July 17, 2012
Tuesday

To the people of Mile 10-11 North Tongass: Here it is a lovely warm summer night when it is so nice to open the windows and have a nice breath of fresh air. Instead you start to cough, cough, choke, gag on some one's disgusting trash smoke coming into your home.

This is beyond my understanding anymore. It is not that you are burning wood to heat or cook with, nor is it the smells of cooking on the beach with beach wood. These are the smells of rubber and plastics . The kind that coats your lungs and causes trouble breathing.

Years ago there was not such a problem, the houses were further apart and there were more trees to clean the air. Also not as much styrofoam, disposable diapers, plastic anything, etc.. All of which are toxic to breath.

I am asking you to be good neighbors and think before you burn. There are many of us that are severally affected by this toxic smoke and end up requiring hours of distress to get over just a breath or two of it let alone having our homes flooded with it.

I guess this is actually an island wide problem, I'm just asking you to watch what you burn, it effects everyone around you.

Thank you for reading.

Kathy Doyle
Ketchikan, AK

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