06/28/2007: "Ecology Bans Burning In UGA"

Friday Harbor, Eastsound, & Lopez Island are listed by the Department of Ecology (Ecology) on an outdoor burn ban; including yard waste and land-clearing fires. This year the list was expanded to include parts of San Juan County, and more than 100 smaller communities and urban growth areas within the state.. The state's ban now covers all communities with urban growth areas.

The sort of good news is that Ecology is making up to $2 million in grants available to help communities develop alternatives to burning yard waste and other organic materials. The department is encouraging affected communities to apply for the grant money through their local county solid waste programs.

The bad news is that priority will go to urban growth areas with populations of 5,000 or less, and the second part is that applicants must provide 25 percent matching funds. So we the ban, but no money to get rid of the stuff..

"This year's burn ban expansion caught some communities off guard," said Ecology's Cullen Stephenson, who oversees statewide solid waste activities. "This money will help them find ways to collect and manage these organic materials without burning."

State lawmakers approved the plan to phase in the ban on outdoor burning as part of the state's Clean Air Act, adopted in 1991. The state has worked to balance the practical uses of fire against the need to protect citizens from inhaling dangerous toxic compounds in smoke.

"Smoke from outdoor burning can pose serious public health risks, such as asthma and lung cancer," said Stu Clark, who manages Ecology's Air Quality Program. "By removing smoke from communities and curbing air pollution, we reduce those risks considerably."

An Ecology work group will begin meeting in July to identify what successful alternatives to burning already exist, such as yard waste collection and composting programs. The work group will share findings with communities throughout the state.

Here's a list of communities and urban growth areas by county that are affected by this year's burn ban expansion: San Juan: Friday Harbor, Eastsound, Lopez Island