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|     Helping Our Peninsula's Environment (HOPE)        |
|                     Nov 18 2002                       |
|       Box 1495, Carmel, Ca 93921; 831 624-6500        |
|                   Info@1Hope.org                      |
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     HEALTH ALERT - POISON OAK SMOKE FROM BURNING
   FT. ORD MAY THREATEN PENINSULA ASTHMATICS TUESDAY

Tomorrow, Tuesday morning, November 19, 2002, the US
Army intends to burn about a square mile of bushes and
trees filled with poison oak at the former Fort Ord.

HOPE, Helping Our Peninsula's Environment, is so
concerned about the danger from the smoke's toxicity -
even if none of the smoke came from burning poison oak,
that we are issuing our first ever Health Alert.

The wind direction today, Monday morning (as well as
yesterday, Sunday morning), is from the North-East
blowing directly from Ft. Ord over our Monterey
Peninsula.

This means the poison oak smoke may travel directly over
the Monterey Peninsula. We estimate the smoke may blow
over Del Rey Oaks, Seaside, Monterey and Pacific Grove.

The Army asserts that the smoke will pass out to sea and
not touch any populated areas, unlike their 1998 burn
which closed the Spreckels school and sent
schoolchildren to the hospital coughing from the opaque
black smoke.

The Army asserts that even if the poison oak laced smoke
comes towards our Peninsula, it will rise up over us as
it passes.

However, if the well known meteorological condition
called an inversion occurs, the smoke will not rise - it
could drop to ground level where we all breathe it.

We hope the Army is right, but their track record of
intentionally burning Fort Ord is horrible, so HOPE
recommends you consider taking these preparations.

1) Find a handkerchief to cover your nose and mouth and
especially if you have asthma or any other breathing
problems. To better filter the smoke you can dampen your
handkerchief by wetting with water and wringing it out.

Unfortunately, this will not protect your eyes, though
swimming goggles or a diving mask might.

2) If you are one of the 21,000 County residents who
have asthma, or your eyes are unusually sensitive to
smoke - Prepare to drive UPWIND of the smoke to Moss
Landing, Watsonville, Salinas, Santa Cruz, San Jose or
San Francisco. Fill your tank with gas today, in case
the gas stations are backed up tomorrow.

Staying indoors with the windows closed may help for a
few hours and if the smoke is light, but there is no
guarantee as all houses leak. Sadly, Big Sur will be
DOWNwind (in the path) of the smoke and not necessarily
safe from its effects.

3) If you begin to have trouble breathing call your
doctor immediately or get to an emergency room which
should have filtered air.

For more information -
David Dilworth 831/624-6500, 
Helping Our Peninsula's Environment 

www.1hope.org/prftbrn.htm

HOPE finds the burning completely unnecessary since
feasible alternative methods of locating and disposing
of the leftover ammunition are readily available.

To stop the burns - call Congressman Farr (649 3555) and
ask that a Health Risk Assessment be done, just as asked
by the Central Coast Health Alliance (governmental board
made up of almost all doctors); and that the proven
alternative ammunition location methods be used instead.

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