Open Burning in Grays Harbor County

What Goes Up Doesn’t Go Away

Contents
Let’s Clear the Air
What is Open Burning?
What is the Problem?
The Open Burning Rule
What Do I Do Instead of Burning?
When Burning is Allowed, What Can I Burn?
What are the Rules for Safe, Responsible Burning?
If You Want to Burn in Grays Harbor County…

Let’s Clear the Air
We take pride in our quality of life in Grays Harbor County. We all want to keep Washington and Grays Harbor County clean and green. And we all want healthy air to breathe.

Our state legislature passed the Clean Air Washington Act in 1991. This law addresses many of Washington’s air pollution problems. Information in this link will describe the problem of open burning, its effects on your health and how you can help solve the problem.

What IS open burning?
People use outdoor fires for many purposes. Homeowners burn leaves. Firefighters practice skills with training fires. Contractors burn debris at demolition and construction sites. And people use fire for cookouts and campfires. All of this is “open burning”.

Open burning is NOT burning as a tool in a commercial farming operation, nor is it silvicultural (slash) burning on land protected by the Department of Natural Resources. These types of burning are regulated by different permitting programs.

What is the problem?
Open burning has become a growing health problem and nuisance in Washington State. Burning outdoors accounts for more than 10 percent of our annual air pollution. That’s well over 300,000 tons of carbon monoxide, small particles, volatile organic compounds (which contribute to ozone pollution), and toxic pollutants. Open burning contributes to the pollution that obscures our scenic attractions. But most importantly, it harms the health of our citizens-especially sensitive groups such as the very young, the elderly and those with existing lung and heart problems.

Small particles called PM10 are released into the air when burning takes place. The most harmful are the smallest (ten microns in diameter and smaller) because they are easily inhaled into the lungs where they can cause structural and chemical changes. In addition, other toxic compounds “hitchhike” into the lungs on the small particles, potentially causing cancer and other illnesses and aggravating heart and lung conditions, such as asthma and emphysema. New research indicates that this pollution may be more harmful than previously believed.

“…these results suggest that fine particulate air pollution…contributes to excess mortality in certain U.S. cities.” – New England Journal of Medicine

The Open Burning Rule
Following state law, the open burning rule bans open burning in areas that do not meet federal health-based air quality standards (“nonattainment areas”). The rule requires permits for burning areas of the state where burning is still allowed, and establishes conditions for burning. As of January 1, 2001 all outdoor burning is banned in “urban growth” areas statewide.

What Do I Do Instead of Burning?

	Compost your yard waste yourself.
	Use your local government’s yard waste disposal program.
	Design your landscape to leave trees and native plants in place.
	Bring yard waste to a chipping business.
	Rent a chipper with your neighbors, and use chips as valuable mulch.
	Contact a local business to handle your land clearing, hauling, or demolition debris.
	More alternatives to burning debris.

When Burning Is Allowed, What Can I Burn?
You may burn only dry, natural vegetation. That’s lawn clippings, leaves, sticks, twigs and the like.

You may not burn any of the following “prohibited materials”:

	Garbage
	Paper (except to start the fire)
	Junk mail
	Cardboard
	Asphalt
	Petroleum products
	Paints
	Rubber
	Plastic
	Treated wood
	Construction debris
	Metal
	Dead animals

Burn barrels are unacceptable. They are a fire hazard and their design produces more smoke and pollution than an open pile because it does not provide enough air space for complete combustion.

What Are the Rules For Safe, Responsible Burning?

	A person capable of extinguishing the fire must attend it at all times and the fire must be extinguished before leaving.
	Do not burn when winds may create a fire hazard
	Do not burn within 50 feet of structures.
	The pile must not be larger than 4 feet by 4 feet by 3 feet.
	Burn only one legal-sized pile at a time.
	Any burning that creates a nuisance or obnoxious odors must be extinguished.
	The fire must be extinguished by dark. Violations of these rules may result in a monetary penalty. Also:
	Dry your natural vegetation! You’ll generate more smoke if the fire must boil off water first! As a rule of thumb, large branches should be dried six weeks. Prunings and small branches should be dried three weeks.
	Stack brush loosely to allow lots of air into the pile.
	Avoid pushing dirt into the pile with the prunings.

If You Want To Burn In Grays Harbor County…
For recycling possibilities or composting information, please contact:
Grays Harbor County – Solid Waste Department
100 West Broadway, Suite 31
Montesano, WA 98563-3614
(360) 249-4222 ext. 476

For burning permits or burn ban information, please contact:
Your local fire department or fire district.

For regulatory information, please contact:

Olympic Air Pollution Control Authority
909 Sleater-Kinney Road, Suite 1
Lacey, WA 98503
1-800-422-5623
www.orcaa.org

Department of Ecology
Southwest Regional Office
300 Desmond Drive
Lacey, WA 98503
(360) 407-6334
www.ecy.wa.gov/directory_swro.html

Eastern Washington toll-free open burning information line:
1-800-572-5973