out of control.This happens often.  click here for larger image This was not an isolated emission this is part of an all day "smoke-a-thon"that is just more sooty pollution in this area for us all to deal with.This happens here often. Air is meant for all to breathe,and lack of air affects life and quality of life.The state regulations are intended to keep us all safe and healthy as possible and since there is a lack of regulations regarding the food handling type of businesses,they are permitted by rule,the few regulations that they do have should be enforced its in line with why there are regulations in the first place,and its one of the reasons they exist,to make sure the public health is protected to a degree and the emissions don't interfere with use of adjacent property. The smoke emits harmful gases and other chemicals as well as particulates and is very dense as it comes out of the stacks,its too close to people.There are numerous food related businesses in the area,none emit the type of smoke that this establishment does,nor are they close to houses like this one is.  click for larger image This is what happens when smoke blows into your yard and onto your car.This rag wiped off heavy soot after two days of intense burning by the bbq place near my home.On the left of this old towel is the soot,on the right is the towel without soot,the soot came from my car this morning.During this recent"smokeout"i observed the owner with two other individuals standing in billowing clouds of smoke with the smoke drifting across the area onto the road,where children were walking,riding bikes and motorists were driving.At one time after a wave of lighter fluid fumes drifted across my yard.The burning in the "smokehouse"at the rear of the establishment went on for two days and the first day went into the evening as well....This soot material is on all the plants,my home,my roof,my car,my soil,my clothes,and inside my house as well...the particles are so small that they penetrate into living areas.  click for larger image This is another part of the problem,wood ash.Driving by the adjacent road,the smell of wood ash is noticed at this dumpster,that faces the road.When the wood ash is dumped into the carrier,after it is full,it blows a huge cloud of ash into the area.Making a bad situation worse.Wood ash is radioactive and full of carcinogenic material. The president and ceo of WMI,the dumpster company,Maury Myers,says on his web site click herethat his company is dedicated to maintaining the health and safety of residents in the communities he serves.Releasing carcinogen laden ash into the neighborhood here,with their disposal practices, hardly qualifies as improving my health. This matter needs some attention not only by state officials but also by the fire and other city departments before they incur liability for letting this business do this so close to houses and incur smoke and health damages to people that live in this area.This area has an F rating on air quality on the state web site for air quality.Here are a few pics of the air pollution. click here for air pollution pics |
Feel free to chat with me when i am online about this matter,or leave me a message.Just click the link and leave your message or chat with me if you have yahoo messenger.If you dont have yahoo messenger there is a download link there when you click the button.
