McHenry County leaf burning must go

Driving home to unincorporated McHenry County from my job in Libertyville one evening, the smoke from leaf burning was so thick visibility was greatly reduced.

As a runner. I cannot enjoy running outdoors as much as I would like because the air pollution from burning leaf piles restricts breathing and I am concerned about the long-term effects from leaf burning smoke.

I believe the smoke was the cause of a bloody nose I got the other day. The smoke from the leaf fires also cause my eyes to burn and make it very difficult for me to breathe. Many residents with asthma and other lung disorders lock themselves indoors to avoid inhaling the smoke, but the smoke seeps through the walls of many structures.

Lake and McHenry counties need to impose an immediate county-wide ban. Or the state needs to impose a statewide ban on burning leaves.

Data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association give good reasons for not burning leaves or inhaling smoke from burning leaf piles.

As much as the media is reporting on the smoke and haze from wildfires in Idaho, Montana, and most recently California, I believe that Illinois needs equal coverage on what happens to the air quality in our home state when people burn leaves.

Joseph Kocher

McHenry