Idaho High on EPA’s List for Wood Burning Pollution

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho, Oregon and Washington residents are among the top polluters in the nation when it comes to fine particle emissions from burning wood to heat homes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists Oregon, Idaho and Washington as seventh, eighth and ninth respectively in per capita emissions. The three states share chilly climates, a tradition of wood burning and lots of national forest land with easy access and where U.S. Forest Service managers appreciate the removing of some trees to reduce forest fires.

Wood burning is also popular in Oregon, where that state's Department of Environmental Quality found that a third of residents in the densely populated Portland region burn wood.