Let your voice be heard! If you feel you have been affected by smoke from grass seed field burning, it's time to let your voice be heard! Call these numbers each time you are affected:
The Idaho Department of Agriculture Smoke Complaint Line
1-800-345-1007
The Environmental Protection Agency/Region 10
1-800-424-4372
Idaho Governor James Risch
1-208-334-2100
And always contact your local physician if you feel your health has been impacted.
News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2006
Contact:
Patti Gora, Executive Director
Safe Air For Everyone
208-301-2828
State Smoke Management Officials Hold Meeting Closed to the Public on December 6-7, 2005 to Evaluate Burn Season
Sandpoint, Idaho – Safe Air For Everyone today will file suit in the Fourth Judicial District Court of the State of Idaho alleging that the Idaho State Department of Agricultural (ISDA) “2005 End of Year Crop Residue Disposal Meeting” held on December 6 and 7, 2005 in Moscow, violated the Open Meetings law. Specifically, ISDA violated the law by not providing notice that such a meeting was to take place, and secondly, while ISDA allowed private grass burners and grass industry representatives to attend the meeting, it closed the meeting to members of the public.
SAFE learned of the meeting when making a public records request. In that request, several documents were found in which the State officials who are in charge of protecting public health from the toxic effects of grass field burning are shown in an email chain actually mocking a worker who tried to protect public health. These emails, as well as EPA letters urging public participation, will be posted on SAFE’s website, www.safeairforeveryone.com The complaint is to be filed today in the Fourth Judicial Court District in Ada County and will also be available on line at SAFE’s website by 2 pm PST.
The EPA, in official letters to the state in 2003 and 2004, emphasized the importance and obligation of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to include public feedback in its smoke management program. However, at no time have clean air or health advocates been invited to participate in the evaluation of the burn seasons, even after the health of thousands of persons in North Idaho has been affected, as well as the death of Lyle Tanner in 2004 in southern Idaho.
In adopting the Idaho Open Public Meetings act, the legislature declared that it is the policy of the State of Idaho that the formation of public policy is public business and shall not be conducted in secret.
“Once again, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture has taken the low road by preventing the public from attending, commenting or even knowing about a key evaluation process which affects the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of residents of the Inland Northwest,” said Patti Gora, Executive Director of Safe Air for Everyone. “Some of the comments from the State officials are shameful, and demonstrate an arrogance and conflict of interest that SAFE has brought to public attention for at least four years. These records clearly indicate that growers put in charge of regulating themselves can create a recipe for a public health disaster. Other states such as Oregon and Washington have successfully phased down or phased out grass burning completely and their grass industries are thriving. Idaho Smoke Management officials have a lot of explaining to do.”
Karen Lindholdt, attorney for SAFE, said, “SAFE is asking for the following remedies: 1) the Court to find ISDA and the 6 employees violated the Open Meetings Act; 2) to declare that the meeting and all deliberations from meeting are null and void; 3) to fine each employee of ISDA who participated, 6 total, $150.00 each. The total fine amounts to $900.00; 4) attorney’s fees and costs.”
