Burning requires action

The blanket of smoke covering Griffith on Wednesday morning was an extreme but not isolated example of the air pollution that impacts on the health Riverina residents.

Our atmosphere should not be a dumping ground. The public health costs need to be acknowledged and accounted to polluters.

The dozen people attending Griffith Base Hospital with breathing problems is the tip of the metaphorical iceberg when you consider the potential issues that develop over time.

Perhaps the Rural Fire Service can introduce a system that results in the staggering of burns?

Something needs to be done, especially given that asthma is more prevalent in rural New South Wales than many other areas of Australia.