STRAW BURNING A HEALTH HAZARD

Released on April 18, 2001

Agricultural burning is harmful to your health and your soil.



This message was brought to Yorkton-area producers at a news conference

this morning by Deputy Premier and Agriculture and Food Minister Clay Serby.



"Working straw back into the land can increase the farm's long-term

sustainability by returning nitrogen and valuable nutrients back into the

soil," Serby said. "We're asking producers to look at alternatives to

burning and recognize smoke from burning crop residue can trigger breathing

problems and pose a safety risk."



According to Saskatchewan Heath Medical Consultant Dr. David Butler-Jones,

more than 10 per cent of Saskatchewan residents have chronic lung

conditions like asthma.



"For those with asthma, health problems do not necessarily stop when the

smoke clears," Butler-Jones said. "Once their immune system is triggered,

they may experience days or even weeks of coughing, wheezing and difficult

breathing.



"The program stresses the best option is not to burn. But if farmers must

burn, do not burn at night because the health risk is even greater than

during the day. Peoples' lung problems are worse at night so burning

increases the problems even more."



"The arrival of sunset often results in an atmospheric condition called

inversion - winds decrease and warm air cools and is held close to the

ground," Environment Canada Air Pollution Meteorologist Brian Weins said.

"This conditions traps any smoke at ground level and prevents its

dispersion into the atmosphere."



Producers wanting more information on effective straw management or to find

ventilation conditions are encouraged to visit the program's website at

www.agr.gov.sk.ca/cropresidue. The site has a direct link to Environment

Canada's air quality maps that provide daily smoke ventilation conditions

for Saskatchewan and other parts of Canada.



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For more information, contact:



Barry Rapp

Agriculture and Food

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-2326