HomeMy WebLinkAbout1968-AIR-rpt.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON
CONvITTrsa ON AIR POLLUTION
Annual Report - 1968
Severe air pollution conditions of fall, 1966, caused
Lexington citizens to be concerned with the quality of the air
we breathe. Letters to the finute pian expressed shock that
leaf-burning was permitted when the air :v s already saturated
with smoke. A citizen-sponsored article in the spring 19.57
Town Hooting proposed that Lexington join the Totropolitan Air
Pollution Control District. Following defeat of the article,
Yr, Rufus L. t'c ;uillan, the late Chairman of the Roazsd of
Health, as well as many interested citizens felt that Lexington
should continue to combat local air pollution by local -mea-
sures. He recommended. formation of an official committee com-
posed of representatives of the Fire, Police and Health depart-
ments, one selectman and three citizens. The Conuitteo was
authorized and appointed by the selectmen in late spring and
had its first meeting in June, 1967.
The Committee met three times in the fall of 1967. After
defining the sources of air pollution in Lexington, the Commit-
tee decided that the chief source which could be locally allevi-
ated .vas outdoor burning. :1 thorough review of the local and
state regulations and ordinances revealed that the local health,
fire and polico officials have the authority to regulate outdoor
burning. The Committee requested the Selectmen to notify the
• • Committee on Air Pollution - Annual Ilaport, 1968 Page 2
regulatory agencies to enforce the following regulations:
1. A permit must be obtained by telephone call to
the Piro Department on each day of outdoor burning.
2. Outdoor fires are not allowed on public pavement.
3. The number of fire permits may be limited due to
conditions :rhich would cause smoke from outdoor fires to
obscure visibility on roads. This is a public safety
as well as an air pollution measure (in accordance with
Chapter 148, ISssachusetts General Laws on burning
household and garden waste) .
4. No fire permit may be issued during periods of
air pollution alert. This is a public health measure
(in accordance with Chapter 111, .ection 122, "assachu-
setta General Laws) . The Chairman of the Board of
Health aill receive advisories from the Boston Bather
Bureau and the State Department of Public Health and
inform and Fire and police Chiefs of the alert. Citi-
zen cooperation will be requested through the newspapers.
The Selectmen on October 9, 1967, unanimously agroed to
follow the Committeets recommendations and notified the agencies
involved - Public Health, Fire and Police Departments. In ad-
dition, the Public :arks Department initiated a study to de-
termine the feasibility of leaf-collection in the next few
years. Notices of the regulations wore published several
times in the rinuto ran during the months of October and
November, 1967.
Citizen cooperation was indeed noticeable during these
months. Durinr' this period there wore no uncontrollable brush
fires as a result of leaf-burning and no recorded violations of
the regulations, even though the number or Tire and Police
patrols were increased. It is interesting to note that the
number of permits issued was greater than the number issued
during the same period in 1066, while the actual number and
size of the fires decreased. In December, 1967, the publicity
Committee on 4ir iollution - Annual Poport - 1966 - age 3
I '
stopped. The first five days of December found the Fire Depart-
ment busy putting out and issuing warnings for illegal burning.
The year year 1968 saw a fine cooperation of weather and
Lexington citizens. It rained nearly every weekend of the fall.
Consequently a large number of wet leaves landed at the dump or
in individual compost heaps. The Lexington Minute Fan again co-
operated by giving top c;ditoAal Page attention to the leaf burn-
ing problom, for which the Committee is truly grateful.
In review, what has the Committee accomplished?
1. Increased citizen awareness of local sources of air
pollution and regulations for the control of these -
namely open burning.
2. Established 000rdinated procedures of surveillance
by the regulatory agencies.
3. As a result of improved procedures there has been
a marked reduction in number of uncontrolled brush fires,
unauthorized burning and burning upon public pavement.
4, The Public '.forks Department has noted the decrease
of burning on public highways as compared to other years.
{ 5. Visibility on local roads has improved during fall
months.
The Committee plans to continuo watching local, state and
national efforts to control air pnlluti.on■ In 1967 the Commit.
tee did not recommend that Lexington loin the Votropolitan Air
Pollution Control District and still feels its aiz enn best be
accomplished by local measures. As a long-t ni. goal Lexington
should nim toward total elimination of outdoor burning. In or-
der to do this, trash and leaf collection would be required.
Until these public collection are financially feasible the town
must rely upon the full cooperation of its citizens to ka 'p our
air cloan.
a
Committee on Air Pollut5on - Annual Report, 1908 Pago 4
The Committee on Air Pollution
Dr. Calvin Y. Sing, Chairman
Pers. Erna S. Greene, Secretary
Mr. Newton .a. Bennett
Fire Commissioner ,rilliam P. Fitzgerald
Fr. Allan P. :Kenney
Lt. James J. Lima, Jr.
Pr. Rufus L. McQuillan (deceased)
*Yr. N:c-2uillan participated in the early phases of the prepara-
tion of this report and contributed immensely to the work of
the Committee.
JAN 16 lbw