Burn bans issued for Chelan, Douglas counties

By on January 31, 2012 at 10:28 in Burn Bans, Central and Eastern Regional Ecology, Chelan County, Douglas County, Ecology Central Regional Office, WA state Dept. Ecology • No Comments

Burn bans issued for Chelan, Douglas counties

OLYMPIA – Burn bans start at 4 p.m. today (Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012) in Chelan and Douglas counties, where air quality is expected to worsen this week, according to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).

Ecology’s Stage 1 burn bans for Chelan and Douglas counties will continue until at least 10 a.m. Monday (Feb. 6), when they could be called off or extended. The Stage 1 bans apply to unnecessary use of uncertified wood-burning devices (including wood stoves, inserts and fireplaces) and to all outdoor burning.

Ecology’s burn bans do not apply to tribal lands, where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has jurisdiction.

Smoke from outdoor burning and wood-burning devices builds up where cold air is trapped near the ground. Fine particles in smoke are so small they can easily get into your lungs. Once there, they can cause heart and breathing problems, and even death. Children, people with asthma and respiratory illnesses, and adults older than 65 are most at risk.

Under a Stage 1 ban:

• Use of uncertified wood-burning devices – including fireplaces, wood stoves and inserts – is prohibited unless they are a home’s only source of heat. Uncertified units typically were built before 1990 and lack a certification label on the back of the unit.

• All outdoor burning – including residential, agricultural and forest burning – is prohibited.

• Use of certified wood-burning devices and pellet stoves is allowed. Ecology recommends burning hot fires using only clean, dry wood.

• No excessive smoke is allowed from any wood-burning device beyond a 20-minute start-up.

Burn ban violators are subject to civil penalties.

A 2009 Ecology analysis estimates that fine particles contribute to about 1,100 deaths and about $190 million in health-care costs each year in Washington. (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0902021.html)

For burn ban updates:

• Check local media reports.
• Call Ecology’s daily burn decision hotline (1-800-406-5322 in Washington).
• Check Ecology’s burn bans web page. (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/outdoor_woodsmoke/burn_ban.htm)
• Go online to www.waburnbans.net.

You can report burn ban violators by calling Ecology’s smoke complaint hotline (1-866-211-6284).

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65).

Ecology recommends that people limit vehicle trips, combine errands or use public transportation to reduce air pollution.

You can track air quality in your area by using the Washington Air Quality Advisory (WAQA). This is Ecology’s tool for informing people about the health effects of air pollution, including fine particles. It uses color-coded categories to show when air quality is good, moderate or unhealthy. (https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/Default.htm)

For more information about WAQA, see this Ecology focus sheet. (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0802022.pdf)

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Media Contact: Seth Preston, Ecology communications manager, 360-407-6848; 360-584-5744 cell; seth.preston@ecy.wa.gov

See a list of certified wood stoves and other information (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/indoor_woodsmoke/wood_smoke_page.htm)

Tips on getting the most heat from your firewood
(http://burndryfirewood.com/)

Ecology’s website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov

Ecology’s social media: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

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Previously

As of 10:00 a.m., PST, Monday, January 30, 2012:

 

The Stage 1 Burn Ban put into place last Saturday, January 28, 2012, for both Upper and Lower Yakima County areas has been REMOVED for all areas in YRCAA’s jurisdiction due to improved air quality conditions. 

  • The PM2.5 levels have decreased dramatically in the last 24 hours and are now at a “Healthy” level in both the Upper and the Lower County areas.  Ventilation and Dispersion are Moderate to Good for Yakima County.
  • PM2.5 Monitor values are Moderate to Good in Upper and Lower Valley.
  • Poor to Fair ventilation and dispersion for today with poor to fair surface winds.
  • Agricultural Burn allocations are up to 50 tons (Level 3) for Upper and Lower Valley (see below)
  • Note: Burn Ban conditions are re-evaluated daily – for your convenience you can also sign up for our Burn Ban E-mail Updates at http://www.yakimacleanair.org .

 

Outdoor Burning: 

  1. Agricultural Burning will be allowed to resume, but only with a valid 2012 Agricultural Burn permit and approved Daily Burn Allocations.  Please call the YRCAA Office (509-834-2050) to receive a burn allocation.
  2. Reminder:  The period for Outdoor Residential burning ended on the 15th of October, 2011.  Outdoor Residential burning will not resume until March 15th, 2012, with a 2012 Residential Burn Permit issued through this office.      

Please Note:  Restrictions may differ within the exterior boundaries of the Yakama Reservation.  The Yakama Nation is addressing air quality issues in conjunction with the EPA, under the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR).  For up-to-date information there, please call 1-800-424-4EPA (1-800-424-4372) 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 .

Thanks to all who helped by observing this Burn Ban.

[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:

#    #   #

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.

Effective 12:00 p.m.., Saturday, Januyary 28, 2012:

A Stage 1 Burn Ban has been declared for both the Upper and Lower Yakima County areas.

  • PM2.5 levels are increasing and are currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Orange) in Upper County Area and Moderate (Yellow) in the Lower County area, with worsening predictions by this afternoon.
  • Weather predictions are for a low-level surface inversion with poor ventilation and dispersion for the next few days, including little or no surface winds; this may cause PM2.5 levels to continue increasing to Unhealthy levels.
  • No Agricultural Burning –  allocations are 0 piles per request for both Upper and Lower County Areas while the burn ban is in place.
  • We will re-evaluate the Burn Ban status again tomorrow morning.

 

Please Note:  Restrictions may differ within the exterior boundaries of the Yakama Reservation.  The Yakama Nation is addressing air quality issues in conjunction with the EPA, under the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR).  For up-to-date information there, please call 1-800-424-4EPA (1-800-424-4372) 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 .

 

Reminder:

During a Stage 1 Burn Ban:

  1. All Outdoor Burning, including Agricultural burning, is prohibited;
  2. The use of any fireplace, uncertified wood stove or uncertified fireplace insert is prohibited unless it is the only adequate means of heating a home;
  3. Certified wood stove, certified fireplace insert or pellet stove/insert use is allowed;
  4. No excessive smoke (over 20% opacity) is allowed from any wood burning device beyond a 20-minute start-up; and
  5. All violations of the burn ban are subject to civil penalty.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

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.