Hearing on Changes to Agricultural Burning Fees

Changes to Agricultural Burning Fees (Chapter 173-430 WAC)

The WA Department of Ecology is proposing amendments to Chapter 173-430 WAC, Agricultural Burning.  The proposed rule amendments make the following changes:
·         Adjust the 2011 field burning fee to cover the costs of administering and enforcing the permit programs.
·         Change the pile burning fee to a per ton fee rather than a per acre fee.
·         Adopt a process to adjust agricultural burning fees in the future.
·         Address the finding in Ted Rasmussen Farms, LLC v. State of Washington, Department of Ecology, Docket # 22989-1-III (Rasmussen v. Ecology).
·         Make minor changes for consistency. 
 
The amendments published in the Washington State Register on August 4, 2010. See the notice here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/laws/wsr/2010/15/10-15-071.htm
 
Proposed Fee Schedule (starting January 1, 2011)
 
Minimum Fee
Variable Fee
 
Field Burning
$30 for the first 10 acres
$3.00 for each additional acre
Spot Burning
$30 for 10 acres or less
N/A
Pile Burning
$80 for the first 100 tons
$0.50 for each additional ton
 
Documents available for review

These documents are available for review and comment  at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/wac173430/1005.html until September 9, 2010:

·         Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS) under the State Environmental Policy Act

·         Small Business Economic Impact Statement (SBEIS)

·         Preliminary Cost-benefit Analysis 

·         Draft Rule Text
 

Public hearing schedule

Thursday August 26, 2010

7:00 p.m.

Columbia County Rural Library District

111 S 3rd St.

Dayton, WA

Thursday September 2, 2010

6:00 p.m.

Wenatchee Public Library

310 Douglas Street

Wenatchee, WA
 
How to comment

Ecology will accept comments on the proposed rule until  September 9, 2010. You can give us your official comments in the following ways:

1.   Testify at public hearings.

2.   Email comments to richelle.perez@ecy.wa.gov.

3.    Fax comments to (360) 407-7534.

4.   Mail comments to:

Department of Ecology

Richelle Pérez

PO Box 47600

Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Ecology’s response to your comments

All of the comments we receive will become part of the official record and responded to in a document called the Concise Explanatory Statement. The Concise Explanatory Statement is published after the rule is adopted. You will be able to find your name listed in the document with a reference to where, in the document, Ecology responded to your comments.
Expected adoption date

Ecology expects to adopt this rule November 10, 2010.
For more information

Richelle Pérez

(360) 407-7528

richelle.perez@ecy.wa.gov

Online:  http://www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/wac173430/1005.html or

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/rules/agburnrule.html (Ecology will update this page soon. Please check back.)