search  current discussion  categories  safety - dust & fumes 

help needed in describing fumes to public officials!!!!!!!!!

updated mon 30 sep 96

 

Aileen/Elliott Sperber on sun 8 sep 96

To all you potters that have dealt with public officials in trying to get
kilns built:

This is a request from a friend of mine who is manager of an art guild that
runs classes in a former school site. They have classes and indoor kilns
and are negotiating with the town to build a raku kiln and pit firing
facility outdoors.

Here is his request to you:

How would you describe--- or present--- to public officials, i.e. regulatory
committees for zoning and planning commissions, information about fumes
that are emitted from Raku kilns and/or pit firings. We would like to
present this imformation in a safe and non-alarmist fashion!

Please send us your suggestions. All information very gratefully received!!

If you need any additional information please don't hesitate to ask!

ZALT@aol.com on tue 10 sep 96

The least said the better. You will have smoke from the pit firing. This
could be described to being similar to a home fireplace smoke.
You will also have smoke from reducing your raku work. The best said here is
that the raku method will use low smoke methods so smoke will be minimal.

I believe Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, built an
outdoor smoke chiminy to satisfy city officials.

Beth Wheeler on tue 10 sep 96

We had "outdoor burning" problems with city officials and negotiated
ordinance obsticles by building a 10'wx4'deepx8'h fireplace onto the outside
of our raku kiln shed. In this "fireplace" we have 1,000 lbs of sand on
which we build our reduction nests and cover the nest with various sized
trash cans....smoke is minimal, the officials are happy, and we're having a
great time. Check out our article in this month's Clay Times.
At 08:20 AM 9/10/96 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>The least said the better. You will have smoke from the pit firing. This
>could be described to being similar to a home fireplace smoke.
>You will also have smoke from reducing your raku work. The best said here is
>that the raku method will use low smoke methods so smoke will be minimal.
>
>I believe Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, built an
>outdoor smoke chiminy to satisfy city officials.
>