EPA gives early nod to Idaho field burning plan

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency has given an early nod to Idaho’s proposed new rules and changes to its approach to regulating the long-standing farm practice of field burning in northern Idaho.

The agency announced that it’s proposing a rule change that enables the state to modify its air quality protection plan in a way that allows field burning and still meet standards of the federal Clean Air Act. The proposed rule change was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, launching a 30-day public comment period.

“What this means today is it’s our way of saying we think that what Idaho has done meets the requirements of the federal law,” Doug Cole, air program coordinator for the EPA in Boise, told The Associated Press.

“We know the state is hopeful that it can allow burning again this year. We understand the sense of urgency that exists … but we also have an obligation to do this thoroughly,” Cole said.

For decades, north Idaho bluegrass farmers have set their fields aflame after harvest, believing that fire is the most effective tool for clearing debris and recharging the soil for another growing season.

But growers were barred from burning last fall after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with public health advocates and ruled that the annual fall ritual posed a health risk and violated federal environmental law.

In response, growers, public health activists and state officials late last year spent months working with a mediator negotiating a settlement. In December, the parties agreed on a deal that recommended significant changes in the way Idaho regulated field burning across the state.

The agreement won the approval of the 2008 Legislature and Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and is now under a separate state review.

The changes include shifting state management of field burning from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Environmental Quality. The proposal also authorizes the state to withdraw burning permits to adjust for changes in weather, gives the public access to permit data and toughens standards for burning near schools, elderly care centers and hospitals.

“The state’s proposed program is simply more robust than it had been in the past,” Cole said.

Elin Miller, EPA regional administrator, said the federal review of Idaho’s new rules — to be incorporated into a far-reaching document called the State Implementation Plan covering all air quality laws in the state — is an important final step before farmers can filing for permits to torch their fields.

Idaho’s comment period expires May 2. State officials must review those remarks before submitting their final proposal to the EPA.

Federal officials say their initial endorsement of Idaho’s plans are contingent upon the state submitting an identical proposal next month.