Ruling helps Idaho residents breathe a little easier, safer

The news is a breath of fresh air.

The decision by the state last week to ban growers from burning their bluegrass fields will hopefully put and end to this ancient, oppressive and dangerous method of burning crop residue.

For as long as anyone can remember, August and September meant the year's nicest weather would be mixed with black clouds of smoke blowing north to Sandpoint and Hope from the Rathdrum Prairie.

The smoke was dangerous to anyone with breathing difficulties and was nauseating to the rest of us. It was also fatal to one Sandpoint woman.

The Clean Air Coalition did a good job for many years of drawing attention to the Rathdrum farmers. But it wasn't until 2001 when 30 Sandpoint physicians and other locals started Safe Air For Everyone.

The doctors brought money, lawyers, organization and a fighter named Patti Gora to the discussion.

A letter from the local doctors that ran in the Bee in September 2001 stated:

"For too many years this practice has adversely affected the health of citizens in our community and in outlying areas. Each summer we have seen our patients with lung and upper respiratory ailments suffer from the heavy smoke produced by grass field burning. We are now calling for an immediate end to this health hazard."

Where there was smoke, there was, indeed, ire.

The victory also is a reminder of Sharon Vogel's death. Vogel died in her husband's arms or respiratory distress in 1996 when smoke from grass burning descended on her when she was camping with her family.

Let's hope this ends a fight that never should have been fought.

The Rathdrum farmers knew that be sending their smoke north it would impact someone. The farmers knew the smoke was unhealthy.

We are glad the state of Idaho has finally wised up and eliminated grass burning in the Rathdrum Prairie.

Hopefully, we can all breath a little more deeply now.

? David Keyes is publisher

of the Daily Bee.