Stop allowing open burning in Saylor Township near Ankeny, Iowa.

Housing developments in Ankeny are fully developed neighborhoods filled with children of all ages. We also have adult residents who are struggling with the effects of the neighbors to the south of us who participate in open burning. When those in Saylor Township begin their open burning, many of us are burdened by this because it is unsafe to allow our children to go outside and we can not open the windows in our homes because of the smoke coming in. There have been times that the smoke has been so bad that you could barely see the house across the street from you. Some neighbors have reported seeing embers falling into their yard like snow. It does not make living in this neighborhood enjoyable when we can't breathe when going outside and can't open our windows on nice days. It aggravates allergies in children as well as adults, and is just plain unsafe.

The airborne particles in smoke are microscopic in size and can present serious health problems. Short‐term exposure to particles in smoke can aggravate existing conditions such as lung disease, acute bronchitis and asthma.

Some groups of people are more susceptible to smoke:
• Children are because their respiratory systems are often not fully developed.
• Older adults can be, especially if they have heart or lung diseases.
• Susceptible individuals include people with asthma, cancer and allergies.

Environmental effects of smoke:
• Visibility can be reduced due to the presence of smoke in the air.
• Fine particles in smoke can be transported long distances and deposited on water, land and property causing nuisance and affecting such things as acidity and nutrients.
• The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set national standards for the particulate matter that can be found in smoke. Elevated particulate matter concentrations make it more difficult to attain national air quality standards.