Thursday, January 12, 2012
CONTACT: Dan A. Nelson, ORCAA Public Information Officer, Ext. 111
Stage Two Burn Ban called for Thurston County
A Stage Two Burn Ban has been called for Thurston County, effective 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 and will continue indefinitely.
No burning is allowed in fireplaces or wood stoves (certified and uncertified), and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. The ban will be lifted only after a change in weather arrives to improve the air quality.
While pollution levels in Thurston County warrant the Stage Two Ban, Mason County remains under a Stage 1 Burn Ban, but other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.
Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from outdoor burning as well as from the use of wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.
Restrictions During a Stage 2 Burn Ban
• No burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified) or pellet stoves, unless this is your only adequate source of heat. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
• If your fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is your only adequate source of heat and therefore must be used, you must operate it cleanly. No visible smoke is allowed.
• No outdoor fires of any kind are allowed. This includes recreational fires as well as the use of backyard fire kettles, chimineas or firepits.
• Burn ban violations are subject to a monetary penalty.
• During a Stage 2 ban, residents may use natural gas and propane appliances.
Under a Stage 1 Ban, no burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves, and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. Additionally, no visible smoke is allowed from any wood stove or fireplace, certified or not, beyond a 20-minute start-up period.
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted.
We make every effort to ensure that all burn ban announcements and restrictions are posted. Always call or visit your county and local clean air agency and check the DNR fire danger for the most current information.
Find out more information about RCW 70.94.473, WAC 173-425 and important key terms.
Hello,
I live in NE Thurston County. Most residents in our neighborhood have heat pumps or gas furnaces but some have wood burning stoves and a few have both systems. My neighbor has asthma and seems very affected by air quality. During the last burn ban, oxygen was delivered to her. I have allergies and am also affected but less than she is.
I don’t believe most people in the neighborhood are aware when there is a burn ban. It’s on local news, yes, but if you don’t catch that you don’t know. Maybe a lot of people get notices by email, but I doubt it. I realize the state budget is a mess, but is there a more public and visible way citizens could be notified of burn bans? If ever we have an overhead electronic notification sign on south I-5 could burn bans be included? Thanks for your service.
ORCAA contacted DOT years ago about messaging on freeway signs/reader boards, along with Alice from PSCAA. Summarily, DOT informed us that if it not transportation related, generally it’s not going to occur on the reader boards.
Policies don’t appear to have changed since at least 2004. The reader boards are still focused almost solely on transportation related messaging. The last priority for the DMS system is transportation related Public Service Messages. These messages do not directly impact motorists, and therefore are not critical to the safe and efficient operation of the transportation system. Examples of these messages are Click It or Ticket, Rideshare information, or announcements about traveler information phone numbers like 511. For more information on the DOT reader boards, please read the following pamphlet http://waburnbans.net/uploads/DynamicMessageSigns.pdf.
If wood burning stove is your only source of heat, are you still required to not use it? It will be a very cold winter for my family if i cannot use my fireplace. We cannot afford electric heat.
Thanks,
Sydney Simanis
I’ve read that under a stage 2 ban recreational fires are prohibited. Does this include cooking on a charcoal BBQ? I didn’t see it stated explicitly and want to clarify.
Thank you.
Sydney,
Fireplaces are not a good heat source because they are pulling the air out of your house and up the chimney. http://www.pscleanair.org/actions/woodstoves/fireplaces.aspx
If you have another source of heat, you are required to use it during a burn ban. If you do not have another source of heat, you need to apply for an exemption. For more info please feel free to call our office. 360.539.7610. or your local air agency.
Chris,
Burn Bans are only prohibiting the burning of wood. Charcoal and gas bbq grills are still allowed.
Does ORCAA now have someone available on weekends to lift a burn ban if it is warranted?
Byron – Yes, ORCAA is actively monitoring air quality conditions to ensure the ban is lifted when appropriate.
Mark Moore, ORCAA, 360-539-7610 x117
Olympian, 1/12/12 and 1/13/12 shows air quality good on weather page. Info from Kiro TV weather…all Seattle stations using another burn ban site which excludes southern counties. Info not getting out on news…no timely notification. Need to get Seattle media on board….
Does this burn ban apply to commercial businesses? I just wonder if it’s legal for the restaurants in my neighbourhood to continue to spew wood smoke for their “wood-fired pizzas” while I pay egregious amounts for electricity and natural gas while I am not allowed to use my wood stove….. Seems a bit odd.
The news says that there is a monetary penalty, but does not say how much. Can you reveal this information, please?
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/
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.
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
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.
Instead of burn bans how about ban driving!! That is way worse than my stove.
When will outdoor burning be permanently banned in thurston county? We had to pay 4 times as much for an epa certified wood stove because we aren’t permitted to buy the non certified stoves here. We expected to make up the price difference in electricity saved but are subject to these persistent burn bans.
what percentage of the bans are resulting from emissions from certified wood stoves? non certified wood stoves? outdoor burning? etc?
how do we respond to friends that thumb their nose at the burn bans and say they burn whatever they want, whenever they want?
What are the number of folks/businesses that were fined each month last year & what was the total amount of fines collected?
Also, when will you publish a calendar of burn bans so we may see historically the dates that bans occurred so we may follow the trends?
Hello Dan – I forwarded your comments and questions to ORCAA’s compliance supervisor, Robert Moody. He is available at 360.539.7610 if you would like to contact him directly.
In regards to your last question of a historical burn ban calendar – that is a great idea. Several local air quality agencies record historical burn bans in text format (e.g. http://www.orcaa.org/burning/burn-status/historical-burn-bans/ and http://www.pscleanair.org/airq/burnban/historicalrecord.aspx). I will work on gathering the information in a calendar format this week. I appreciate the suggestion.
Mark Moore, Network Administrator
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
360.539.7610
Hello Rich – I appreciate your comments. ORCAA is committed to making data open, accessible and transparent. We also maintain a data archive website at http://data.orcaa.org/, where we publish the latest air quality summaries, business information and other relevant data. If you have further questions, comments or suggestions, please contact me at ORCAA.
Mark Moore, Network Administrator
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
360.539.7610
Hello –
I’m another Dan! What Dan said seems to ring with a lot of folks around here. It has been very difficult to save money by using wood this year, as the burn bans seem to be never-ending. In past years, (2009 and 2010), it seems as if there was only about one burn ban per year. This year, they have been quite persistent.
I have a few questions as to why…
I heard one rumor that this is partially due to the increased emissions from the coal burning power plant in nearby Centrailia. I’ve also heard that there’s a few new industrial polluters that are new to Lacey, (something to do with metal or steel work). I full well realize that this is word-of-mouth, and there may be no substance behind this; but I can’t help wondering if it’s true.
If these industrial pollutants are indeed causing our air quality to decrease so much, it seems as if they should be subject to the same harsh emissions regulations as us taxpaying residents.
Secondly, It seems to me as if there are a few isolated smoke or “bad air” pockets. Driving at dusk you can see (and smell) pockets of smoke just north of Lacey, and in some areas near Tumwater. But, the air in residential Olympia (where I live) seems completely fine. I’m wondering if the censors that the ORCAA usues happen to be near one of these areas, and thus giving off severe false readings?
Again, the high amount of burn bans this year does seem suspect to me, but I appreciate your replies and your consideration on these topics.
Dan
Hello Dan – Outdoor burning and wood stoves emit a great deal of fine particulate pollution (PM2.5). Burn bans are implemented when the air quality meets criteria set by RCW 70.94.473 and others (http://www.orcaa.org/about/regulations/). Stagnant air, high pressure and emissions provide conditions for poor air quality (PM2.5) during the winter months, while high temperatures and emissions provide conditions for poor air quality during the summer months – mostly Ozone pollution.
ORCAA, along with multiple other local air quality agencies, primarily use Radiance Research M903 Nephelometers to detect light scatter, which is correlated to PM2.5. Instrument calibrations are checked every 14 days. Our Lacey monitor is located at Mountain View Elementary School (https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/StationInfo.aspx?ST_ID=1).
If you have further questions, I can be contacted at:
Mark Moore
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
360.539.7610 x117
what is the link to see the map of monitors for the olympia area. where are the montiors for downtown, evergreen & the west side? which programs and which site do i access to to see real time numbers?
which areas/which businesses account for how much of these fine particulate pollution numbers?
if is could afford to use my electric heat, would.
when these stage 2 bans are in place, folks that rely on their epa certified stoves are forced to choose between freezing or cutting other expenses, like food and medicine so they can afford the increased electricity bills.
many of us who rely on wood heat are forced to do so as we can’t afford the high electric bills / aren’t given electricity assistance.
Hello Dan – ORCAA maintains 1 air monitoring station in Thurston County, which is located in Lacey. The following link (https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/StationInfo.aspx?ST_ID=1) provides near real-time access to the air monitoring data at the Mountain View Elementary, Lacey, WA site. Near real-time, in this context, means that data are approximately 1-2 hours behind the current time.
If you have further questions, I can be contacted at:
Mark Moore
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
360.539.7610 x117
How does one report a neighbor who ignores the ban, even though he is aware of neighbors with breathing difficulties?