Oregon Senate approves broad field-burning ban

SALEM – A bill to phase out most field burning by Willamette Valley grass seed farmers was approved Thursday by the Oregon Senate in one of the most contentious environmental debates of the 2009 session.

The measure passed 16-14 after backers said the smoke causes health problems, particularly for people with asthma. Opponents, mostly Republicans, called it an unjustified anti-business move against Oregon’s grass seed industry.

The measure, which now advances to the House, would phase out field burning by 2010, meaning grass seed farmers could not burn fields next summer. But it would allow burning to continue on as many as 15,000 acres of steep terrain, largely in the hills outside of Silverton, Stayton and Sublimity, where fine fescue is grown.

Earlier this session, people who live downwind from the field burns testified the smoke makes it tough to breathe and causes health problems.

“Too many people have suffered for too long because of the smoke that gets trapped in the valley,” said Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene.

But Senate Republicans argued the phase-out will cause financial harm to grass seed farmers and that said proponents of the bill haven’t produced scientific data to show how many people are made ill by field burning.

“We need to back off the grass seed industry,” said Sen. Jeff Kruse, of Roseburg. “They are good neighbors who practice conservation.”