Agricultural Spraying? (Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin: 2014, employment, live)

[LoriBee62]

We've been looking to the Sacramento area to relocate (from the Bay Area) due to employment and/or retirement. The towns we've narrowed down to are Lincoln, Roseville, Rocklin or Fair Oaks.

A friend (not a Sacramento resident) mentioned Sacramento has bad air quality because of all the agricultural spraying. I noticed on the California forum, someone mentioned field spraying was bad in the Central Valley. I know, different part of the state, but it brought back to mind that other person's comment about Sacramento that I'd originally dismissed.

I've been to Sacramento plenty of times and never noticed a problem with the air quality. Honestly, being here in Sonoma County, we live with the strong smell of cow dung a couple times a year when they turn the fields. So I'm not especially sensitive to smells. I don't do well with chemicals, though. Just wondering if the residents there have any comments on the topic.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by LoriBee62

We've been looking to the Sacramento area to relocate (from the Bay Area) due to employment and/or retirement. The towns we've narrowed down to are Lincoln, Roseville, Rocklin or Fair Oaks.

A friend (not a Sacramento resident) mentioned Sacramento has bad air quality because of all the agricultural spraying. I noticed on the California forum, someone mentioned field spraying was bad in the Central Valley. I know, different part of the state, but it brought back to mind that other person's comment about Sacramento that I'd originally dismissed.

I've been to Sacramento plenty of times and never noticed a problem with the air quality. Honestly, being here in Sonoma County, we live with the strong smell of cow dung a couple times a year when they turn the fields. So I'm not especially sensitive to smells. I don't do well with chemicals, though. Just wondering if the residents there have any comments on the topic.

Lincoln you might still see "crop dusters" but the other towns are built up enough where that will not be a problem, especially Fair Oaks.

[shelato]

The American Lung Association has a report an air quality problems in different cities of the country. You can read it here. Sacramento doesn't do that great.

City Rankings - State of the Air 2014 | American Lung Association

In the wintertime, Sacramento tends to get the tule fog (radiation ground fog). When the tule fog forms the region has an inversion layer, at the fog line where cold air is stagnant and doesn't circulate much. During that time you see spikes in particulate and ozone readings. Additionally in the summer when Sacramento has really hot days with no delta breeze, often the air stagnates and again their are air pollution problems. There are also some weird effects with respect to air masses coming off the Sierras at night, where pollution levels can spike at weird times in the foothills. (see more about the air in the foothills here)

http://www.sparetheair.com/faq.cfm

Maybe 20 years ago you had some bad air quality days in Sacramento from rice burning, but that practice has been banned for years. More recently I don't think ag sources are the big polluters as much as prevailing winds carrying air pollution from the Bay Area mixing with the pollution that the region creates on its own that I suspect create most of the problems locally.

[LoriBee62]

Thanks for the link. This is very helpful! Looks like Sacramento ranks bad in the "ozone" category, but didn't make either the short- or long-term particle worst offenders.

[shelato]

Look again at the list of short term particle pollution, Sacramento is ranked #25

[caligirlz]

Maybe your friends are referring to chemtrails....

Or perhaps to the mosquito spraying Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District

[LoriBee62]

Originally Posted by caligirlz

Maybe your friends are referring to chemtrails....

Or perhaps to the mosquito spraying Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District

If I recall, she'd said "I'd be concerned about all the spraying" when I'd mentioned moving to Sacramento. I guess I only assumed she meant agriculture.

[ryuns]

Originally Posted by LoriBee62

If I recall, she'd said "I'd be concerned about all the spraying" when I'd mentioned moving to Sacramento. I guess I only assumed she meant agriculture.

I think people in the Bay Area just think everything is a farm out here. Haha.

But no--that's really not too much of a concern in the city. The air quality does get bad sometimes, but it's less bad than LA or anywhere south in the Central Valley. Pollen is a bigger concern for a lot of people.

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by LoriBee62

If I recall, she'd said "I'd be concerned about all the spraying" when I'd mentioned moving to Sacramento. I guess I only assumed she meant agriculture.

Both are a type of spraying, and both affect the environment