ARCHIVE
|
|
Need a professional locksmith? Click q for truly professional services! |
- No other stuff, though
- It's OK to burn tumbleweeds now
- SUNNYSIDE (Monday 3-30-99)---The city council last night approved an ordinance making it okay to burn wind-blown tumbleweeds in city limits.
- There's been a ban the past several years on any outdoor burning in town. But tumbleweeds will be the exception, according to the council's action.
- City Atty. Mark Kunkler has checked the measure with the state and the Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority, and they gave the city the green light.
- State law makes it legal for any county with a population fewer than 250,000 to set their own burning practices. And the Air Authority told Kunkler it tries to to "remain cooperative" with local jurisdictions.
- With a new census upcoming, Yakima County's population may swell to more than 250,000. When that happens, residents will be forced to follow state strictures on burning. It would cause the tumbleweed burning ordinance to "sunset". But for now, burning is okay.
- Nevertheless, burning weeds won't be allowed during a "pollution episode". These usually are caused by atmospheric "inversions" that keep smoke and other pollution near the ground.
- Tumbleweed burning permits won't be required, but a 24-hour advance warning to the city's Fire Department will be. On top of that, the burner must contact the Regional Air Authority to make sure it's a "burn day".
- It will be up to the FD to "approve, deny or modify" requests for burning if staff think there's a fire hazard.
- The new ordinance comes on the heels of a recent burning of several World War II housing units once operated by the city's Housing Authority. Fire Department staff called it a "practice burn" but one Sunnyside citizen was not convinced.
- "The city Fire Department has led me to believe there was no burning in Sunnyside, period, including July 4. At the same time the city burnt down housing units in the guise of practice," said Don Outhet.
- "It violated the ordinance. A person profited from the burn, which required no license, no labor, no trucking fees, no landfill fees. If I had requested it, my request would have been denied.
- "If one party abides by the law, all other parties should, too. Can kids celebrate July 4 in their backyards? It seems we're picking and choosing when we want to accept and not accept (the law)," Outhet told the council.
- Outhet didn't ask the council or city staff for a response, nor was it immediately clear who profited from the city's burning of the old housing units.
- Fire Capt. Paul Filicetti said during the meeting that it would be tough to tell if persons were burning tumbleweeds alone when they build their fires.
- "They could be burning anything," he said. He indicated authorities can't do more than spot-check any approved burn.