Below are the most recent Burn Ban announcements in Pierce County


Click on the BOLD HEADING for more information

Effective at 4:00 p.m. February 6, 2012, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is lifting the air quality burn ban issued for Pierce County. Visit pscleanair.org for details.

To protect public health from rising air pollution levels, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is issuing a Stage 1 burn ban in Pierce County, effective at 4 p.m. February 3, 2012.  This ban is in effect until further notice.

High pressure is building east of the Cascade Mountains through the weekend. Dry, stagnant air is expected in Pierce County, resulting in rising air pollution, especially in communities where residential wood burning is common. With stagnant conditions expected to continue through the weekend and beyond, pollution levels could reach the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category at some locations.

For details, visit pscleanair.org.

(Seattle, Wash. – February 2, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 has called a burn ban on all outdoor burning starting Friday, February 3, 2012 at 8 AM PST on the following reservations in Washington due to stagnant air conditions as a high pressure system settles in the region. This burn ban will be in place until further notice.

The burn ban will be in effect for the following reservations:

Nisqually Reservation Wash.

Muckleshoot Reservation, Wash.,

Chehalis Reservation, Wash,

Puyallup Reservation, Wash.

Colville Reservation, Wash,

Spokane Reservation, Wash,.

Yakama Reservation, Wash.

The burn ban applies to all outdoor and agricultural burning, including camping and recreational fires within reservation boundaries. Ceremonial and traditional fires are exempt from the outdoor burn ban.

EPA also requests that reservation residents reduce all sources of air pollution, including excess driving and idling of vehicles, and the use of woodstoves and fireplaces, unless it is your only source of heat.

Air pollution can have significant health impacts. Cooperation from the community will help people who are at risk during this period. Those most at risk are children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with difficulty breathing and with heart and lung problems. Those at risk should avoid outdoor exercise and minimize exposure to outdoor pollution as much as possible.

Please call 1-800-424-4EPA and ask for the FARR Hotline or visit the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR) website for the current burn status at www.epa.gov/r10earth/FARR.htm.

EPA Calls Burn Ban for Several Reservations in Washington Starting Friday, February 3 at 8 AM

Contact:
Gary Olson, 206-553-0977, olson.gary@epa.gov
Keith Rose, 206-553-1949, rose.keith@epa.gov

[January 28, 2012] Effective at 5:00 p.m. today, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is cancelling the air quality burn  ban issued for Pierce County.

The area of high pressure that calmed winds and dropped temperatures last night is leaving our region today. Agency forecasters expect evening winds tonight and tomorrow, which should disperse air pollution and restore good air quality in  Pierce County.

We appreciate the public’s  cooperation with the burn ban. We encourage people to  check current air  quality  and burn ban status before they burn. Conditions can change quickly this time of year. To check burn ban status:

  1. Sign up for clean air              newswhere you can:
    1. Receive e-mail notification of burn bans
    2. Follow us on Twitter/Facebook
    3. Subscribe to R.P.I.N. and EnviroFlash
  2. Visit our Web site www.pscleanair.org
  3. Call our Air Quality InfoLine at 1-800-595-4341

For those who heat with wood,  please remember that it is always illegal to emit excess chimney smoke or  to smoke out your neighbor, burn ban or not. You know you are burning properly when you do not see  any smoke coming from your chimney. And burning garbage is always illegal.

For more information:

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The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is an  air quality management agency serving King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish  counties. Created as a result of the 1967 Washington Clean Air Act, the agency  protects public health  by adopting and enforcing air  quality regulations, educating individuals and businesses about clean-air  choices and sponsoring voluntary initiatives to improve air quality.

To protect public health from rising air pollution levels, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is issuing a Stage 1 burn ban in Pierce County, effective at 12 p.m. today. This ban is in effect until further notice.

High pressure has been building over the Puget Sound region, resulting in very cold and stagnant weather conditions. Air pollution is building up in Pierce County, especially in communities where residential wood burning is common. With stagnant conditions expected to continue through tomorrow, pollution levels could reach the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category at some locations. For details visit pscleanair.org.