Firsthand experiences from those living with the smoke and odor problem

Neighbors around Uplander Street outdoor wood boiler say the nuisance smoke is just the beginning of their worries.
Considering the huge amount of smoke and the widespread odor, we figured we could not the only people who found it excessive and a real nuisance. The coverage area was just so large, we decided to see if others were bothered in our neighborhood. Throughout July and August 2008 we spoke with neighbors on Swallow Street and Uplander Street.

While we had expected the nuisance issue of smoke and smell to be the major complaint, we were surprised to discover respiratory problems are a major issue with many of our neighbors. We also learned that these are not the type of people to complain if the smoke and odor weren't a real issue for them.

By the numbers
First, the properties: There are 12 private residential properties, averaging 2.5 acres, within a 10 foot to 500 foot radius of the outdoor wood boiler's location. (not including the OWB owner). The homes on each of those properties are located from 150 feet to appx. 600 feet away from the unfiltered exhaust pipe. Of those 12 closest properties, we had the opportunity to speak with and gather information from 9 of the property owners as of mid September 2008. (including ourselves as one of the property owners.) Many neighbors were willing to discuss their experiences of the boiler with us, and others understandably wish to keep some information private. We respect the privacy of all our conversations with neighbors. This overview of the information is meant to show each of the property owners and their families they are not alone in their experiences with the outdoor wood boiler.
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Anoka County has a population of 327,000. There are 3,844 cases of emphysema (COPD) in Anoka County, or 1 in 85 people. AT LEAST 3 OF THOSE CASES ARE WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE OWB.

This map shows the location of the source of the smoke, as well as surrounding homes. Each ring represents 100 feet in distance. The wind indicator above shows current conditions in our area, along with wind direction. Note the wind direction to see whose property is currently downwind from the smoke.

Typically, we experience the most smoke and smell in the spring, summer, and early fall, when winds more commonly blow out of the SW. However, winds can come from the SW any time of year, when fronts move through. When the wind speeds are below 5 mph, the smoke and odor will radiate outward and still be strong up to two hundred or more yards from the source. Still winds will keep the air stagnant for hours and even days at a time.

Below is our neighborhood survey of property owners we talked to. There were several more neighbors in the immediate vicinity we did not get the chance to speak with. Since some property owners preferred to keep their health information private, the actual number of people affected could be higher. There may also be other health problems not listed below, which may be aggravated or worsened by the outdoor wood boiler.
Of the 9 property owners we spoke to, here are the survey results:

1. The smoke and/or smell is a nuisance at least some of the time for myself and/or member(s) of my family.
YES: 7 property owners. NO: 1 property owner. NOT SURE: 1 property owner.

2. I believe continued exposure to the smoke and/or smell may have negative health consequences for myself and/or member(s) of my family.
YES: 6 property owners. NO: 1 property owner. NOT SURE: 2 property owners.

3. Myself or a member of my family has one or more chronic health issues which may aggravated by large volumes of wood smoke.
YES: 5 property owners. NO: 2 property owners. NOT SURE: 2 property owners.

4. Given the close proximity to neighboring properties and people, I believe outdoor wood boilers which create large volumes of smoke and/or smell do not belong in residential neighborhoods in Oak Grove, or at the very least, should be regulated to minimize the nuisance smoke and smell.
YES: 9 property owners. NO: 0 property owners. NOT SURE: 0 property owners.

5. I believe I may have smelled something other than wood being burned at the time the wood boiler is burning.
YES: 6 property owners. NO: 0 property owners. NOT SURE: 3 property owners.
Comments of what may/are being burned range from garbage to plastic to construction materials (ie: 2 x 4's, plywood), and one even believes they smelled some type of animal flesh being burned. ALL of these items are illegal to burn in an outdoor wood boiler, and all of us are aware of this.
NOTE: In the months following the conversation with our neighbors, we were told by the City the OWB owner is NOT burning garbage. We are told ONLY WOOD is being burned. If this is true, consider the following:
According to how they answered question 5 above, six property owners sincerely believed what they smelled was GARBAGE, or other non-wood items burning. This is what each homeowner described based on their first hand experience and their day to day living next to the outdoor wood boiler.

The 6 property owners smelled what they thought was garbage burning on many different dates and times. The properties include multiple people living on each property, ie: husband, wife, children. Each smelled it on different occasions, multiple times, over a two year period. Each smelled it more often when their property was downwind from the OWB. Since properties are on all sides of the OWB, this would mean different properties were smelling it on different days. The number of people, multiplied by the number of occasions, over a time frame of at least two years, means there could be dozen, even hundreds of times where people THOUGHT they were smelling garbage. But what were they really smelling?

According to the owner, and according to the City of Oak Grove, they were all smelling TYPICAL EXHAUST OUT OF THE OUTDOOR WOOD BOILER. This tells you how bad the smell really is when so many people mistake a smell so many times coming from a single source. The concentrated smoke and soot (25x a typical EPA certified stove) are what make the odor so bad, so thick and heavy that people MISTOOK it for garbage burning. This confirms the smoke and odor are a huge nuisance, and everyone's claims that the smell coming from the OWB does not smell like a typical wood fire. Oak Grove City Council member Mike Wylie stated the same thing Sept. 29, 2008 at a City Council meeting. He was speaking of his experiences with an outdoor wood boiler about two blocks from his property. In our case, we are talking about properties only 10 feet to 500 feet from this outdoor wood boiler. Here is Mike's actual quote from the meeting:

"I do know there is one (an OWB) down road from me, it's probably about 2 blocks. When the wind is heavy and thick with moisture, it really does smell up whole neighborhood. I mean I'm far enough away it but I can still smell it pretty strongly. It doesn't smell like a typical fire someone someone is having around a campfire out back."

Those of us who LIVE near an outdoor wood boiler understand the smell is NOT A TYPICAL WOOD BURNING SMELL, but far more concentrated and strong. Council member Mike Wylie said it himself. Two former Council members, Brad LeTourneau and Jim Marinan, agree the smoke and odor from these devices is far greater than a typical indoor wood stove. In the same meeting, Brad said in regard to the nuisance smoke and odor "If you can't keep it on your property, then you've got a problem, you've got an issue. It IS a public nuisance and has got to be addressed."

NUISANCE ISSUES:
7 of the 9 property owners find the smoke and smell to be a nuisance at least some of the time, depending primarily on wind direction (or lack of it). Some are bothered by the smoke and smell more in winter months, some are bothered by it more in warmer summer weather. 7 of the properties have experienced the smoke at some time or another while engaging in outdoor activities. For most, it was enough of a nuisance to send people indoors, causing loss of right to enjoy their own properties. 5 people have been bothered by the smoke and smell inside their houses on one or many more occasions. At least 2 houses run air conditioners more often than they believe necessary because of the unpredictability of the smoke. Most said it just plain stinks and they're tired of it. Several people also have domesticated pets and other farm animals which some people believe may be affected.

HEALTH ISSUES:
6 of the 9 property owners felt the nuisance issue is directly related to health issues they or member(s) of their families are experiencing. Of those who chose to discuss health problems which they believe could be aggravated or worsened by the outdoor wood boiler, here are the health issues they or member(s) of their families are experiencing:
4 people have asthma
2 people have vertigo or a more serious version of the disease
3 people have COPD / emphysema
2 people have chronic sinusitis

OTHER COMMENTS OF NOTE:
Of the 6 properties experiencing health problems, home owners have lived on their current properties from 6 to 23 years, with an average of 13 years.
At least 4 of the 6 property owners felt their health problems have become noticeably worse starting a little over 2 years ago.
All of those who described respiratory problems believe or suspect emissions created by the outdoor wood boiler can worsen their symptoms, including triggering asthma attacks, sinus pain, shortage of breath, or other breathing problems, as well as triggering headaches.
At least 2 people believe emissions from the outdoor wood boiler could be at least a partial CAUSE of one or more of their health problems.

None of us are doctors or lawyers, so critics may argue alternative explanations for people's health problems and associated symptoms. Two facts, however, can't be disputed. 1. Continuous combustion of wood combined with large volume emission of wood smoke is a well known irritant for people with one or more of the health issues described above. 2. The continuous combustion and resulting emissions from a specific outdoor wood boiler has been identified by at least 7 neighboring properties as a cause for complaint.