Letter: Air quality rules could be improved

 
EDITOR,
I applaud any attempt to improve the dreadful air quality in the San Lorenzo Valley; however, the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District seems to be missing the point (“Outdoor burning rules likely to tighten in San Lorenzo Valley,” Page 2, Sept. 7).
In my observation, it is the widespread reliance on wood for home heating that is poisoning our air. How about more stove buy-back offers? How about incentives to get more houses set up with natural gas or propane? How about rebates for insulating? How about more education on proper burning?
The problem with restricting outdoor burning is that flammable vegetation will build up until it all burns catastrophically (i.e., forest fire) instead of in small increments. Is it not better to burn it in controlled amounts? Education for proper burning and enforcement against improper burning would go a long way to improving our air. Hauling it away in diesel trucks doesn’t seem much better.
And what’s up with the public hearing on SLV’s new air-quality rules being held in Monterey? Having it in Felton would have served us better.
Stan Hooper, Boulder Creek