Is Boise air quality getting worse? (Stanley: living in, floor, smog)

[California Carl]

Could it be worse than the air in the San Francisco Bay area? We have mild asthma and it flairs up around here often.

[Pineboy]

Originally Posted by California Carl

Could it be worse than the air in the San Francisco Bay area? We have mild asthma and it flairs up around here often.

Probably not since the San Fran Metro are has over 7 million people and the Boise Metro has just over 600,000
That is a big difference in population and cars and industry, so I would say that Boise wins this one.

[California Carl]

I think you're right Pineboy. I'll look into an Air Quality site. One thing about the bay though. It works like a giant vacuum every day. You can see the new air (fog) moving across the GG Bridge every afternoon. Sucks it right out to sea. If not for that, we might be worse off than L.A. Ughh!

[pinkpalace]

I've only been to San Fran once. It was really nice. Seems like a really cool place to visit... but traffic was absolutely horrid. Didn't help that there was a sanitation worker strike going on downtown (I was going to a place on Market street). Sheesh, that traffic was worse than anything I've run into in Boston or Atlanta. Traffic was awful, but the views were beautiful. Just wish I'd had time to go to Alcatraz.

[California Carl]

Sorry you missed "The Rock" It is worth checking out if you come back. The traffic here is very scary. You have to pay attention all the time! You're right about the scenery. There are a lot of things/places to look at.

[chris]

I haven't been to Boise since fall of 2005, but being mildly asthmatic myself, I found the air to be much better there than Seattle (which isn't even that bad, but is bad enough for me to notice especially during warm weather).

I've read articles saying that it's getting worse in Boise, but I think they're extremely aware of the issue. Wish I had gotten the opportunity to live there for a couple of years, I really, really like it there.

[DrummerBoy]

Gee, thanks, Pineboy for explaining to us the geographic conditions necessitating an inversion! Duh! Of course you have to be at the base of mountains. But your rather lengthy letter just confirmed out point: Boise has inversions and they are getting more frequent and the pollution is worsening and since the city is growing this too will worsen. More people=more cars=more exhaust+mountains=more pollution. Also: more global waming=more firest fires=more woodsmoke during summer in Treasure Valley=terrible air in not just winter but summer.
Saying that the air quality is not as bad as SLC or Denver is hardly a compliment to Boise. OK, so Boise has the THIRD worst air in the western U.S. I'm not making this up guys=I've lived here many years and am just trying to warn potential newcomers who are expecting pristine air.
Case Closed!

[pinkpalace]

Good point.

I wouldn't consider air quality in Boise to be bad, but it certainly is uncomfortable during the inversions (during the winter months).

My time spent in Pocatello wasn't much better, thanks to the FMC and Simplot plants on the west side of town. (That was a looong time ago, maybe those plants are gone?)

Anyway, if you're looking for pristine air, there are lots and lots and lots of places in Idaho available. Heck, even Horseshoe Bend is up high enough (I think?) to be outside of the inversion. Idaho Falls also has lots of pristine air (that is, if you don't count Reed's Dairy )

[DrummerBoy]

Front page article in the Idaho Statesman today, basically stating that code "Yellow" air quality restrictions have worsened in each of the past five years and are expected to do so. Code Yellow implies air quality may be hazardous for kids or elderly, or people sensitive to such things. These alerts happen during the afomrentioned inversions during winter months. Today is third Code Yellow inversion in a row, more expected. And winter has not even started yet!!
Where's PineBoy?? LOL Rebuttal Please?

[Pineboy]

Boise had a yellow alert yesterday.
Salt Lake has a RED alert and their air quality alarms were going off yesterday.

Read the posts, Nobody is saying that Boise does not get inversions. They come and go during the winter.
NIMBYS are making it sound worse than it is, and when there are air warnings it is made to sound like the air here is this way all of the time.