Eugene Air Pollution (Junction City, Veneta, Coburg: mobile home, neighborhoods, allergies)

[bear409]

Would someone please tell me the truth about the air quality in Eugene. Is it clean or is it dirty? I am reading things about Eugene having the 5th worst air quality in the U.S. and then another report I read says it's rated as "green" all year round. Also, could someone tell me about the farmers and their crop burnings. That sounds scary and polluting.

If Eugene air is really that bad, why do so many people want to be there?

[GueroLoco]

Eugene can have some very bad air at times. This is especially true in the summer and early autumn when grass seed farmers in the Willamette Valley burn their fields for pest control purposes. The problem is primarily with Eugene's topography. Eugene lies at the southern end of the valley, and is flanked by the coast range to the west, the Coburg Hills and Cascade foothills to the east and a series of high hills and buttes to the south. Due to this, bad air from not only the surrounding areas, but the whole of the Willamette Valley collects in Eugene and stagnates. The same thing happens in the spring with the pollen from all the trees and flowers in the valley, making the area hellish for some sensitive allergy sufferers.

Its up to you to decide if this is enough of a detraction from the overall quality of life. Eugene is a nice, laid back, liberal town with alot of things to offer for a city of its size.

[statetostate]

From what I see in the climate data, Eugene has on average 1/3 clear, 1/3 partly cloudy and 1/3 cloudy days per year. The highest rainfall is in Nov, Dec, Jan. 40% of the year has over .01 inch, 24% over .1 inch, dropping to 7% with over .5 inch. I realize I need to LIVE there to understand if this will be difficult for me. I have visited about 5 times but never in the rainy season. I have a couple questions:
1) are there areas of/around town that are less rainy than others ?
2) is it rainier around the rivers?
3) is it rainy in the more elevated areas and where would those be?
4) when it rains is it more misty on most days (sounds like that would be the case except on days when it gets over .5 inches)?
5) how many days can go by without seeing the sun? not asking for sunny skies, just seeing the sun thru the clouds...

Thinking of Eugene, Junction City or Veneta (Southwest or Northwest of Eugene). Are these more or less rainy? The reason I ask is I lived in places where it would mist for 3 days then be clear and also in places where it rained more for a day then be clear the next day.

Also any tips on keeping it dry inside - I have a dehumidifier.

Thanks in advance for insights.

[Eugguy]

It can get smoggy during the summer, but otherwise the air is pretty good!

[Elizabeth Farrell]

The air in Eugene is terrible and getting worse, despite the fact that field burning is no longer allowed. There are 50 air and toxic release sites and two Superfund sites in the 9 square mile area of West Eugene, and the proposed biomass plant will add far worse pollution. I smell creosote in the air much of the time when I go outside, so I intend to sell my mobile home and move.

The Oregon Toxics Alliance website is a good source for information.

[Mr Eugenified]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth Farrell

The air in Eugene is terrible and getting worse, despite the fact that field burning is no longer allowed. There are 50 air and toxic release sites and two Superfund sites in the 9 square mile area of West Eugene, and the proposed biomass plant will add far worse pollution. I smell creosote in the air much of the time when I go outside, so I intend to sell my mobile home and move.

The Oregon Toxics Alliance website is a good source for information.

According to the data monitoring sites, the air quality in Eugene has steadily improved over the last 10 years. This year's actuals are MUCH better than 10 years ago. Not sure what makes you think it is getting worse? Maybe you are right next to some industrial area?

LRAPA - Data Graphing

(You need to play around with the controls on this link page to view one year at a time and then "scroll" backwards to see previous years for the same period. The controls are not quite user friendly.)

The only complaint I have is that people overuse their wood-burning stoves during the winter, thinking that they are the "natural" way to heat. They create some smoke during the winter months. But it is not out of control.

Of course, we must mention that this area is covered with trees and grasses, so people with allergies to those specific pollens will have a hard time here.

[Elizabeth Farrell]

As I understand it, the LRAPA equipment providing data for that study was not monitoring the air in West Eugene; now they have equipment in place at Peterson Barn. When that data will be released, I don't know. The Eugene Toxics Alliance is sponsoring an Air Quality Forum at Peterson Barn on November 16th at 6:30 p.m. and I intend to be there. Anyone interested in learning more about the air quality in Eugene and/or the Danebo/Bethel/Santa Clara/Trainsong neighborhoods would benefit from hearing this information.