SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When California legislators return to the state Capitol in three weeks, reducing wildfire smoke won’t be at the top of their to-do list. But a new report calls the pollution source a “growing concern.”
The Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises lawmakers on fiscal and policy matters, suggested they consider more support for research, money to purchase air purifiers for people in need and stepped-up efforts to improve public awareness of smoky skies.
The report reiterated the negative health consequences of wildfire smoke, which carries small particles that can travel deep into lungs. That makes residents with respiratory conditions and pregnant women and their fetuses especially vulnerable to its effects.
