Comments for WA Burn Bans

Comment on Stage 2 burn ban called for Thurston County January 12, 2012 by Rich R.

Rich R. — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:47:05 +0000

I don’t like burn bans any more than the next person — we have a certified woodstove that’s a tremendous help heating our home during the winter. (We burn well-seasoned wood in hot fires and have surprisingly little visible smoke, unlike some of our neighbors.) But I really like how open you are, setting up email notification of burn bans, the real-time (and archived) air quality data so we can see exactly what’s going on in our area. I also like the dialogue you maintain in these comments threads. It really helps show the reasoning behind the bans, and as a member of the affected public, that’s really important.

Comment on Stage 2 burn ban called for Thurston County January 12, 2012 by Bonnie

Bonnie — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:58:58 +0000

Hello
Hey I understand ORCA does not have air quality stations down south, near Black Lake etc. The nearest air quality station is in Lacey. During these inversions could some of your staff actually bring air quality monitoring equipment with them to various areas of the county. Really, there are some areas where the smoke settles. Its so obvious it hurts. Be very useful I’d think for where to plan various developments or what not, such as asphalt plants

Comment on Burn ban elevated to Stage 2 in Pierce and Snohomish counties; Stage 1 burn ban remains in effect for King and Kitsap counties by pscleanair

pscleanair — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:55:56 +0000

Hi, Sue. Thank you for your inquiry. A Stage 2 ban prohibits the use of all wood-burning devices, including fireplaces, uncertified wood stoves, certified wood stoves and pellet stoves. Most certified wood stoves will have an EPA label on them. If your stove is over 20 years old, chances are it is NOT certified. If you know the manufacturer and model, you may be able to look it up on this list of wood stoves that meet Washington State Emission Standards: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/indoor_woodsmoke/pdfs/Wood_stoves.pdf

Washington rules allow for the use of wood-burning devices during a burn ban if they are your only adequate source of heat. If that’s the case, you do still need to practice clean burning by burning only dry, seasoned wood and emitting no visible smoke. It is always illegal to generate excessive smoke. We have some great tips and resources on our website on how to get maximum heat with minimal smoke — and pollution: http://www.pscleanair.org/actions/woodstoves/basics.aspx.

These and answers to other frequently-asked-questions can be found here:
http://www.pscleanair.org/airq/burnban/faqs.aspx

Thanks again for your inquiry.

Comment on Stage 2 burn ban called for Thurston County January 12, 2012 by Robert

Robert — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:26:37 +0000

Dan,
You asked if the burn bans apply to the indoor pizza oven in your neighborhood. After review of the laws and rules on the subject it appears to be allowed. That is based on the “intent of the Legislature” as stated in the Clean Air Act. Though not a legal interpretation, the Legislature intent and the words chosen in the Clean Air Act and the Washington Administrative Code imply the restriction is applicable for heating. These rules were written 20 years ago so we did not have pizza ovens at that time. I have asked Department of Ecology for an opinion on the matter as well.

Comment on Stage 2 burn ban called for Thurston County January 12, 2012 by Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:58:26 +0000

Mike, that is a good question. We have a penalty matrix that asks a series of questions (# of complaints, burning prohibited materials, history etc). Points are assigned to the answers to those questions and a range of points corresponds to a certain dollar amount. Usually for a first offense the fine around one hundred dollars. If you would like more information please feel free to call ORCAA or send us an email. Thanks. http://www.orcaa.org/contact/