One of the great geographic blessings of north Idaho’s Silver Valley is also a curse. The high steep hills that surround the valley make it visually stunning. But they also hold in air pollution, especially when colder air is trapped near the surface. Spokane sometimes has the same issue, especially in the winter.
In Washington, local air quality officials have the authority to limit or stop burning of wood stoves until the air quality improves. Many of Idaho’s counties don’t allow that.
For a few years, the Silver Valley’s air quality didn’t meet federal standards. It does now, but to get there, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality had to do something to reduce the pollution sources. So it devised a series of incentives, carrots, not sticks. Dan Smith is among those responsible for developing them. He is the agency’s West Silver Valley airshed project coordinator.