Graham Brennan suffers from emphysema, and the smog in his neighbourhood in Old Erowal Bay, at times, is so thick that he can’t venture beyond the four walls of his home.
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There are a number of old fireplaces nearby emitting toxic black smoke.
Mr Brennan has appealed to the Environment Protection Authority for help, and while there are regulations to ensure newly-installed fireplaces meet air quality standards, the EPA has done nothing to stop existing owners from polluting the town.
An officer was sent out to Old Erowal Bay on a day when there was no smoke in the air, and it was deemed a non-issue.
He is also concerned about two children with asthma, living across the road.
Mr Brennan has approached his neighbours, and asked for their cooperation.
His next door neighbour installed a new fireplace, and he barely notices when it’s running.
He fears other neighbours will egg his house for speaking out, but this is the last straw.
“My neighbours are going to hate me,” he said.
“But at times I can’t sit on my verandah because of the fumes.
“I understand they do need a fire, some of those old houses are ice boxes, but I would like to be able to walk out of my place and breathe.”
The cost of installing a new fireplace starts at around $1000, prohibitive for some.
Shoalhaven City Councillors have discussed subsidising this cost for residents in the past, but there has been no action on the matter.
At the very least, Mr Brennan would like his neighbours to consider cleaning the flues on their fireplaces.
“They haven’t been cleaned for years,” he said.
He often uses a nebuliser to get to sleep, and sleeps with the ceiling fan running and the window open to send the fumes away from his bedroom.
