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Department of Ecology News Release - December 23, 2004
04-235
YAKIMA - An East Wenatchee contractor and a developer have agreed to provide free wood-chipping services in lieu of paying a penalty to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).
David Bremmer and Martin Davy were fined $6,250 last July for illegally burning orchard trees to clear land for a housing development in the East Wenatchee urban growth area.
Since 2001, land-clearing fires for development have not been allowed in areas with populations of 10,000 or greater.
Last winter, Bremmer, under contract with Davy, began burning the torn-out orchard trees at the Ridge Crest housing development in East Wenatchee. Ecology investigated the fire after receiving a complaint from a nearby resident.
The fire smoldered for several days last winter, producing smoke at a time when weather conditions kept the smoke in the area. Ecology issued a penalty of $4,000 to Bremmer and $2,250 to Davy. Bremmer and Davy appealed their penalties to the Pollution Control Hearings Board.
Bremmer has agreed to chip 6 acres of mature orchard trees to compensate for the amount of smoke generated by his land-clearing fire. The chipping service will be provided for free to someone who otherwise has approval from Ecology to burn.
"We are pleased with this settlement because trees will be chipped that would otherwise be burned," said Chrissie Phelps, Ecology's field operations manager for air quality in Central Washington. "I credit Mr. Bremmer with coming up with a solution that directly addresses smoke in the East Wenatchee area."
The state Pollution Control Hearings Board has approved the terms and conditions of the settlement. The chipping services must be provided by June 2005 or the penalty will be due in full.
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Media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
