As debate rages about whether agricultural field burning in Oregon causes harmful air pollution, a bill that would ban these fires is in legislation as opponents and supporters attempt to clear up this hazy issue.
Members from a number of groups and associations gave invited testimony Monday to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in Salem concerning House Bill 3000 that would prohibit open field burning, stack burning, pile burning and propane flaming.
“The issue is really two-fold. Field burning creates air pollution that has an impact on persons with respiratory problems. And the fields that are being burned are to produce people’s lawns, it’s not to produce anything to feed people,” said Paige Webster, director of communications for Oregon Medical Association.
Webster is referring to the nearly $500 million annual grass seed industry in Oregon that has caused the Willamette Valley to be dubbed “The Grass Seed Capital of the World.” Grass seed was introduced into the valley in the 1920s and since 1940, the industry has steadily grown and grass seed is now produced on nearly 800 family farms averaging 700 acres.
During these early years, the fields were burned after the June and July harvest months as a cheap solution to ridding the fields of left over straw, as well as combating disease problems.
Voices of concern began to surface in the 1970s and 1980s as public anxiety over air pollution from the smoke led to legislative regulation. Blankets of smoke clouded drivers’ vision on I-5 in 1988 and led to a deadly car accident that killed seven people and outraged citizens. In 1991, the legislature reduced the allowable amount of open field burning to 10 percent of acres grown.
Opponents of the bill in the seed-growing industry argue that the complete cessation of open field burning may have an adverse affect on its profits.
However, the previous high of seed crops totaled more than $371 million in 1998-99, and was surpassed in the 2005-06 year by a 29 percent increase garnering more than $477 million. Washington banned open field burning in 1998 and the seed industry continues to grow there as well.
House Bill 3000 was sponsored by Eugene Representative Paul Holvey in an attempt to reduce harmful particulates in the air as well as research and develop alternatives to field burning.
“We’re concerned about the particulate matter in the air which affects various lung diseases and respiratory problems, particularly in people with asthma,” said Sue Fratt, CEO of the American Lung Association of Oregon.
The American Lung Association gave Lane County an ‘F’ on a report card for short-term particle air pollution. Fratt attributed the failing grade to wood stove heating in the winter and open field burning in the summer.
However, Fratt added that “almost 10 percent of people in Oregon has asthma. If you have asthma or a lung disease, the particulates are a threat to you regardless of what time of year it is.”
Opponents in the seed industry claim that open field burning only accounts for 2 percent of particulate air pollution. They claim the major causes come from automobile emissions and wood stove heating.
The Oregon Toxics Alliance, an ardent supporter of the bill, has proposed a variety of alternatives to open field burning. They list a new rotation of crops and new grass seed strains to prevent unwanted weeds and avoid fungal diseases. Mulching and composting will effectively deal with left-over grass stalks, and farmers could even bail and sell the remaining stalks as livestock feed, creating more money for the seed growers.
“We hope this does not lead to increased chemical and pesticide use,” said Candice Barr, executive director of Lane County Medical Society.
This is an option that many other environmentalists hope to avoid. Seed growers already use these options because field burning has been reduced over the years, and a potential increase does exist.
The House Care Committee approved the bill with a “do pass” recommendation and a 5-3 party-line vote in favor. Before the bill can go to the House floor for a vote, it must pass out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee where the testimony was heard Monday.
“It’s about time, as there are only a few states in the nation that allow this kind of pollution in the air,” Barr said. “It’s a health care issue and people’s health really declines when all that smoke is in the air.”
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What the bill proposes:
House Bill 3000 primarily prohibits open field burning, pile burning, stack burning and propane flaming.
What this means:
Health organizations agree that smoke from these fires contributes to health problems such as asthma and respiratory diseases. A cessation of open field fires will help reduce the particulates in the air making for cleaner air in Oregon.
What you can do:
Contact Representative Paul Holvey (D-Eugene) who introduced the bill at [email protected] or call him at (503) 986-1408.