Medical Effects
Earlier findings by Omni Environmental Services, Inc.,
who prepared a report in 1988 for the U.S. Dept. of Energy included
tables of estimated numbers of wood smoke deaths and cancer victims
from their biomass energy program (Greene, 1988). The numbers
were based on an analysis of a five state region of AK, ID, MT,OR,
and WA plan to reduce smoke by 5 to 45% by various programs of
stove certification, catalytic converters, moratorium on new stove
installations, and education. (The authors did not provide an
estimate for the number of lives that would be saved by stopping
wood heating.) Additional caveats: at the time of the report the
EPA had not yet reported their failure in smoke reduction from
wood burning for home energy; population has increased dramatically
in some of these states and would expose even more people now
and would increase the number of homes and stoves.
Prepared by Wm. T. Greene, Omni Environmental Services, Inc.,
Prepared for U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), Pacific NW and Alaska Regional Biomass Energy Program, c/o Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR, Contract #: DE-AC79-85BP18508, June 1988
Prepared by Wm. T. Greene, Omni Environmental Services, Inc.,
Prepared for U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), Pacific NW and Alaska Regional Biomass Energy Program, c/o Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR, Contract #: DE-AC79-85BP18508, June 1988