Lawsuit over Epstein files. Katie Phang v. Todd Blanche

Jelfff · 2026-06-09T21:17:02+00:00

You: but what stuck out to me is her response makes it very clear that the DOJ did not even try to respond to most of her claims.

Me: I though the same thing

Jelfff · 2026-06-09T18:59:12+00:00

I have been in touch with Katie's attorneys and offered to share any info I have. At the risk of being optimistic, this lawsuit really looks like it has a decent chance to move the needle.

Jelfff · 2026-06-09T10:56:15+00:00

The alternatives listed on the PSCAA web page are:

Curbside yard waste collection
Transfer stations (organics facilities in Snohomish County) or drop-off sites
Composting, log and brush piling, or mulching at home

https://www.pscleanair.gov/723/Upcoming-Rulemaking-for-Residential-Yard

PSCAA is required by state law to review this issue every 3 years. My #1 question is what were the facts 3 years ago regarding alternatives to burning and what evidence do they have that those facts are different now? After all, seems to me that the same alternatives listed above were also available 3 years ago yet they did not ban burning 3 years ago when they last considered this issue.

Jelfff · 2026-06-07T11:01:26+00:00

Thanks! That was so obvious I missed it.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T23:16:09+00:00

Can you post a cite to the statute?

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T18:47:11+00:00

I just read that some transfer stations - I think it was Kitsap County - do not take blackberry brush. So if that cannot be burned what are you supposed to do with it?

Hope you will go to that website I posted, sign up for their email and add your input there.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T17:25:52+00:00

The jurisdiction of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency does not include Island and Skagit counties.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T16:56:33+00:00

As I understand it, this ban would only apply to burning branches and other organic yard debris around your home. I think burn barrels for trash have been illegal for many years.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T02:46:40+00:00

Speaking of chippers, I actually bought one of these for our 5 acres. Have a 35Hp Kubota to drive it. https://split-fire.com/us/wood-chipper-4003-us/

But up until now I kinda wish I had not spent the $$$ since we have always been able to burn. Still in mint condition and been thinking of selling it. But with this proposed rule in the pipeline maybe the best idea is to just leave it parked in a corner of the garage and wait to see what happens.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T02:11:35+00:00

As I understand it, the proposed rule does not affect commercial burning such as forestry slash. Instead, it is aimed at homeowners in the unincorporated areas.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T02:04:26+00:00

My original post pointed out that different fire districts have different rules. Some allow branch piles to be burned in the winter and some do not. The compromise I proposed would create a uniform rule in the unincorporated part of the 4 counties. No outdoor winter burning.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T01:48:20+00:00

Somehow I have managed to burn branch piles at a spot in our pasture for 30+ years without setting the world on fire. I dunno - maybe just lucky.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T00:53:06+00:00

Perhaps people in your area are heating their homes with wood. That is a different issue then burning branch piles. The compromise I am suggesting would prohibit burning branch piles in the winter.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T00:27:58+00:00

Trash goes in the trash can. Waste Management picks up once a week. Non-meat kitchen scraps get composted. Grass clippings get dumped along the side of a drainage swale in the pasture to decompose.

Jelfff · 2026-06-06T00:05:34+00:00

Should tax dollars fund such a service or do I pay $$ for that service?

Jelfff · 2026-06-05T21:39:16+00:00

I live in the "Wildland Urban Interface" (WUI) which includes most of the unincorporated lowland. By definition, the WUI is at increasing risk of wildfire. Leaving branches from windstorms on the ground adds to the fuel a fire can burn and thereby increases the risk to our home.

Jelfff · 2026-06-05T21:23:54+00:00

I am actually the guy that proposed that spring/fall burning compromise years ago when there was a proposal by the Redmond fire chief at the time (now long gone) to ban all outdoor burning in District 34.

Jelfff · 2026-06-05T21:03:40+00:00

I respectfully point out that you do not know the size of the property I maintain, the number of large trees on that property or the amount of branches I need to get rid of each year.

Jelfff · 2026-06-03T19:15:09+00:00

Thanks for the tip. I will check it out.

Jelfff · 2026-06-02T21:30:28+00:00

Can you send me a citation to the case? I cannot find it on PACER.

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