Outdoor Burn Ban Declared for Western Washington Tribal Reservations Starting January One

(Seattle - December 31, 2015) The E.P.A. is declaring a ban on all outdoor open burning on the following Indian reservations in Washington State due to stagnant air conditions and elevated air pollution, effective at 8:00 a.m. on January 1, 2016. The burn bans will continue until revised or canceled.

Reservations of the following tribes are affected:

The burn ban applies to all outdoor and agricultural burning, including camping and recreational fires, in all areas, regardless of ownership or tribal membership, within external reservation boundaries. Ceremonial and traditional fires are exempt from the burn ban. For areas outside reservation boundaries, please contact your local clean air agency, fire department, or the Washington State Department of Ecology.

E.P.A. requests that reservation residents reduce all sources of air pollution as much as possible, including excess driving and idling of vehicles, and the use of woodstoves and fireplaces, unless they are the only adequate source of heat.

Air pollution can have significant health impacts. Cooperation from the community will help people who are most at risk during this period, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with asthma or difficulty breathing, diabetes, or heart problems. Those sensitive groups should avoid outdoor exercise and minimize exposure to outdoor pollution as much as possible. Under the most severe pollution levels all residents should restrict their activities.

An earlier burn ban remains in effect for the Yakama Nation Reservation in Eastern Washington.

To check conditions in your area, go to http://www.airnow.gov/ or https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/.

For current burn ban status, please visit: https://waburnbans.net/ or contact E.P.A. at 1-800-424-4372 or by email to [email protected].

Find more information online at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/tribal.nsf/programs/farr-burn-bans.

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