Most of December and January have declared no burn days in the San Joaquin Valley because of concern from wood smoke.
Now, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution District, which stretches from Stockton to Bakersfield, is offering rebates to homeowners who switch from wood to natural gas.
Anthony Presto of the Pollution Control District, which has strict limitations on wood burning, says gas is the ideal alternative to wood. He says, with gas, residents won't have to worry about whether or not it's a no burn day.
"Natural gas is the cleanest and most efficient way to heat your home," he says.
Wood burning is the chief source of air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley in the winter.
Valley wide it can create as much as 17 tons per day of airborne particles. Presto says this year has been particularly bad because of the dry conditions.
"Rain and wind are what cleans the valley's air, this is so far this season is the worst we've seen," Presto says.
Low-income applicants can receive rebates up to $1,500 for converting to natural gas.
July 23, 2018Two nights of aerial spraying to reduce the number of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus are scheduled to begin Monday in parts of Elk Grove, the Pocket Neighborhood and neighborhoods south of Fruitridge Road.
.jpg "Tahoe Environmental Research Center boat captain Brant Allen lowers a Secchi disk from the research vessel into Lake Tahoe. The disk has been used for more than 50 years to measure water clarity at the lake.")
June 13, 2018If you spent time on the water at Lake Tahoe last year and thought it looked a lot cloudier, you're right. UC Davis researchers say extreme weather — drought followed by heavy rains — caused clarity in 2017 to drop to its lowest recorded level.
.jpg "A million fall run Chinook salmon smolts, who were raised at the Feather River Hatchery, are released from large tanks down a long pipe on a dock and out into the Sacramento River.")
May 3, 2018The fish took a ride in a large truck on Wednesday morning and are now headed down the river on a journey to the ocean.
March 8, 2018Using this new approach to calculate the snow’s water content also means improved forecasts for farms and cities, and even positive benefits for renewable-energy production. The program soon could go statewide — if it gets funded.
March 5, 2018(AP) — Monday's snow survey found a "much rosier" picture than before last week's heavy winter storm, but still less than half the usual snow for this point in the season.
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