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Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency approves routine items; director reports on permits, residential burning and outreach
Summary
The Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency board approved minutes and routine payroll and voucher transfers and heard an executive director report on pending permits, residential burning season preparations, registration follow-up and outreach to local cities and federal/state partners about agricultural burning alternatives.
At its March 13 regular meeting the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency Board of Directors approved the February 13 meeting minutes, authorized payroll transfers for January and approved vouchers and payroll authorization transfers for February, and heard the executive director's report on permitting and seasonal work.
Board members voted to approve the February 13 minutes, to ratify payroll authorization transfers for January 2025, and to approve vouchers and payroll authorization transfers for February 2025. Each motion was moved and seconded and passed after voice vote; the meeting record indicates all present members answered "aye." The board also moved to adjourn at the meeting's end.
Executive Director Mike Thornberry told the board staff are handling a number of pending permits and monitoring recent federal activity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that has consumed staff time in the previous 48 hours. "There has been enough, that it is warranted some additional staff time to monitor what's going on and the potential impact of that," Thornberry said.
Thornberry outlined preparations for the upcoming residential burning season: permits were sent to retailers, the last batch "went out this morning," and staff are improving tracking to produce requested statistics on burning. He said registration was due in March; the agency has received a "relatively good" response and will follow up next week with phone calls to those who are late, followed by letters at month's end.
Board members also discussed outreach to small cities and mayors to convene a meeting in April if schedules allow; Thornberry said he had contacted most mayors and aimed for about 70 percent participation. Chairman DeBeney thanked outgoing board member Miguel Trevino for his service; Trevino's final meeting date was recognized during the session.
No new permitting policy or binding direction was adopted at the meeting; the executive director said internal work on standardized language for permit reviews is ongoing and will be presented to the board when ready.
