SPOKANE WA (1/7/2011) ? The Moccasin Bay Association received a $13,500 penalty from the Department of Ecology (Ecology) for illegally burning a 12-slip boat dock at Moccasin Bay on Lake Roosevelt.

Ecology, the National Park Service (NPS), the Spokane Tribe of Indians and Lincoln County Solid Waste worked together to investigate the incident. Burning the dock violated a state law that prohibits burning prohibited materials. The materials included hard foam, demolition debris and metals that polluted the air with toxic chemicals.

These toxic chemicals attach themselves to small particles in the smoke. These small particles go deep into the lungs. The health risks of inhaling small particles are worse when the particles carry toxic molecules.

?The smoke from this fire contained toxic chemicals,? said Karen Wood, who supervises the Air Quality Program for Ecology in Eastern Washington. ?No one should be exposed to that smoke. It?s important that there are consequences for putting people?s health at risk.?

The only material that may be legally burned outdoors is dry, unprocessed natural vegetation.

The dock was on National Park Service land at the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, and Spokane Tribal members were the first to document and report the burn to NPS.

Members of the Moccasin Bay Association burned the dock system on June 5, 2010. NPS notified Ecology that members of the Association had illegally burned the dock instead of removing and disposing of the dock properly.

Moccasin Bay Association submitted a plan to NPS in 2009 saying the group would take the docks apart — removing the boat slips and floating them to the beach where they would be loaded onto trucks. The debris would then be hauled to another site for disposal. The NPS approved that plan.

When the dock had not been removed by the date specified in the plan, the NPS ordered removal of the dock by July 30, 2010. If it was not removed by that date, the NPS stated it would remove the dock and bill the Moccasin Bay Association for the cost of the removal. The association avoided this cost by burning the dock rather than disposing of it in a legal manner. That fact is part of the formula for determining the amount of this penalty.

This fine can be appealed to the Pollution control Hearings Board within 30 days.

Media Contacts:

? Cathy Cochrane, Communications, 509-329-3433; cell, 509-290-0685; e-mail ccoc461@ecy.wa.gov.

? Jani Gilbert, Communications, 509-329-3495; cell, 509-990-9177; e-mail jani.gilbert@ecy.wa.gov.