ee a B14 Terrace Review — Wednesday, January 2, 1991 In November, the Regional Dis- trict of Kitimat-Stikine received from Kalum District Forest office manager Brian Downie a copy of the "Kalum Forest District Smoke Toxic sho ~~ Kalum Forest Distric but regional board still wo Management Plan, October 1990". A copy of the same report was received by the Terrace-Kitimat Airport Advisory Committee in - November, and the regional district board has now adopted the ad- visory committee’s recommenda- tions on that report. The report recommends that the smoke-sensitive area designated ck bug calls for caution, chief medic says The chief medical health officer. for the Skeena Health Unit thinks northwest residents should not be alarmed by reports of a new viru- lent strain of streptococcus bacteria. Recent deaths caused by the group ’A’ variety, however, call for greater awareness in treat- ing infection, Dr. David Bowering says. _ . Bowering said in a recent inter- view that he first became aware of the new strain about a year ago. It has caused six deaths in B.C., but caught wide public attention when it was cited as the cause of an infection that. killed Muppets creator Jim Henson. So far there have been no reports of infections caused by the bacteria in the Northwest. Death is similar in nature to that of toxic shock syn- drome, with the bacteria creating such a large volume of toxins in such a short period of time that the victim’s metabolism is unable to neutmlize or excrete them. The bacteria is of the same fam- ily — streptococci — that causes strep throat and rheumatic fever, but it acts much more rapidly, resulting in death within a couple of days in some cases. "It has to be treated quickly and aggressively with antibiotics,” Bowering said, adding that he has circulated information on the group A’ bug to physicians in the region. The bacteria is usually spread through physical contact, infecting the victim by entering a break in the skin and then spreading rapidly through the bloodstream. . Bowering says it shouldn’t be a major health concern but he dees advise people to treat any cut or break in the skin promptly and to consult a doctor at any sign of infection. Jail guards, matrons may be letinon — vaccination program Terrace city council’s Finance Committee will be considering an RCMP request for municipal finan- cing of Hepatitis B injections for guards and matrons who work at the jail. According to RCMP in- spector Larry ‘Yeske, RCMP officers already have a vaccination program for the disease and it is NORTHWEST SS - FOR HEALTH "Did you — know..." A public service feature by the Skeena Health Unit By Dr. David Bowering, Medical Health Officer, Skeena Health Unit Did you know that smoking is bad for you? It pollutes your breath and stains your skin. It reduces the quality and the length of your life. It offends people around you and can make them sick. It sets you up for some of the worst and most rapidly debilitating forms of cancer. It costs a lot of money and reduces your chances for employment. Of course you knew that... Do you still smoke? More and more Canadians are quitting every day. As one poster puts it, “The Question for Smokers is not whether to quit but when’ Unfortunately, the ranks of newly-addicted smokers are also increasing every day. Smoking remains one of the ways teenagers choose to define their transition into adult life. In the course of a lifetime, tobacco will kill eight times as many 15-year-old children who now smoke as will car accidents, murder, suicide, AIDS, and drug abuse combined! Did you know that you can help to bring the tobacco epidemic under control? Don’t smoke. Make sure your community and schools have policies to ensure smoke-free environments. Lobby against tobacco advertising and for enforcement against selling it to minors, Don’t look the other way when you see kids smoking. Don’t give up until your community is truly smoke-free. January 21-27, 1991 will be National Non-Smoking Week. Take advantage of it and see what you can do to help yourself, your family, and your community to “Break Free’’. What are your questions and concerns? Write us at: “Did You Know That” . c/o Skeena Health Unit 3412 Kalum Street Terrace, B.C. V8G 4T2 ee - homes; into the lives of the very _ youiig, the elderly, and chronic- only reasonable that the guards and matrons, who deal with the same ptisoners, are covered by a pro- gram as well. In May of this year the city granted a similar request from Terrace firefighters. The cost of that vaccination program was $132 per injection for a total of around $3,000. In that case it was pointed | out by Terrace Volunteer Fire- man’s Association president Rick Owens that incidents of Hepatitis B are on the rise and about 200 U.S. health care workers dic every year by contracting the disease through their regular duties. t files plan around the airport be increased to five miles from 10, and that the proposed "venling index" of 60 should be increased to 80 as it does not take into account the height of mountains and surround- ing valleys. The Kalum Forest District’s Smoke Management Plan considers all fires, either intentionally or “accidentally set, and defines smoke-sensitive areas within the forest district as, "Any area in which smoke accumulations may cause a safety or public health hazard, or may unreasonably deny recreational or aesthetic enjoyment to the public." Areas designated as "sensitive" in the plan include the Highway 37 corridor east and north of Terrace to the Cassiar Forest District, Highway 16 west to the North Coast Forest District, the Nass Valley, including population centres at Nass Camp, New Aiyansh, Canyon City and Kinco- lith, the Meziadin Lake area, and the entire Kitimat Valley, parti- cularly the "Terrace-Kitimat Air- port, for a radius of five miles around the airport”. The plan suggests that smoke caused by fires of any type should be kept to a minimum during significant community events. Named are B.C. Day and River- boat Days, the Labour Day week- end and the Skeena Valley Fall Fair, the long weekend in May and the Skeena Valley Triathlon: in- July. According to the plan, "Any burning contemplated there days prior to or during these time periods MUST have the explicit approval of the District ‘Command Group." Under "Smoke Management Strategies," the venting index and to manage smoke, rried about airport other criteria are outlined. The venting index is a measure of the atmosphere’s ability to release . smoke as opposed to containing it in a specific ara. The forestry plan calls for a venting index of 60 or better, but according to Bob Cooper, who is a member of the regional district board as well as the Airport Ad- visory Committee, Environment Canada recommended earlier that a venting index of 80 was desir- able. According to the local weather office, there is a signifi- cant difference between a venting index of 60 and 80, and the latter occurs in our area frequently. Management strategies also state that there will be no "broadcast" prescribed burning within five miles of the airport (Area ’A’) and spot weather forecasts must be obtained for all areas that "reflect reasonable expectations for a safe bum to occur". There is, however, an exception for burning in Arca *A', According to the plan, "Burn- ing of accumulations will only be considered if no feasible alterna- tives are available." But, on the other hand, if fires are to be lit within five miles of the airport, the plan does restrict the size and number of fires at any one loca- tion. The fact that prescribed fires will still occur, anywhere permitted by the ministry, has prompted the regional board to add a comment to the Airport Advisory Commis- sion recommendations; existing board policy that condemns all broadcast buming. "We don’t want them to bum," says direcior Ray Brady. "I would like to sce added to this (the recommendations) that they do not give concurrence that slash buming is a tool open to forestry." Wood heating: smoke, — health and environment — This article is the second in a series of four installments on the environmental and health implica- tions of using wood as a primary home heating fuel. The articles are authored by John Collison-Baker of the B.C. Ministry of Environ- ment Waste Management Branch, provided by the Skeena regional office of the Ministry of Environ- ment, and printed by the Terrace Review as a public service. Any readers who have comments on these pieces are invited to address their concerns to the Terrace Review, attention: Editor. Air pollution from residential wood combustion can easily ex- ceed pollution from all other sources during winter months. The emissions are of great coricern for a number of rea- sons: they are highly respirable; they contain hazardous chemic- als capable of causing health ~ problems; they are emitted into -fésidential areas including our Emissions from wood burning in homes are increasing. Cancer of the skin in chimney sweeps was associated with soot: in 1775. Wood smoke contains the same chemicals. Wood smoke is known to contain many of the same cancer-causing com- pounds as cigarette smoke. Vil- lagers in New Guinea exposed to smoke in their huts have devel- oped obstructive lung disease by the age of 40. People exposed to industrial smoke and soot have developed skin and lung cancers. A very complex chemical pro- cess happens when material con- taining hydrogen and carbon, like wood, burns. When incom- pletely burned, extremely com- plex molecules are emitted, similar to molecules from burn- ing tobacco. Some of the carcin- ogenic (cancer causing) com- pounds include dimethylbenzan- thracene, dibenzanthracene, benzo/c/phenanthracene, 3-methylcholanthene, zopyrenes, and several diben- zocarbazoles. Some compounds benzo/a/pyrene, several diben- from wood burning are cilia- toxic and mucus-coagulating agents. They include formal- dehyde, propionaldehyde, acet- aldehyde, isobutyraldehyde and phenol. Cancer promoting com- pounds found in wood smoke include catechol, phenols, pyrene, and fluoranthene. As well as chemicals with hard-to-pronounce names, there are many commonly known ones. They include carbon diox- ide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and water. Emissions from residential wood combustion can be sub- stantially reduced by allowing sufficient air into the firebox. Wood burns with a diffusion flame. Oxygen must diffuse from outside the flame into the combustion zone. By contrast, in a gas flame the air and fuel are mixed prior to combustion. To prevent incomplete combus- tion and therefore excess smoke, burn dry wood with a hot fire and allow lots of air into the stave.