By Steve Jones, Corvallis
I want to second Ann Hardings letter “Burning issue” from last week. It’s approaching that time of year where, from my east side Corvallis deck, the valley looks like a land of ten thousand smokes.
You usually have to pay a dump $35 to take a tire, but here in the Root people dump those tires in the atmosphere by burning them, along with their other trash. I also see contractors burn their used construction trash ( chemicals, plastics, cardboard) after the job days done.
Opening burning appears to be a right of passage here in the valley and getting people to compost, recycle, or otherwise repurpose yard waste, would be like turning a battleship around in Big Creek. I think it’s time to charge for polluting the air. Maybe a fee at least as comparable to the what Bitterroot Disposal charges for its monthly waste disposal. The money collected could go to a host of mitigation efforts. Especially, environmental education.
This has got to stop. You can’t live 3 minutes without fresh air, yet we so cavalierly pollute our air here in the valley.
Clark Lee says
Mr. Jones, I am so glad to hear that someone else notices this. And I assure everyone it is not due to your vantage point. I can see it through the trees on the west side. I wrote a similar letter several years ago. I hope yours is received with more civility and solutions.