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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) — Almost 1,200 Oregon residents have called the state this year to complain about the smoke from field burning, and some politicians are listening.
State Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, said he plans to introduce a bill when the Legislature convenes in January that would ban the practice that grass seed farmers use to get rid of straw after harvest.
“The economic benefit of field burning does not outweigh the huge cost to public health not to mention global warming,” Holvey said.
Other candidates from the southern Willamette Valley also want the Legislature to consider the issue, including Bill Eddie, a Republican seeking a state senate seat. “I’ve had a lot of people out on the campaign trail talk to me about field burning and make a remark like, ’Bill, if you could eliminate field burning, I’d vote for you,’ “ Eddie said.
Each year about 200 Willamette Valley grass seed growers use fire to sanitize their fields and get rid of straw. As of Oct. 1, they had burned 48,285 acres, and the season isn’t over until the heavy fall rains come. The fires send clouds of smoke high into the air and through communities in the southern Willamette Valley.
The state Department of Agriculture tries to minimize the impact on the Eugene-Springfield area by allowing burning only when winds carry the smoke over the Coast Range to the west or over the Cascades to the east. But the science is imperfect and sometimes smoke hangs in the air.
Though most politicians from the area appear to support a ban, Jim Oakley, a candidate for a house seat that includes the Linn County grass seed growing region, said field burning isn’t much of a problem. “They’re being very careful,” he said. “The farmers are doing their best to try to find ways to deal with it — either not burning or making sure they don’t intrude on the cities.”
In a separate but related move on Tuesday, the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency Board voted 6-2 to draft a letter to encourage the Legislature to ban field burning.
But board President Dave Ralston, one of two members to oppose the letter, said the agency shouldn’t get involved. “It’s strictly up to the Legislature,” he said “The farmers have businesses and that’s a very powerful lobby.”
———
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
State Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, said he plans to introduce a bill when the Legislature convenes in January that would ban the practice that grass seed farmers use to get rid of straw after harvest.
“The economic benefit of field burning does not outweigh the huge cost to public health not to mention global warming,” Holvey said.
Other candidates from the southern Willamette Valley also want the Legislature to consider the issue, including Bill Eddie, a Republican seeking a state senate seat. “I’ve had a lot of people out on the campaign trail talk to me about field burning and make a remark like, ’Bill, if you could eliminate field burning, I’d vote for you,’ “ Eddie said.
Each year about 200 Willamette Valley grass seed growers use fire to sanitize their fields and get rid of straw. As of Oct. 1, they had burned 48,285 acres, and the season isn’t over until the heavy fall rains come. The fires send clouds of smoke high into the air and through communities in the southern Willamette Valley.
The state Department of Agriculture tries to minimize the impact on the Eugene-Springfield area by allowing burning only when winds carry the smoke over the Coast Range to the west or over the Cascades to the east. But the science is imperfect and sometimes smoke hangs in the air.
Though most politicians from the area appear to support a ban, Jim Oakley, a candidate for a house seat that includes the Linn County grass seed growing region, said field burning isn’t much of a problem. “They’re being very careful,” he said. “The farmers are doing their best to try to find ways to deal with it — either not burning or making sure they don’t intrude on the cities.”
In a separate but related move on Tuesday, the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency Board voted 6-2 to draft a letter to encourage the Legislature to ban field burning.
But board President Dave Ralston, one of two members to oppose the letter, said the agency shouldn’t get involved. “It’s strictly up to the Legislature,” he said “The farmers have businesses and that’s a very powerful lobby.”
———
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
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