MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. - Claudia Nelson says she understands Puget Sound Clean Air Agency inspectors are just doing their job, but she just can't convince herself to pay a fine for burning in her certified wood stove when there is no ban in effect.
Agency officials say an inspector, responding to a complaint, observed smoke coming from Nelson's Mountlake Terrace home and, by using a nationally recognized method, was able to determine Nelson's stove was violating standards. Officials also say those standards are in effect even during periods when there is no burn ban.
The law states that the stove or fireplace cannot exceed an average of 20 percent opacity for six consecutive minutes in any one hour period. Agency officials say opacity is a term used to describe the density of the smoke by visual assessment.
Nelson says she wants to comply with the law, but has spent hundreds of dollars for a certified stove and burns only well-seasoned, high quality firewood. She says it's the most economical and efficient way to heat her home, so she is challenging her $750 fine.
