Woodstoves and Air Quality Update in Seeley Lake

SEELEY LAKE - With completion of the woodstove change out program, most areas in Seeley Lake appear to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for small particulate matter in the air (PM2.5). However, more steps are needed to reduce woodstove smoke in the neighborhood near the elementary school.

The graph, "Seeley Lake Days Over the PM2.5 Standard by Winter Season," shows that progress has leveled off over the last couple of winters and the area continues to exceed the daily PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Because almost all the PM2.5 in Seeley Lake comes from woodstove and fireplace smoke, it is important to find ways to further reduce smoke emissions from residential wood heating.

The best ways to reduce smoke include:

1. Split, stack and store wood in a covered location.

2. Season the split wood for at least one summer to dry the wood.

3. Get your stove good and hot before dampening down.

4. Go outside and check your woodstove smoke after the stove is warmed up. If you cannot easily see the background through your smoke, stove emissions are too high.

To prevent Seeley Lake from being declared a non-attainment area for PM2.5, the community needs to show continued improvement in air quality. The goal is to have six days or fewer over the daily standard of 35 µg/m3 each year. If Seeley Lake is designated a non-attainment area for PM2.5, the National Clean Air Act requires Missoula County to adopt enforceable rules that can get the area into attainment.

If you live within four or five blocks of the elementary school on School Lane and need a covered shelter or tarp to store your wood, please notify the Missoula City-County Health Department at 406-258-3369. The Health Department does not have wood shelters at the moment but if we find there is a need and people are willing to use the shelters for wood storage, we may be able to procure shelters at a bulk rate.

Benefits of dry wood in a stove include less creosote buildup in the chimney and more energy going toward heating the home instead of toward evaporating water out of firewood.

Seeley Lake could also pursue a community dry wood shelter that can store a couple years' supply of firewood for the elementary school neighborhood. Wood at the shelter could be stored for a complete summer season before being used the following year. The logistics of managing this for the wood cutters and residents would take effort but could result in significant improvements in air quality and avoid a potential non-attainment status for Seeley Lake.

Over the next couple winters, the Health Department plans to visit with residents and encourage clean burning practices. We will also continue to place air quality messages on the electronic sign, and work with community members on ideas to further improve the air quality in Seeley Lake.