Item D: Options to Address Field Burning

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the bill as a public hearing and possible work session, the bill did not have a work session scheduled and died in the committee. Administrative Action When it became apparent that the Legislature would not ban field burning, the Western Environmental Law Center (WELC) asked the Lane Board of Commissioners to request that the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) use its statutorily granted authority to issue a moratorium on field burning, and in the alternative, request that the EQC find that reasonable and economically feasible, environmentally acceptable alternatives have been developed that warrant cessation of field burning. The City of Eugene joined in Lane County’s action at the direction of the IGR Committee at its June 15, 2007, meeting. In July and August 2007, the EQC met and took testimony from the public regarding Lane County's request. In response to Lane County and the City’s request, the EQC directed DEQ staff to request $90,000 from the state to conduct a study on the health effects of field burning. Oregon State University proposed that it conduct a study to determine the health effects of field burning as well as to study the alternatives that may be available. The studies would be funded from the burn fees paid by the grass seed growers. Additionally, the Oregon Seed Growers Association (OSGA) voluntarily agreed not to burn during the “Eugene 08” Olympic Trials and for 10 days after the event; therefore, the EQC did not need to take action on that request. No other action was taken by the EQC. Subsequent Actions After the EQC released its decision on Lane County and the City’s request, WELC requested an executive session before the Eugene City Council in order to persuade the council to join in a lawsuit against the seed growers to obtain an injunction against field burning. WELC had been in discussion with the Board of Commissioners regarding the possibility of the County being a plaintiff in a lawsuit. Although WELC first approached Lane County to initiate a lawsuit, the Board of Commissioners has not indicated its willingness or intention to file such a lawsuit. Instead, Lane County has put together a biomass working group, including representatives of Lane Microbusiness, University of Oregon, Northwest Cooperative Development Center, Oregon Environmental Council, Trillium FiberFuels, Novus Group, Lane Council Of Governments, the Good Company; and Lane County Community and Economic Development. The purpose of the work group is to identify economic uses for local biomass, including grass straw, as a value-added product for renewable energy production. In addition, the work group will be working in collaboration with the Oregon Seed Council to identify and develop alternatives for use of grass straw. In December 2007, in order to help identify options for adding value to grass straw through renewable energy and fuel production, with the goal that implementation of the options would build economic alternatives for grass straw that would supplant current field burning practices and to initiate a pilot project in Lane County using grass straw as a bioenergy source, the Board of Commissioners directed staff to apply for a $250,000 grant from the Field Burning Research Fund in order to facilitate the work of the group. OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION There is considerable interest in local action to address field burning. The options for consideration are listed below. L:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080220\S080220D.doc