FORKS — The deadline will stick.
After July 1, West End cedar mills will have to abide by a new environmental rule that prohibits them from burning small, woody waste into the atmosphere.
That’s according to Richard Stedman, Olympic Region Clean Air Agency executive director, who is in charge of enforcing the federal rule in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
“We are required to enforce and adopt those rules — it’s not our rule to write, change or find variances for,” Stedman said.
“If someone operates their facility without pollution controls, then they will receive a violation notification.”
In recent weeks, officials at the municipal and county level have been scrambling to find a way to stave off the July 1 deadline, which could deal a severe economic blow to 11 cedar mills operating in Clallam and Jefferson counties — mostly in the Forks area.
Together, these mills produce about $11 million in gross annual sales and employ 65 people.
The federal rule is designed to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide released by the burning of small cedar dust and scraps.
A 41-page report released last week by Rural Technology Initiative at the request of Clallam County Economic Development Council concluded that many small cedar mills would be forced to close if they had to make expensive modifications to how they dispose of their cedar waste.
