Workshop To Be Held On Field Burning Plan

Thu., Feb. 15, 1996

From Staff And Wire Reports

It’s the public’s turn to comment on proposed regulations to douse grass field burning.

The Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority will hold a workshop Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at City Council chambers.

SCAPCA board members will review a draft proposal to reduce the Kentucky bluegrass acreage that can be burned countywide from 25,000 acres this year to 17,500 acres in 1999.

The proposal would also impose a daily cap of 1,500 acres and a weekly cap of 6,000 acres.

Under the proposal, bluegrass acreage could be further reduced by 2002 if grass smoke is still causing problems.

SCAPCA is proposing the pro-rata reductions under the state Clean Air Act. The law allows local air quality cops to order reductions because Spokane has flunked federal standards for small particles of dust in the air, called PM 10.

Annual grass field burning releases as much as 800 tons of PM 10, according to SCAPCA estimates. Other county sources, including wood stoves, industry and road dust, generate an additional 7,638 tons.

Area growers and the public will each be given an hour to present their proposals and five minutes to make concluding statements, said SCAPCA Director Eric Skelton.

The board won’t decide on the final regulation until a formal public hearing is held later this year, Skelton said.

, DataTimes

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