County chipper service nears end of DOE funds

Hauling yard waste to a town site to be fed into a county chipper could have a fee involved next year as the county approaches the end of a state Department of Ecology funding program. The state funds derived from an air quality program which encourages residents to convert yard waste into chips rather than lighting up the traditional bonfires.

To continue operating their chipper, the county will ask for a six-month extension on the Department of Ecology grant that has funded the chipper for the past year and a half.

The present grant expires at the end of the year, and an extension would cont...