Burning violation appeal settled at $26,000 fine

A farmer and a property owner outside Garfield have been fined a combined $26,000 for an illegal burn by the state Department of Ecology.

Farmer Monte Roth and landowner Terry Raugust agreed on the settlement penalty for burning three piles of loose bales of hay and straw without a permit in the spring of 2009.

According to a Department of Ecology press release, the burn took place over five days in late April and early May on Farmington Road near Garfield.

Ecology officials were alerted to the burn after receiving a smoke complaint from a neighboring homeowner. Air quality officials investigated.

According to their report, one of the fires was within 100 feet of the neighbor’s home. Roth extinguished the fire after being contacted by Ecology.

Roth and Raugust appealed an original $40,000 fine to the state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board in January, 2010. A settlement of the appeal was reached April 14.

State law sets down a penalty of $10,000 per day on confirmed burning violations.