Clean air and water in Oregon

[NightBazaar]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

I always feel bad for people that are that sensitive. I think because of Howard Hughes paranoia over germs people tend to think it's a phobia rather than a real legitimate medical issue.

Actually, people who go to such extremes as wrapping themselves up with plastic might well be a phobia, or at least so frustrated at their allergic conditions that it drives them to become phobic. The plastic they're wrapping around their body is also made of chemicals, some of which can break down and possibly be absorbed by the skin. In addition, wrapping plastic around themselves just makes it difficult for the skin to 'breathe'. It sound like they're just trading one problem for another one. What they need to do is have their condition treated.

Wrapping plastic around theirselves isn't going to resolve much. Some allergens are likely to slip under the plastic anyway. And the masks, although helpful don't completely stop dust and pollen from getting in. Most of the over-the-counter masks, though better than nothing, don't stop allergens either. There's always an open spot around where the mask sits on the bridge of the nose that you just can keep sealed tight emough.

[darjeeling]

I don't have an allergies but worry about chemicals in the air.I don't know if air quality ratings use allergens and or chemicals to measure how good or bad the air quality is.I just know I was terribly disappointed reading Sperlings ratings where most of the areas I am interested in scored less than 50 on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the best.Even on the coast which you would think would be really clean was not.As far as Weyerhauser and filtration,I know some people who live in Williams Oregon and they told me that Weyerhauser turns their filters off most of the time,especially at night and only use them when they know an inspection is pending.These people were very upset about this because the woman was so chemically sensitive she almost died in surgery because they used some type of plastic equiptment.I'm in S Cal and our air quality is not the best either but it is actually better than Eugene.Thanks for all your input.I'm still determined to live in Oregon one way or another.
Darjeeling

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by NightBazaar

LOL! Cottonwood. Yeah, you're right. Right now, where we are, it's as thick as snow along the curbs, etc. They don't bother me, except for the mess, but my wife seems to be allergic to them as well. I think probably because of the fine almost invisible 'hairs' that separate and drift around.

My husband and oldest son are also allergic to cottonwood, and we've actually found something that works! They use a spray under their tongues three or four times a day called "Northwest Blend" and also eye drops called "Allergy Eyes"... they are fine now, no allergy symptoms at all as long as they use these things. The Northwest Blend is something that they have for various regions around the country... of course if you are in Oregon, you want the Northwest blend version. The brand is Dolisos (or Dolimed?) and it comes in a tincture/dropper form as well as the spray. My husband prefers the spray, my son prefers the dropper. The Allergy Eyes is from a company called Similason. The Allergy Eyes eye drops work wonders for red, itchy, irritated eyes due to allergies. Anyway - don't mean to sound like a commercial, but as a spouse and mother of two severe allergy sufferers I know how hard it is to watch someone try to cope, and I'm always trying to help them be more comfortable.

We have cottonwood piles that look like snow drifts as well... I go out and vacuum them up with my bagless vac. It's so cool when you empty it out as it's all condensed and swirled around - and looks like cotton candy!!

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by NightBazaar

To the OP: Although it may not be 100%, any pollution caused by Weyerhauser is much less than it ever was in the past thanks to improved filtration systems.

In the summer, usually starting around mid-July and ending around the end of August, much of the pollution in the Mid to South-Willamette Valley comes from field burning. The Eugene-Springfield area, which is at the bottom of the valley, gets the brunt of pollution that's swept down the valley from the north. But that too has been substantially reduced from its levels in the past.

Perhaps the greatest air quality problem in the valley is in the Spring and is more related to high pollen count caused by ryegrass and other types of grass fields grown for seed harvest. Pollen causes a lot of the allergy problems around here. However, some people suffer from allergies and some don't.

I guess it all depends on whether you want to live in a larger city, or something much smaller and more rural. I would certainly have to guess that Alsea, as other coastal cities, don't experience too much problem from any spraying because of the winds generally coming in from the west would tend to blow eastward toward the coastal mountain range. The exception would be if you live virtually next to a tree farm. Then, yes, that could be a problem for people who are sensitive to chemical spraying.

East of the Cascades although much more pollution free, you'll still find farms with grasses and trees. The tradeoff is climate, which tends to get pretty hot in the Summer and very cold in the Winter.

Climate in the Willamette Valley tends to be very mild in comparison, although there can be a lot of rain from Autumn to Spring. However, that rain also helps reduce pollutants.

Personally, the valley offers more variety for a number of activities, and is centrally located to both the Oregon Coast and the Cascade Mountains. I would think after weighing out various factors, you might find it pretty good in the Eugene-Springfield area, the Albany-Corvallis area, or Salem and its surrounding communities.

I've lived in the Willamette Valley for probably close to 50 years, and although I have a few allergic problems, they can be managed. Of all the areas in Oregon, I prefer it here, although that's not to say other areas aren't good. The climate is milder. If allergies are a problem, then I'd suggest seeing an physician that specializes in treating allergies. Once its determined what you are allergic to, then treatments can be administered to either reduce the problem, or hopefully eliminate it altogether by helping your system develop greater immunity to the allergens.

As for avoiding areas known to have more chemical spraying programs, if you feel concerned about it, then perhaps such areas should be scratched off your list of places to move to. I doubt it would be a major problem, but for your own peace of mind, a different location might be a better choice.

Just keep in mind that whatever problems you come across, there's always a solution to resolve them, one way or another.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

I think this post probably answers your question as well as any post could. I would just add one other observation. Most cities in western Oregon are in the river valleys that are sandwiched between the Coast Range and the Cascades. One of the nice things about living there is the protection from both strong ocean breezes and forceful winds coming off the basin and range country to the east. Look at how a representative city in the Umpqua Valley compares to a typical U.S. city in wind protection.

//pics2.city-data.com/w4/wnd18113.png (broken link)

The downside to living with low wind velocity is that all the agricultural particulates and automobile exhaust tend to stay confined within the valley during the summer. Most of the valley soils are composed of clays and silts. When worked, fine soil particulates can stay suspended in the air for many days at a time. Without strong winds or rains to clear them out of the valleys, they have nowhere to go. From my point of view, it's a worthwhile tradeoff: the air quality is the cloud, the low wind velocity is the silver lining. Most cities in Oregon have extensive tree canopies. Under the trees, at human level, the air quality is highly oxygenated and filtered.