FINAL BILL REPORT

                 EHB 2414

                          C 68 L 98

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Extending the time in which to comply with outdoor burning prohibitions.

Sponsors:  Representatives Pennington, Mielke, Alexander, Carlson, Honeyford, Chandler, Buck, Hatfield and Doumit.

House Committee on Agriculture & Ecology

Senate Committee on Agriculture & Environment

Background:  Consistent with the Washington Clean Air Act, it is the state's policy to reduce outdoor burning to the greatest extent practical.  Outdoor burning without a permit is prohibited in certain areas of the state, including:

$any area where state or federal ambient air quality standards are exceeded for pollutants emitted by outdoor burning; and

$any urban growth area as designated by counties pursuant to the Growth Management Act, or any city of more than 10,000 people if the city threatens to exceed state or federal air quality standards and alternative disposal methods are reasonably available.

Outdoor burning permits are available for a variety of activities, including weed abatement, certain kinds of fire fighting instruction, certain agricultural activities, and the disposal of organic refuse from land clearing.  Certain outdoor burning activities are exempted from permit requirements. 

Outdoor burning in urban growth areas or in cities of over 10,000 will be entirely prohibited after December 31, 2000.

Summary: Cities with a population of 5,000 or more, and their associated urban growth areas, must comply with the prohibition on all outdoor burning after December 31, 2000, but cities with a population level of less than 5,000 and their associated urban growth areas that are not close to air quality nonattainment or maintenance areas have until December 31, 2006, to eliminate all outdoor burning.

Votes on Final Passage:

House932

Senate450(Senate amended)

House951(House concurred)

Effective:June 11, 1998