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Department of Ecology News Release - November 22, 2004
04-208
SPOKANE - The state's highest environmental honor today went to Stevens County Fire District #1 and the Stevens County Public Works Department for clearing the air in Suncrest.
The Department of Ecology (Ecology) presented an Environmental Excellence Award to the fire district and public works department during a Stevens County commission meeting in Colville.
Suncrest, a fast-growing residential area in southern Stevens County, was for years a "hot spot" of citizen complaints about outdoor residential burning and the resulting smoke and toxic chemicals in the air. Fire District #1, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Ecology all responded to many complaints each year.
"Residents in the area were exposed to unhealthy air unnecessarily," said Grant Pfeifer, who manages the air quality program in Spokane. "Alternatives to burning are available, but it took the people at the fire district and county to make it happen. Now everyone is breathing easier."
Because of the number of calls the fire district received and the amount of time and money it cost to respond, the district decided to take action.
Fire District #1 organized community meetings to find out what the citizens wanted to do. In response, the district set up a yard-waste chipping day and a composting class during the spring of 2003.
Stevens County Public Works Department contributed a chipper and staff time to help out, in addition to teaching composting classes. The DNR distributed information about defensible space and information about burning restrictions on DNR-protected land.
"It was a huge success," Pfeifer said. "We've got cleaner air in Suncrest because the community worked as a team to solve a local problem. The fire district and public-works folks deserve a lot of the credit for getting this project moving."
Since the first "chipping day," five more weekends were set up and, according to DNR, more than 300 tons of yard waste have been chipped and sent to a landscaping company to use as ground cover and on trails.
More than 40 people have taken the composting classes, and the fire district has received 40 percent fewer complaint calls about illegal burning.
Fire Prevention Officer Lt. Russell Armstrong and Fire Commissioner Thomas Hale accepted the award on behalf of the fire district. Solid Waste Supervisor Dennis Durbin and recycling specialist Justin Shamion accepted the award for the public works department.
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Media contact: Jani Gilbert, public information manager, 509-329-3495; pager, 509-622-3073
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
