State Levies Fines For Illegal Burning

Thu., Feb. 17, 2000

From Staff

The Washington state Department of Ecology fined two Franklin County farmers this week for illegal burning.

Steve Cooper of Mesa was fined $10,000 for burning 65 acres of grass-seed stubble on Aug. 16, 1998. Cooper couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.

Tom Bailie, also from Mesa, was fined $2,000 for burning about 30 acres of irrigated wheat stubble without a permit on Aug. 11, 1998. Bailie declined to comment on the fine.

Both violations were observed by state employees on surveillance flights, according to the state.

Since August, DOE has levied 22 fines, totaling $104,000, for illegal field burning in 1998 and 1999.

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State Levies Fines For Illegal Burning

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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