Grass Farmers Put Burning on Hold For Olympic Trials

June 20, 2008

EUGENE, OR/During the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Willamette Valley grass seed farmers have agreed not to burn their fields. The Western Environmental Law Center is asking: why not ban it altogether? KLCC’s Rachael McDonald explains.
 
The temporary ban on field burning is to protect athletes’ health and keep the air smoke-free for visitors from around the world. Attorney Charlie Tebbutt has sent a letter to Governor Kulongoski asking him to use his authority to ban the practice outright for the sake of residents, whether they’re athletes or not. He says legendary runner Steve Prefontaine himself asked for a ban in 1975 after getting sick from the smoke at Eugene’s Hayward Field.
 

Tebbutt: “He ran in that event and afterwards was coughing up blood   which is related to the particulates in the smoke from field-burning.”
 

Tebbutt says Prefontaine testified before the state legislature in 1975 and   told that story.
 
Tebbutt: “Here we are, nearly thirty-five years later and the practice   is still going on. It’s time for it to stop.”
 
A Spokeswoman for the governor says he’d like to see an end to the   practice of field burning and plans to introduce legislation to reduce the   activity.

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  Copyright 2008 KLCC