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Agricultural burning is used to clear fields of excess
residue and/or straw – and may be used to help control
weeds, disease and pests. But over the years, increasing
public concern about the health effects of the smoke has
regulators, and growers themselves, taking a hard look at
the practice.
The Washington State Clean Air act of 1991 requires that
the Department of Ecology enter into an agricultural-burning
permit system designed to reduce air pollution. This is to
be accomplished with the help and guidance of the following:
| 1. Washington Administrative
Code (WAC 173-430) |
| 2. Local jurisdictions as
delegated permitting authorities |
| 3. A special task force
called the Agricultural Burning Practice Research Task
Force. This group includes representatives from grower
groups, university agricultural programs, the State Departments
of Ecology and Agriculture, and Public Health and Environmental
Organizations |
| 4. Guidelines established
called Best Management Guidelines (based on the type
of crop) |
The Department of Ecology has the authority to grant delegated
permitting authority within each county of the State of Washington.
Franklin County currently has delegated agricultural permitting authority from the Department of Ecology, and in turn "sub-contracts" the admininstration of the agricultural burn permitting program through our local conservation district.
The goal is not to prohibit agricultural burning but to decrease
smoke emissions.
Participating as a delegated permitting authority allows
Franklin County to not only issue agricultural burning permits
but also take a hands on approach in providing better service
to its residents. Guidelines called Best Management Practices
(BMPs) have been developed for each crop. These BMP’s
were written to inform and identify (based on crop type)
when burning is needed and when it is not. The farmer and/or
grower must refer to these Best Management Practices (BMPs)
and prove to their locally based permitting authority that
burning is the only way to solve the insect, weed, pest,
or residue problem the farmer and/or grower is dealing with.
As a delegated permitting authority, Franklin County takes
on additional responsibility to help support the efforts
of the State of Washington and the Department of Ecology
in its administering and enforcing the rules listed, and
those stated in Washington Administrative Code (WAC 173-430)
Agricultural burning. The
Department of Ecology makes the daily BURN and/or
NO BURN calls based on current daily meteorological data
of conditions existing such as air quality, ventilation,
dispersal of smoke and particulate matter existing within
Franklin County, which may or may not allow burning based
on this data.
Click the link below after 9:00 a.m. for the daily "burn call"
Daily Burn Information and Conditions - Department of Ecology
Click the link below for the Fire District and Burn Zone Map
Fire District and Burn Zone location map
For general burning information for Franklin County call
Ph: (509) 545-3586
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