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Department of Ecology News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- Aug. 18, 1999

99-163

Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Manager, (509) 456-4464; pager, (509) 622-1289

Fourteen growers fined $54,632 in first round of illegal burning penalties

SPOKANE - The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has issued penalties totaling $54,632 against 13 Eastern Washington wheat growers and one grass-seed grower for burning illegally last fall.

Violations were documented by Ecology both from the ground and from aerial observations. The growers either burned fields without a permit or burned on a "no-burn" day.

"Most growers are getting permits and burning only when weather conditions will carry the smoke away from people," said Mary Burg, Ecology's air-quality manager. "The few who choose to ignore state burning regulations should be held accountable so that other growers are not at a disadvantage and so that the breathing public doesn't suffer."

Agricultural burning is a source of particulate air pollution that can cause breathing problems and aggravate existing pulmonary conditions. Small particles can enter the lungs, bypassing the body's defenses and causing structural and chemical changes.

Approximately 90 growers were sent "notices of violation" in mid-June alleging that they had violated state agricultural-burning regulations. The alleged violations occurred in Adams, Columbia, Douglas, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Spokane, Walla Walla and Whitman counties.

Under state law, growers had 30 days in which to respond before fines were levied. These 14 penalties announced today are the first to be issued, and more are likely to follow over the next couple of months.

In some cases, notices of violation are being reissued because better information has been obtained to accurately identify who was responsible for the burning. Also some growers who had no permit history will receive "notices of correction" rather than a penalty fine. In addition, some growers are in the process of demonstrating to Ecology that they did not violate burning regulations at all, e.g. the fire was accidental.

This week, seven more notices of violation were issued for illegal burning that was observed in the spring and summer of 1999.

State regulations require that growers apply for and obtain a burning permit from Ecology, local air authorities, or from one of 11 delegated permitting authorities, depending on the location of the field. The farmer must demonstrate that the burning is necessary before he or she can be granted a permit to burn.

Often, especially in the fall, a "no-burn" day is called because weather conditions prohibit adequate smoke dispersion.

Ecology used a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to find the latitude and longitude of burned agricultural fields that were observed from the air. The information was cross-checked with wide-angle aerial photography to affirm the accuracy of the positions marked.

The data were plotted onto a map that was used to determine if property owners had legally obtained permits to burn each field marked.

"We plan to maintain a high level of enforcement activity in the field this year," Burg said. "We've issued fair warning, in fact we sent out nearly 13,000 brochures just this year. Farmers should know they must have a permit in hand if they expect to burn."

EDITOR'S/ NEWS DIRECTORS PLEASE NOTE: Please see table on penalties below.

The following people were issued penalties this week:

SUMMARY

• Total penalties as of 8/16/99= $54,631.93
• One grass seed penalty, 13 remaining are for wheat, unknown crop or unplanted fields
• Six are for "no permit" (including the grass seed penalty)
• Six are for burning on a "no burn day"
• One is for "no permit and burning on a no burn day"

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