BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The heavy haze of wildfire smoke coating the Green Mountains is raising questions. Health officials warn about the dangers of spending too much time in the smoke, especially for children, seniors and people with respiratory issues. WCAX viewer Steve wanted to know if the smoke negates all the required mandates in the Vermont clean energy laws enacted to reduce climate pollution. Reporter Sophia Thomas went looking to get answers.

Vermont’s laws crack down on emissions from things like transportation and heating, not emissions from disasters like wildfires. That means Canada’s wildfire smoke doesn’t oppose Vermont’s emission laws. It would be incredibly difficult to prosecute Canada for this kind of air pollution.

Jane Lazorchak with the Vermont Agency of Natural

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