Wood smoke top cancer-causing air pollutant in OR

Republishing Guidelines

Yes, unless otherwise noted, you’re welcome to republish InvestigateWest’s original articles and photographs for free, as long as you follow a few simple conditions:

  • You must credit both the author and InvestigateWest in the byline. We prefer: “Author Name, InvestigateWest.”
  • You have to include the tagline provided at the end of the article, which typically reads, “InvestigateWest (investigatewest.org) is an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest. Visit investigatewest.org/newsletters to sign up for weekly updates.”
  • You can write your own headlines as long as they accurately reflect the story.
  • You may not edit our work except to reflect your own editorial style or to update time references (changing “yesterday” to “last week,” for instance).
  • You may use InvestigateWest artwork (photos, illustrations, etc.) ONLY if you publish them alongside the stories with which they originally appeared and do not alter them. You may not separate multimedia elements for standalone use.
  • If you share our stories on social media, we’d appreciate it if you tag us in your posts.

Keep in mind: InvestigateWest sometimes republishes articles from other news outlets and we have no authority to grant republication permission. These stories are identifiable by their bylines and other credits.

We send story alerts to editors at news outlets across the Northwest. Let us know if you want to be included on that list. Questions? Contact us at editors@investigatewest.org.

Copy this

Cuddling up in front of a fireplace may seem romantic, but remember that wood stoves and fireplaces are the leading cause of cancer-causing air pollution in Oregon. The piece in today’s Oregonian by Scott Learn is  one of several recently based on new EPA air-toxics data. And it’s accompanied by a graphic showing that the risk is greatest – no duh – in Portland and Eugene, as well as one showing what parts of Portland are most dangerous.  Learn does a good job putting into perspective the overall risks of death from air pollution.

Meanwhile, in the Puget Sound area, the Port of Tacoma was pounding its chest over air-pollution reductions yesterday, and those sentiments were dutifully passed on by Tacoma News Tribune reporter Kelly Kearsley. In Seattle, wood smoke and pollution from the nearby port – especially old, dirty trucks driven by just-scraping-by independent truck owners – combine with heavy traffic to increase cancer risks from air toxics in the working-class south end of town.

Get the inside scoop in your inbox, free.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletters and never miss an investigation.

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to InvestigateWest.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.