Worried about Air Quality in Placer County (Sacramento, Roseville: renting, transfer) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

ficklered · 06-03-2016, 07:20 AM

Hello, I posted a couple weeks ago and was actually getting really excited about moving to Placer County from Florida this summer (my husband was hired near Auburn...was looking at renting for a year in the area...searched Lincoln, Colfax, Folsom, and Rocklin). It looks so amazing and beautiful with the lakes, hiking, waterfalls, etc... But a couple days ago I studied the Lung Association's reports and some articles and research I found online. Now I am scared to death about the move (and may actually not go). One report said last year that there were over 60 orange days and 4 red days. I saw an article that stated people were wearing masks sometimes. What is it actually like to live there? Do you see pollution? Smell it? I have allergy-induced asthma (dust, cats, etc...), but am generally fine. No kids, but two small dogs. Thank you for sharing.

ecvMatt · 06-03-2016, 07:51 AM

There was a lot of wildfires last year that may have contributed to those numbers.

ficklered · 06-03-2016, 07:58 AM

Yolo county seems to be much better than Auburn and only a 48 minute commute? Does that seems accurate?

semispherical · 06-03-2016, 09:09 AM

I have lived in both Yolo and Placer Counties. I can't believe the air quality in the valley (Yolo) is better than the air quality in the foothills (Placer). Yolo gets dust, ozone, nitrogen oxides, smoke -- and regular inversions that hold it all in, especially in summer. Placer's air problem is mostly ozone, though you have to consider that Placer's terrain and elevation is much more variable than Yolo's. The amount and kind of air pollution you will get in, say, Roseville will be totally different from what you get in Alta. You can't use a county-wide average for Placer.

I'm always amused at the valley residents who try to scare people about air pollution in the foothills. Start on I80 in the valley and note the color of the sky above you. Drive up I80 on a hot summer day, stop at the Newcastle exit, and look at the sky again, then look back down the freeway to Sac. Unless there's a big fire in the region, you will not see or smell pollutants at the higher elevations (including Auburn) in Placer Co.

ETA: my son has allergies to pollens and mold. He suffers in both counties, though I'd say Yolo is marginally worse. When I was at UC Davis, I knew students who transferred to Bay Area schools because their allergies were so bad. It's been said that if you don't have allergies before moving to Davis, just wait a couple of years.

ficklered · 06-03-2016, 09:24 AM

Okay, thank you so much. I was using this as a guide: http://www.lung.org/local-content/ca...-area-fact.pdf

We were planning to visit in 2 weeks, but not so sure now. I have this image of wheezing and not being able to breathe in my head now. One of the main reasons I wanted to move was to spend more time outdoors than here in Florida where it's too hot and no good hiking, etc...

BeauCharles · 06-03-2016, 09:31 AM

Don't get too worked up about it. It all depends on where the reporting equipment is located. Ozone is odorless and invisible (since that was one of your questions). Regardless, its no worse than cities like Dallas, Houston or Atlanta. If your husband were transferring there would you be worrying about the air quality?

Mr5150 · 06-03-2016, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficklered

Okay, thank you so much. I was using this as a guide: http://www.lung.org/local-content/ca...-area-fact.pdf

We were planning to visit in 2 weeks, but not so sure now. I have this image of wheezing and not being able to breathe in my head now. One of the main reasons I wanted to move was to spend more time outdoors than here in Florida where it's too hot and no good hiking, etc...

I thought you said Placer County, not the city of Beijing.

ficklered · 06-03-2016, 06:05 PM

This is based on what I've been reading on here and articles...lol....hope you're right and it's all blown way out of proportion. People have been saying they are getting lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and more by moving near Sacramento. I only know what I'm reading for now, so that's why I posted here. The other job my husband was offered is in San Bernadino....that looks to be in the red zone over 100 days of the year. No way.

blueskywalker · 06-03-2016, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficklered

Hello, I posted a couple weeks ago and was actually getting really excited about moving to Placer County from Florida this summer (my husband was hired near Auburn...was looking at renting for a year in the area...searched Lincoln, Colfax, Folsom, and Rocklin). It looks so amazing and beautiful with the lakes, hiking, waterfalls, etc... But a couple days ago I studied the Lung Association's reports and some articles and research I found online. Now I am scared to death about the move (and may actually not go). One report said last year that there were over 60 orange days and 4 red days. I saw an article that stated people were wearing masks sometimes. What is it actually like to live there? Do you see pollution? Smell it? I have allergy-induced asthma (dust, cats, etc...), but am generally fine. No kids, but two small dogs. Thank you for sharing.

I intentionally didn't respond to your original post about the air quality (i do so often and get tired of saying it) but now that you state that it is a concern of yours and that also you have asthma, yeah, the air quality is horrible. I wouldn't live anywhere near the central valley or in the foothills, etc..
Sorry to say it but if you have concerns about / are a sensitive individual, i wouldn't make that move. People are more and less sensitive and more and less concerned about such things. I'm one who is. Clean air and clean water and extremely important to me. And if the map hasn't changed by the time you look at it, you'll see that the bad air extends all the way to the coast. The air quality on the monterey bay (where i live) was not good today and i felt it.

This is a good chart ... changes constantly depending on variables.
https://www.airnow.gov/

ficklered · 06-04-2016, 07:40 AM

Thank you. I am so sad. I was back up yesterday when I saw that Placer County only had 26 orange days last year. I thought I could get by with that if the rest of the year is fine. My husband is really not happy with me right now, as we were both so excited to move to a better place. I even spoke to someone at the pollution control there who said the air wasn't bad.