BILL REQ. #:  S-1734.5 

Read first time 02/19/2007.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to outdoor burning in urban growth areas of certain small cities; amending RCW 70.94.743; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 70.94.743 and 2004 c 213 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Consistent with the policy of the state to reduce outdoor burning to the greatest extent practical:
     (a) Outdoor burning shall not be allowed in any area of the state where federal or state ambient air quality standards are exceeded for pollutants emitted by outdoor burning.
     (b)(i) Outdoor burning shall not be allowed in any urban growth area as defined by RCW 36.70A.030, or any city of the state having a population greater than ten thousand people if such cities are threatened to exceed state or federal air quality standards, and alternative disposal practices consistent with good solid waste management are reasonably available or practices eliminating production of organic refuse are reasonably available.
     (ii) In no event shall such burning be allowed after December 31, 2000, except that within the urban growth areas for cities having a population of less than five thousand people, that are neither within nor contiguous with any nonattainment or maintenance area designated under the federal clean air act, in no event shall such burning be allowed after December 31, 2006, in counties bordering Puget Sound that were greater than two hundred forty thousand in population in 2006 as determined by office of financial management population estimates.
     (iii) However, in other counties such burning shall continue to be allowed within the urban growth areas, as defined in RCW 36.70A.030, for cities having a population of less than five thousand people, that are neither within nor contiguous with any nonattainment or maintenance area designated under the federal clean air act, until July 1, 2008.
     (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, outdoor burning may be allowed for the exclusive purpose of managing storm or flood-related debris. The decision to allow burning shall be made by the entity with permitting jurisdiction as determined under RCW 70.94.660 or 70.94.755. If outdoor burning is allowed in areas subject to (a) or (b) of this subsection, a permit shall be required, and a fee may be collected to cover the expenses of administering and enforcing the permit. All conditions and restrictions pursuant to RCW 70.94.750(1) and 70.94.775 apply to outdoor burning allowed under this section.
     (d)(i) Outdoor burning that is normal, necessary, and customary to ongoing agricultural activities, that is consistent with agricultural burning authorized under RCW 70.94.650 and 70.94.656, is allowed within the urban growth area as defined in (b) of this subsection if the burning is not conducted during air quality episodes, or where a determination of impaired air quality has been made as provided in RCW 70.94.473, and the agricultural activities preceded the designation as an urban growth area.
     (ii) Outdoor burning of cultivated orchard trees, whether or not agricultural crops will be replanted on the land, shall be allowed as an ongoing agricultural activity under this section if a local horticultural pest and disease board formed under chapter 15.09 RCW, an extension office agent with Washington State University that has horticultural experience, or an entomologist employed by the department of agriculture, has determined in writing that burning is an appropriate method to prevent or control the spread of horticultural pests or diseases.
     (2) "Outdoor burning" means the combustion of material of any type in an open fire or in an outdoor container without providing for the control of combustion or the control of emissions from the combustion.
     (3) This section shall not apply to silvicultural burning used to improve or maintain fire dependent ecosystems for rare plants or animals within state, federal, and private natural area preserves, natural resource conservation areas, parks, and other wildlife areas.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) A small city outdoor burning advisory task force is created to identify a range of burning alternatives in small rural and isolated cities and to explore rationales for exemptions to the prohibitions under RCW 70.94.743.
     (2) Members of the task force include:
     (a) Two representatives from cities with a population of five thousand or fewer, to be selected by the association of Washington cities;
     (b) Two representatives from the department of ecology, one from the air quality program and one from the solid waste program, to be selected by the director of the department of ecology;
     (c) Two representatives from counties, to be selected by the Washington state association of counties;
     (d) Two representatives from two different regional clean air agencies, to be selected by the director of the department of ecology; and
     (e) One representative from the department of health, to be selected by the secretary of the department of health.
     (3) The task force shall meet by August 1, 2007, and deliver a report with recommendations to the appropriate policy committees of the legislature by December 1, 2007.