WAC 173-430-020   General applicability and conditions.  (1) This regulation applies to burning related to agricultural activities. It does not apply to silvicultural burning or outdoor burning. For these requirements refer to:

     • Chapter 173-425 WAC for outdoor burning.

     • Chapter 332-24 WAC for silvicultural burning.

     (2) Burning of organic debris related to agricultural activities is allowed when it is reasonably necessary to carry out the enterprise. Agricultural burning is reasonably necessary to carry out the enterprise when it meets the criteria of the best management practices and no practical alternative is reasonably available.

     (3) Anyone conducting burning related to agricultural activities must comply with local fire safety laws and rules, and burn when wind takes the smoke away from roads, homes, population centers, or other public areas.

     (4) Burning related to agricultural activities must not occur during an air pollution episode or any stage of impaired air quality. Definitions of air pollution episode and impaired air quality are found in WAC 173-430-030.

     (5) Burning of organic debris related to agricultural activities requires a permit and fee, except for agricultural burning that is incidental to commercial agricultural activities (RCW 70.94.6524). An agricultural operation burning under the incidental agricultural burning exception must still notify the local fire department within the area and not burn during an air pollution episode or any stage of impaired air quality. The specific types of burning that qualify as exceptions to the permit requirement are:

     (a) Orchard prunings. An orchard pruning is a routine and periodic operation to remove overly vigorous or nonfruiting tree limbs or branches to improve fruit quality, assist with tree canopy training and improve the management of plant and disease, and pest infestations;

     (b) Organic debris along fencelines. A fenceline or fencerow is the area bordering a commercial agricultural field that is or would be unworkable by equipment used to cultivate the adjacent field;

     (c) Organic debris along or in irrigation or drainage ditches. An irrigation or drainage ditch is a waterway which predictably carries water (not necessarily continuously) and is unworkable by equipment used to cultivate the adjacent field;

     (d) Organic debris blown by wind. The primary example is tumbleweeds.



[Statutory Authority: 2010 c 70, RCW 70.94.6528 and Ted Rasmussen Farms, LLC v. State of Washington, Department of Ecology, Docket # 22989-1-III. 10-23-049 (Order 10-05), § 173-430-020, filed 11/10/10, effective 12/11/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.650, 70.94.743, and 70.94.745. 06-16-052 (Order 04-10), § 173-430-020, filed 7/26/06, effective 8/26/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.650. 95-03-083 (Order 94-17), § 173-430-020, filed 1/17/95, effective 2/17/95; 93-14-022 (Order 92-58), § 173-430-020, filed 6/28/93, effective 7/29/93. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.331. 90-19-062 (Order 90-10), § 173-430-020, filed 9/17/90, effective 10/18/90; Order DE 77-20, § 173-430-020, filed 11/9/77. Formerly WAC 18-16-020.]