Air quality in towns with over 20,000 people (Billings, Missoula: home, living in)

[ssouina]

It sounds as if smoke from forest fires is a big problem in Missoula and oil refinery fumes is a problem in Billings. What are the air quality issues in other towns with a population over 20,000? Thank you

[Redraven]

I haven't noticed "oil refinery fumes" much here in Billings. Maybe I'm used to it, and it just doesn't bother me. We also have a coal fired power plant, and I don't notice any smell from it, either.
We get forest fire smoke here, too.
When they burn the weeds in the irrigation ditches, there is a LOT of smoke around.
Great Falls has an oil refinery also. When I lived there, I never noticed any smell from it. They also get smoke from grass fires and forest fires.
Missoula is sort of down in a hole, and they often get temperature inversions that hold the smoke and pollution over the town. It can be bad, but it usually doesn't last TOO long.
Kalispell can be smoky during a bad fire season, too.
Helena, of course, has the pollution from the Legisalture, but I don't suppose that is the kind of pollution you are asking about...
I guess the bottom line is, during a bad fire season there can be smoke all across the state, depending on where the fires are, and what direction the winds are blowing.
Those same winds, of course, keep what pollution there is moving on across the landscape, so it never gets all that bad.
You will have to come check it out, and see if it exceeds YOUR "comfort level".

[Redraven]

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the feedlots and livestock auctions. They can get VERY aromatic, sometimes.
THOSE even I notice, but that is the price you pay for living in a ranching area.

[Fodderman]

Originally Posted by Redraven

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the feedlots and livestock auctions. They can get VERY aromatic, sometimes.
THOSE even I notice, but that is the price you pay for living in a ranching area.

That reminds me of the first time I ever passed a truck hauling a load of pigs. Happily I was tooling down the freeway with the windows down. Little did I know I was about to be assaulted in a most hideous manner. Now I know. Windows UP, vents OFF, pass FAST, don't breathe until past! I still have nightmares....

And, speaking of aromatic ranches, you often here ranchers say, "that smells like money to me!" Well, where's MY share?

[rangerider]

Originally Posted by Redraven

I haven't noticed "oil refinery fumes" much here in Billings. Maybe I'm used to it, and it just doesn't bother me. We also have a coal fired power plant, and I don't notice any smell from it, either.

You're right, it's gotta be conditioning. We spent a year and a half in Billings, lived on the west side out near 48th & Central, the fumes from the refineries were enough to drive us out most days. Post storm westerlies gave us Laurel, pre-storm easterlies gave us Lockwood. Neither of us could take it, so between that and some business difficulties we moved back home to the Gallatin valley.

A lot of smaller places are in mountain valleys and suffer from inversions/stagnant air. You get a lot of what's there just because it doesn't get cleared out. Topography has a lot to do with it...Missoula suffers, Great Falls does not. Bozeman's getting worse by the year.

[Timberwolf232]

Originally Posted by Fodderman

That reminds me of the first time I ever passed a truck hauling a load of pigs. Happily I was tooling down the freeway with the windows down. Little did I know I was about to be assaulted in a most hideous manner. Now I know. Windows UP, vents OFF, pass FAST, don't breathe until past! I still have nightmares....

And, speaking of aromatic ranches, you often here ranchers say, "that smells like money to me!" Well, where's MY share?

Ha! I was once following a cattle truck with my dad years ago, window down, smoking a cigarette and one of the cows decided to relieve itself... the bastard soaked me and I don't think I've ever seen my dad laugh so hard since then.. Needless to say we stopped at the next truck stop where I showered and changed my shirt.. Every time I see a livestock rig running down the interstate I roll the windows up..

[nan5623]

OMG ~~ Timberwolf232, I'm sorry but that is a hilarious story.