PORT HADLOCK — Residents of Port Hadlock and Irondale who live inside a designated urban growth area will no longer be allowed to burn yard waste, according to the state agency that oversees air quality.
The action, taken by the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, or ORCAA, brings the area in line with downtown Port Townsend and other urban growth areas statewide where yard waste burning is prohibited year-round, regardless of weather conditions.
The permanent ban against the outdoor burning of residential yard waste or the burning of waste from land-clearing activities is throughout the Irondale/Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area, which is bordered on the north and west side by water, on the west by 10th Street and on the south by Hilda Street and state Highway 116.
A map of the no-burn area is available at www.orcaa.org.
The ban prohibits the outdoor burning of residential yard waste or the burning of waste from land-clearing activities.
Education first
Enforcement of the ban will be educational at first, said ORCAA spokesman Dan Nelson on Friday.
“If we notice yard burning, we will contact the person and let them know what the law does and does not allow,” Nelson said.
“This is a health issue, since any time you burn wood or organic material it releases the same cancer-causing elements in the air as cigarettes, except that when someone smokes a cigarette, it doesn’t affect the entire community,” he said.
While the agency will not take a hard line at first, eventually, repeat offenders could be fined, Nelson said.
Fire-Rescue surprised
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue recently was informed of the action, something that surprised Chief Gordon Pomeroy, according to a statement issued Friday.
The letter to the fire district said ORCAA had learned recently that Port Hadlock and Irondale were within a state- and county-designated urban growth area, or UGA.
Jefferson County established the Irondale/Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area in 2009.
ORCAA said in a statement that in 2006, just before the rule on the permanent burn ban in all UGAs came into effect in 2007, the agency notified residents and fire departments about the law in 17 UGAs but did not know about the Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA.
Nelson said some people may initially resist the action but will eventually comply.
“Most people, when they understand the laws, will gladly and willingly abide by them,” he said. “Many rural areas in Eastern Washington have been faced with the same issue, and they have adapted.”
Said East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesman Bill Beezley: “Previously, burning yard waste has been a regular part of life for anyone who has acreage.
“We hope to help the people within the UGA find alternative ways to get rid of their yard waste.”
Information about alternative disposal methods are available at any fire station in District No. 1, including the station at 1256 Lawrence St. in Port Townsend as well as those at Jacob Miller Road, Cape George, Marrowstone Island, Chimacum and Airport Road.
ORCAA is planning to post signs in the county’s UGAs to create greater awareness about the outdoor burn ban.
Fire district ban
Effective July 1, the burning of outdoor yard debris has been prohibited in the fire district.
No open burning is ever allowed within the Port Townsend city limit.
The burn ban is set to end Sept. 30, but it may be extended if weather conditions warrant, fire officials said.
During the period of the burn ban, violators may be assessed fines of up to $14,915 per day for each violation.
They also may be held responsible for the cost of putting out the fire, which can cost thousands of dollars.
Outdoor burning guidelines can be found at www.ejfr.org or at district fire stations.
For more information about the permanent burn ban in the Irondale/Port Hadlock areas, phone ORCAA at 800-422-5623.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
