[CPEO-MEF] Burn rules may change

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

California
THE CALIFORNIAN
Burn rules may change
Army Ponders Weather Limits for Ord Fires; County air quality officials
study data from October blaze
By Ethan Daniel Lindsey
December 16, 2003

U.S. Army officials on Monday said more restrictive weather conditions
may be considered for future prescribed burns at the former Fort Ord
military base.

A fire started by the Army on Oct. 24 jumped its boundaries and produced
large plumes of dark gray smoke visible throughout Monterey County.
Military fire officials said they waited for specific weather conditions
to let smoke rise quickly and blow away at high altitudes.

Now the Army says it will ponder more stringent weather limits as
recommended by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District.

"We have seen their preliminary report," said Gail Youngblood,
environmental coordinator for the Army's base-closure unit. "There's a
lot of thinking that needs to go on in preparation (for future burns),
and we'll probably change some things."

Janet Brennan, a supervising planner with the air quality control group,
said problematic weather conditions may have led to the pollution spike
but noted the agency has no authority over the Army.

"We are still learning quite a bit about how certain environmental
factors affect a burn of this magnitude," Brennan said. "As far as the
Army, whether or not they apply the lessons we've found from the latest
burn, I don't know."

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.californianonline.com/news/stories/20031216/localnews/46414.html

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