Soap Lake man fined $3,000 for burning garbage, furniture

SOAP LAKE — A Soap Lake man has been fined $3,000 by the Washington Department of Ecology after repeated violations of outdoor burning rules, according to agency officials.

David E. Ewing was cited for an Aug. 4, 2019, incident after Grant County Fire District No. 7 responded to a report of an outdoor, unattended fire, in which Ewing was burning household garbage and furniture at his home at the 20400 block of Northeast Road B.5, according to a press release.

August was the fourth time that fire officials were called out to Ewing’s property for reports of illegal burning, and Ewing was issued an Air Quality Notice of Correction in 2007. Fire officials previously had reportedly given Ewing illegal burning educational materials, wrote Ryan Lancaster, Eastern Region communications manager for the Department of Ecology.

Due to the severity of August’s burn and after repeated attempts to curb the behavior failed, fire district officials reported the violations to state agencies, Lancaster wrote. After the Grant County Sheriff’s Office served a Notice of Penalty to Ewing, it was recommended that he contact the department to take corrective measures, but Ewing never responded, Lancaster added.

According to Lancaster, Ewing was cited for violations of the Washington Clean Air Act and state regulations related to outdoor burning, which restrict the burning of anything but natural vegetation in most circumstances.

“It’s illegal to burn prohibited materials due to the harmful nature of their emissions, and Ecology has educated residents in the area for several years,” Lancaster wrote. “It can be expected that owners are aware of the regulations regarding outdoor burning.”