Open Burning_Wehrspann Letterioan
crir
Dubut.p.w.
lit; [he 1)tibug CitV Council Nleniner-,
Mayor: keg,,
N'larttver: kiike an
Re; t )0C11 FiL111111112 Ord
RECEIVED
io SEP 30 All 9: 13
City Cierks Office
Dubuque, IA
Dubtkitte is said to he a beautilul place to raise \\ h its \\ ide open
homes \vitt) exquisite ;trehiteeiUre; ‘spectactiiar ween hilisidt.bs. :Ind the \.‘eli armed
Well.. strongly \vith this :-,taternent, also Ira\ c \utched the
channel and listened to (he Sitt-ttairitil Dubticp.te nieeting.s only to rind
because our eit\ urflak ht_i\ Cot' people '0._5 PALite l t ft or
Ir Ie tI PCII
I sit in irt\ home on this beautiful .\ut.2tist !,tt I (L da hc tr are :•,v, in in th
bree/e, he sun is shining hrighik hiRk siftipx. on Li !kilt) oiliside my
ehirpin , think ntee 1 vo,tnid be to open in\ to le"...1 !he lieSh biOtAtth,`
getititt' throt101 Call 1101 Opell ifict er,i0V
the simplesi thbs (ILO hIe h„ts o idler because the (•itts ol Dulloqut.s s open burning. have
become se\ ek alierttic. sinoLe dLIC to Irk' ILICt that in\ neig,,hbors decided to burn railroad tie
that \ere \\int CrifW‘Oti,', JflJ iroin that day 00 i ha\ been ti prkoner ribs home. i an
not the onk person that is :,iitleritat.t iroin 0(hei
1 See se\ eral people that are stricl\cn astnnia. congesm LAMM:,
1)ronc1itis bronchial infections. eanL and ;.sittornt: tmenntonio. l that the (t, oiDlibtt
totally ignores the health enJitRft ul severdl l 1 \\ tr\ t..'Npljin !Ica nappi211:-; to
person stricken \\ iih d lung doe \\ hen the\ are trilialmg ;ht..; harm unkts that are tingant,
111 the ;_;::
begin experiencing episodes of clearing tidy throat ightening ttt mv
grab for tut, chest desperately trying to force at into my lungs. It tcels like t ant i}ei
smothered. I began to cough uncontrollably as the thick mucus starts to block ntv airw yat =, s. I tr
tear kicks in. I begin to erg as no. son watches unable to help. i run into the house and crab ur:
of
m ntrmerocis inhalers, I plug in my nebulizer and try desperatel\ to control my trento ,w
hands, i um fineed to sit and inhale the albuterol that will hopefully open up my br +inehiai
If this is unsuccessful. I am forced to go to the nearest hospital or acute care center. I am piacc,':
on a prednisonc regiment which causes several severe side effects. After several days using the
nebulizer. sometimes every hour. and the prednisone I am finally able to breathe. however the
continual coughing and clearing of the throat lasts for several days to a couple of weeks.
experience shortness of breath with . just inhaling the smoke from the tire l ti t:.
1 hear about the global warming and the greenhouse gases that are being leaked out into our
atmosphere, 1 hear and read about first -hand. second- hand. and know third -hand smoke Iron+.
people stnokirig cigarettes. I stay awry from smokers in order to protect mysel I ront the
harmful fumes. How can the people protect themselves from the smoke hum tire pits? 1 wonder
what other cities would do with all the harmful chemicals that are going into our atmosphere.
know that some people are burning brush, grass clippings. plastic bags, cardboard_ treatc:
lumber, plastic buckets. gasoline jugs, motorcycle helmets, children's plastic motorized car::.
Sn rufosin containers. and construction material. I was horrified when I heard ahoui a bob\
hod being, burnt up in a fire pit, I realize that the city has regulations that are supposed b
followed for open burning: however, the people like nt' neighbors and others throughout the
('ith of Dubuque refuse to Billow these guidelines. I have seen holes dug in the ground. fib,
gallon barrels, and campfires with rocks around the pit. I can't imagine w hat the members of otti
city council and our mayor was thinking. when they put this open burning ordinance into c
[he t'in t: ' : , urreii Members rouse have totally overlooked the needs of the citizens with breathing
difficulties. I feel t hat i1 these city council members and our mayor were !breed to live with the
fear of having the ability to breathe taken away trout them. then and only then. wilt they.
understand.
I ,sit w itching small children starting tire pits. as well as, playing around the
unsupen iced by any adults or parents. i know sonic parents blame their children for thei
behavior.. such ass throwing the hazardous material into the lire pit. I know that this is a iragaed
waiting to happen when a child falls in the fire pits. I wonder how many times this has alrea.b
i lapped c ..i
People that are wheelchair hound the City of Dubuque reuuire businesses to ir,snii:
wheelchair accessible ramps. I he businesses arc required to install automatic door switche
he are requir to \\idea the hallways, and doorways. the people that sufter from hearing loss
are giver dif'terent scry ices to help them with their disability. People that are blind are hclpeu by
placing. brad net to elevator buttons and other accommodations are made tot' them. Nell. \hat
about the people who are stricken with breathing problems'? I can not stop breathing
1 \vas !rstening to our Mayor Roy lion! on the radio stating ! he ('it\ of Itubuque cares about
izens with disabilities, I'm sorry. I had to laugh at that comment because Mayor Roy Ron:
refused to ban the open burning ordinance because cif only one complaint. Nell. Mayor ko
Boni. f will he standing up for the candidate that cares about clean air. and who is trlii.,
concerned shout all the people with breathing di ther ties in the next eiecitoli_
I feet that ii the ('.itv of Dubuque can't enlorce With one hundred percent certainly that ;ill of rt_.
n,; are not being harmed by this open burning then the burning should he banned after all if
people want to he around fire pits then they can go to the campsites. and I am sure that all of us
that are stricken with breathig problems will gladly stay aw a\
hay contacted se; end of our City Council rnemhe:rs and the City wian,er, Mike
Milligan, Ma \or Roy 13uoi, I'he Dubuque Fire Department. the Dubuque Police Department.
Pam .lochuni. Marvjo Corrigan and vet sonic oldie City council members still insist they never
heard of the problem with open burning. I am suffering with reactive airways, mono with others
throughout our contrntinit\. f ant also trying to look out for ow husband a nine year actl\c duo.
disabled veteran that slitters troni lung problems when the people are burning. James,
husband is also suffering, from a debilitating genetic disorder that has caused bin; heart ()contents.
di ficult\ walking, and passing out, and now James is suffering with shortness ot breath. I
husband has also lost his job which makes it even more difficult to paw the electric hill whte:it
was about t\ \o hundred dollar, this month. I can not open in windows because iity ne►s;niu,
hunt. I can not go outside walking of logging. I can not sit at tiw son "s band rehearsals, On the
nights t)t c pie ►tTbel' ?and 4, of this year the weather watt beautiti►l and cool. (.+teat weather to
open the windows. and let Mother Nature provide the fresh air, hut my neighbors had to burn. I
am sick ot being a prisoner in my own home or car, I refuse to live over at my sister's house it,t
most or the sprint.. summer. and fall like I w as tbrced to do last year. i hay not been Shit` 1t
'ti
,t% iTT\ windows otltil at all over the last two year-.
I am findit it \cry difficult to understand, Wh\'! We are forced to have catalytic converters
on our automobiles. People are furred have \\ 00d burning chimneys double lined. I he factories
arc !breed to control their emissions. Our firelighters always wear oxygen masks when fighting
a house lire. l have seen that the residents of a home that burns are not allowed to stay at their
residents due to toxic fumes. Please tell me, "What were the City of Dubuque officials tirinkiii
when the allowed this recreational hurninc.
I have prepared this letter as a way to put on record that I. Joan Wehrsnann. have t.ontae
members of our city government rei ardine the difficulties that I have been forced la? endure: a;
result of the ")pen Burning Ordinance." Please contact me at (56>1336-O34) regarltiitLL
questions or concerti :,
Sincerer .
` \
J OiL.i I Q
loan \Vchrsp)anil
June 3, 2010
RE: Joan Wehrspann
To Whom It May Concern:
She is 47 years of age. She is a patient who has significant reactive airway
disease with shortness of breath. She has some allergic rhinitis. She is on
fexofenadine. She has asthma and is on Advair, Combivent and Singulair.
She also takes nebulizers whenever necessary because of shortness of
breath. She really gets into trouble apparently when the neighbor starts to
burn wood and other items and she gets into real trouble. Last summer,
apparently, she spent most of the summer with a family member away from
her home because she would just simply get into trouble, start to choke and
gasp and wheeze and really get into terrible problems with her breathing.
This is a note to indicate these are the things that are happening to her and
apparently neighbors are still burning materials that get her into trouble.
She would like to be able to use this letter to medically indicate that she
does have asthma, this is getting her into trouble when the neighbors do this
and I am not sure anything can be done about it, but if there could, it would
be really a great improvement in her medical life if that could happen for
her because she is really at this point in time struggling significantly during
the summer when they do burn items.
Sincerely,
e x.4 >)
RWSrlcs
Ronald W. Schope, M.D.
Dubuque
Internal
Medicine
Doctors For Adults"
Dubuque Internal Medicine, P.C.
1515 Delhi Street. Suite MO
Dubuque, Iowa 52001 -6389
5631557 -9111
Primary Care
Z. ('ao, M.D., Ph.D.
.1. M. Compton. M.D., F.A.C.P.
A. D. Kelley, D.O.
M. J. Kirkendall, M.D.
C. J. Konz, M.D.
P. J. Leeson, M.D.. F.A.C.P.
M. 0. Liaboc, M.D.
13. D. Moran, M.D.
D. K. Mor.ena, M.D.
K. E. Nelson, M.D.
3. M. Powers, D.O.
G. V. Ridgley, Jr., M.D.
H. A. Salas, M.D.
R. A. Wolbers, M.D.
Hospitalists
R. S. Bartsch, M.D.
A. P. Johnson, M.D.
Ambulatory Care
1.. Callaway, Jr., M.D.
G. M. Moran, M.D.
M. K. Casey, P.A. -C.
C. M. Kueter, P.A. -C.
Cardiology
C. A. t.ongo, M.D.
T. W. Marlin, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Dermatology
J. M. Schope, M.D.
Endocrinology
R. A. Iverson, M.D., F.A.C.P.
D. M. Putz. M.D.
Gastroenterology
K. V. Gorrepati, M.D.
I. M. Koontz., M.D.
R. W. Lengeling, M.D.
Infectious Diseases
3. P. Viner, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Medical Oncology
M. E. Hermann, M.D.
T. N. Hciar, A.R.N.P.
Nephrology
D. M. Ringold, M.D.
J. E. Whalen, M.D.
C. L. Kramer. A.R.N.P.
J. A. Rambousck, A.R.N.P.
Pulmonary Medicine
K. W. Schope, M.D.
Convalescent Care
A. G. Meurer. M.D.
Medical Director(I'ravel Medicine
R. J. Fairley, M.D., M.P.H.