Columbia County farmer fined for illegal field burning

Phillip Klein and Servi Dei Farms of Columbia County have been fined $10,000 by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) for burning wheat stubble without an approved agricultural burning permit.

Klein, owner and operator of Servi Dei Farms, burned a field of about 300 acres of wheat stubble before the required agricultural field burn permit had been issued in 2012. Klein applied for the permit, citing agricultural burning as the only reasonable means to reduce crop residue in his fields before fall planting.

Inspectors verified that Klein had already burned his fields before need was ve...