NEWS RELEASE
January 1, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Dan A. Nelson, ORCAA Public Information Officer, Ext. 111
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dan A. Nelson, ORCAA Spokesman
(360) 586-1044
State Law Adds New Restriction on Outdoor Burning
Smoke from burning piles of yard contains many of the compounds found in cigarette smoke, creating health risks for entire neighborhoods. That's why the Washington State Legislature has implemented laws to reduce outdoor burning in populated areas.
The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-425 was written by the Department of Ecology, with legal restrictions on burning included as part of the 1991 Washington Clean Air Law. The state legislature further tightened outdoor burning regulations within that WAC through the legislative process in1995, 1998 and 2000. The legislation included a provision that kicked in on January 1, 2001 which prohibited residential outdoor burning as well as land clearing burning in cities with a population of greater than 10,000 as well as in the Urban Growth Area (UGA) boundaries of those cities.
A second phase of that legislation kicks in at the end of 2006. As of January 1, 2007, residential outdoor burning will be prohibited in ALL Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) within the state. In ORCAA's jurisdiction, 17 cities/areas have UGAs that fit within these new burning restrictions.
- Those are:
- Clallam County: Carlsborg, Clallam Bay/Sekiu, Forks, Joyce, Sequim
- Mason County: Allyn, Belfair
- Pacific County: Raymond, South Bend, Long Beach, Ilwaco, Seaview
- Thurston County: Bucoda, Grand Mound, Rainier, Tenino, Yelm
Cities in which outdoor burning is currently prohibited include:
- Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater in Thurston County;
- Port Townsend in Jefferson County;
- Port Angeles in Clallam County;
- Shelton in Mason County;
- Aberdeen and a portion of Hoquiam in Grays Harbor County.
- Additional the City of Cosmopolis prohibits burning by City Ordinance.
Maps of the no-burn areas and information regarding alternatives to outdoor burning can be found on ORCAA's website. ORCAA encourages everyone to use this as an opportunity to explore safe, reasonable alternatives to outdoor burning.
Alternatives include:
- Use a mulching mower to reduce or eliminate grass clippings.
- Chip and/or compost your yard and garden debris.
- Haul your yard and garden debris to a community composting facility
Residents should also be aware that burning any form of garbage – including paper – is prohibited at all times by state law. Burn barrels are also illegal everywhere in Washington state. Current burn ban status can be found at: www.orcaa.org/BurnAdvisory.html To learn about the health effects of air pollution, check out the American Lung Association of Washington's Web site at www.alaw.org
The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency protects and enhances air quality for citizens in Thurston, Mason, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and Pacific counties by enforcing federal, state and local air quality regulations. If you have questions specific to the topic above, or just general questions about local air quality, contact ORCAA at (360) 586-1044 or 1-800-422-5623, or visit ORCAA's website, www.orcaa.org.