New field burning pact offers strict limits and public notice

Monday, February 25, 2008 6:59 PM CST

BOISE, Idaho (AP) 2/25/08 - Environmentalists, farmers and state officials say they have reached a pact to clear the way for the resumption of field burning in northern Idaho.

The agreement also imposes tougher new standards and rules on the annual practice favored by the region’s bluegrass growers.

The proposed new law and set of rules still need approval from the Idaho Legislature, the state Board of Environmental Quality and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

But environmentalists who challenged field burning in the courts say they are pleased with the new standards.

The agreement culminates months of negotiations after a 2007 federal court ruling that declared field burning illegal and in violation of the Clean Air Act.

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