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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 1998
98-083
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Officer, (509) 456-4464; pager, (509) 622-1289
SPOKANE - Except in a few special cases, grass-seed field burning will no longer take place in Washington State.
Department of Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons announced at a news conference today that Ecology has officially certified an alternative to burning that is practical and reasonably available.
Fitzsimmons said that minimizing field burning would benefit residents who for years have suffered respiratory ailments as a result of grass-field burning.
"There are many people who have suffered from the effects of the smoke, and they are looking to their government leaders to help protect their health," said Fitzsimmons.
He said Ecology has determined that "mechanical residue management" works in the field and is a viable and "reasonably available" alternative in most cases. The Clean Air Washington Act provides for ending grass-field burning if an alternative can be certified. The department has adopted a rule to implement the new policy; it will take effect in one month.
Mechanical residue management is simply straw removal, using normal field equipment and practices such as baling and raking. In some cases, the equipment may not be able to reach parts of a field, so some limited burning may continue to take place. An example of this would be grass planted on steep slopes.
However, the burned acreage may total 2,000 or fewer acres, compared to the approximately 60,000 acres burned annually just a few years ago.
"Communities all over Washington are finding that it is possible to protect human and environmental health and also sustain a viable business climate," said Fitzsimmons. At the same time, he acknowledged that some growers would need time to make the initial financial investment that may be necessary.
The new rule contains special consideration for owners of small farms. Growers with a gross income of $300,000 or less may apply for a partial reprieve for one year, to help offset the expense.
Ecology reviewed public comments that were received after announcing the proposal on March 31.
"We received hundreds of cards and letters in support of this action from people who suffer from the effects of the smoke," Fitzsimmons said. "Many growers expressed concern about the costs of changing the way they clear their fields, but some of them also helped us with fine-tuning so we ended up with a better rule."
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
