Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Guide to the Save Our Summers Records
1975-2004
Cage 749
Table of Contents
- Summary Information
- Biography/History
- Scope and Content
- Arrangement
- Administrative Information
- Names and Subjects
- Detailed Description of Collection
- Series 1: Administrative Files, 1995-2002
- Series 2: Research Files, 1975-2004 (bulk 1990-2000)
- Series 3: Washington State Department of Ecology, 1989-2002
- Series 4: Litigation Files, 1996-2002
- Series 5: Photographs and audiovisual media, 1992-2003
Summary Information
- Repository
- Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
- Creator
- Save Our Summers
- Title
- Save Our Summers Records
- ID
- Cage 749
- Date [inclusive]
- 1975-2004
- Date [bulk]
- 1990-2002
- Extent
- 15 Linear feet of shelf space, 28 boxes
- Language
- Collection materials are in English.
- Abstract
- Save Our Summers (SOS), a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, was organized in 1995 to raise public awareness about the environmental and health hazards of the agricultural practice of grass burning, and to strengthen regulations to protect public health and air quality. The records of Save Our Summers include administrative files, press clipping files about field burning and the group's advocacy activities, research files, and litigation files with materials related to lawsuits brought by SOS.
Preferred Citation
[Item Description] Save Our Summers records, 1975-2004
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Biography/History
Save Our Summers (SOS), a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, was organized in 1995 to raise public awareness about the environmental and health hazards of the agricultural practice of grass burning, and to strengthen regulations to protect public health and air quality. SOS was originally formed in response to practices in Spokane County, WA, and subsequently expanded its area of concern to include wheat stubble burning in the Palouse region.
Patricia Hoffman, a retired veterinarian, founded this nonprofit volunteer organization in Spokane. SOS recruited volunteers through membership drives, advertisements in local newspapers, and public meetings. Many members and their families had personally experienced health problems linked to smoke and emissions from agricultural burning. SOS challenged government agencies and farmers to more effectively regulate, reduce, and halt the practice. SOS pursued these goals by holding meetings, writing letters, lobbying government officials, circulating petitions, distributing educational literature, and initiating legal action.
At about the same time, the Clean Air Coalition (CAC) organized separately in Sandpoint, ID, to address similar agricultural burning on the Rathdrum prairie. The two groups made attempts to work together, but because most of the local organizing happened at neighborhood meetings, the geographical separation was problematic. Another group, Safe Air For Everyone (SAFE), was organized in 2001 following some of the worst burns on the Rathdrum prairie. SOS and SAFE worked cooperatively, using the court system in their efforts to end agricultural burning in the region.
SOS filed lawsuits challenging government actions and public policies in Washington and Idaho. In 1999, the group initiated three lawsuits against Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE), and in 2000 filed suit against two State of Idaho departments, Agriculture and Environmental Quality.
SOS filed its first case in Thurston County (WA) Superior Court, the jurisdiction in which the Washington DOE headquarters is located, on March 19, 1999. SOS claimed that DOE had violated the state Clean Air Act by making a voluntary agreement in the form of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) to reduce pollution from field burning. SOS also alleged that the agency violated state rulemaking requirements and failed to fully consider the human and environmental health consequences of this agreement. Judge Richard Hicks observed that he failed to see how an agreement that moved growers in the direction of less burning was harmful. The courts also ruled that since the MOU between DOE and WAWG was a voluntary agreement, failure to reach the goals stated in the MOU were not punishable offenses.
The second suit was filed in Thurston County Superior Court on August 11, 1999. SOS alleged that DOE was in violation of the state Open Records Act for failing to disclose key documents relevant to reduction of agricultural burning. Specifically at issue was a report by the WAWG about their public relations plan to garner support for their deal with DOE. DOE was cleared of wrongdoing, but the judge ruled that SOS was correct in filing the suit and ordered DOE to pay SOS's court costs and legal fees. The judge also directed SOS and DOE to reach an agreement on any additional documents requested by SOS.
The third suit, initiated by SOS with families from Whitman County, WA and Kootenai County, ID, was filed in U.S. District Court in October 1999. They sought an immediate halt to field burning. SOS argued that DOE was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They argued that by failing to regulate the smoke generated by wheat-stubble burning, DOE was preventing access to public resources by people suffering from respiratory diseases severely aggravated by the smoke. A final ruling was delayed several times as the judge waited to hear from the U. S. Department of Justice over the question of jurisdiction in the case. Ultimately, SOS and all other parties in the suit agreed to resolution through a mediation process.
Scope and Content
The records of Save Our Summers include administrative files, press clipping files about field burning and the group's advocacy activities, research files, and litigation files with materials related to lawsuits brought by SOS.
Arrangement
This collection generally retains its original order, with a few adjustments made during processing to facilitate research use. It is organized in five series:
Series 1: Administrative files, 1995-2002. Includes meeting minutes, mailing lists, newsletters, petitions, grant applications, correspondence, and press files.
Series 2: Research files, 1975-2004 (bulk 1990-2000). Primarily collected material, including agricultural data, articles, reports, and studies on agricultural burning practices and health effects.
Series 3: Washington State Department of Ecology, 1989-2002. Includes records of SOS interactions with the Department of Ecology, interactions with others about the department, and collected materials about the department.
Series 4: Litigation files, 1996-2002. Includes copies of court documents and supporting materials related to SOS litigation: correspondence, research, affidavits, exhibits, and press clippings.
Series 5: Photographs and audiovisual media, 1992-2003. Photographs documenting agricultural burning in the Palouse region, audio recordings of hearings, and video recordings of news broadcasts, committee meetings, and documentary presentations.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2016
http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/
Terrell Library
P.O. Box 645610
Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA
509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open and available for research use.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Acquisition Information
The records of Save Our Summers (SOS) were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Patti Gora in 2008 (MS 2008-21).
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Lee Ann Powell in 2010.
Names and Subjects
Corporate Name(s)
Subject(s) :
- Save Our Summers -- Records and correspondence.
Subject(s)
- Environmental protection -- Washington (State)
- Environmental protection -- Idaho.
- Burning of land -- Health aspects -- Washington (State)
- Burning of land -- Health aspects -- Idaho.
- Smoke -- Physiological effect -- Washington (State)
- Smoke -- Physiological effect -- Idaho.
- Air quality management -- Washington (State)
- Air quality management -- Idaho.
- Pressure groups -- Washington (State)
- Pressure groups -- Idaho.
- Washington (State)
- Idaho
- Environmental Activism
- Environmental Conditions
- Laws and Legislation
Detailed Description of Collection
Series 1: Administrative Files, 1995-2002 |
||||
box | folder | |||
Bylaws, undated |
1 | 1 | ||
Chronology narrative, undated |
1 | 2 | ||
Meeting minutes, 1995-2002 |
1 | 3 | ||
Financial records, 1995-2001 |
1 | 4 | ||
Flyers, 1995, 1996, 1998, and undated |
1 | 5 | ||
Newsletters, 1995-2002 |
1 | 6 | ||
Contact lists, 2001 and undated |
1 | 7 | ||
Bullitt Foundation grant, 1995-1999 |
1 | 8 | ||
Grants, 1995-1999 |
1 | 9 | ||
Bullitt Foundation annual reports, 1995-1996 |
1 | 10 | ||
Grant applications, 2001 |
1 | 11 | ||
Petition for limiting grass burning in Spokane County, undated |
1 | 12 | ||
Petition to ban grass burning, 1995 |
1 | 13 | ||
Field burning pamphlet produced by SOS, undated |
1 | 14 | ||
Communications proposal, 2001 |
1 | 15 | ||
Correspondence, 1995-1997 |
1 | 16-18 | ||
Correspondence, 1998-2002 |
2 | 19-23 | ||
"Strange correspondence," 1999 |
2 | 24 | ||
Email correspondence, 1997, 1999-2003 |
2 | 25-27 | ||
Overhead transparencies, undated |
2 | 28 | ||
Zahl letter to Jessernig, 1999 |
2 | 29 | ||
Smoke complaints, 1996-1999 |
2 | 30 | ||
Statements by Jeff Krautkraemer, undated |
2 | 31 | ||
Radio advertisements, 1999 |
2 | 32 | ||
Negotiation handbook, 1999 |
2 | 33 | ||
Planning and strategies for environmental groups, 1989-1999 |
2 | 34 | ||
Smoke complaint logs, 1993-1995 |
3 | 35 | ||
Smoke photographs and descriptions, 1999-2001 |
3 | 36 | ||
Burn calls, 2000-2004 |
3 | 37-40 | ||
Burn diaries, 1999 and undated |
3 | 41 | ||
Smoke victims, undated |
3 | 42 | ||
Records request submitted to Department of Ecology, 1998 |
3 | 43 | ||
Trespassing charges filed against group members, 1998 |
3 | 44 | ||
SOS press releases, 1991-2001 |
3 | 45 | ||
SOS cereal grain best practices proposal, 1998 |
3 | 46 | ||
SOS website, undated |
3 | 47 | ||
SOS grass research meeting presentation, undated |
3 | 48 | ||
Northwest air quality agencies, undated |
3 | 49 | ||
Kootenai County Clean Air Coalition (correspondence, grass burning survey, flyers, and organizational history), 1990-1991 |
3 | 50 | ||
Clean Air Coalition (correspondence, meeting minutes, flyers), 1997 |
3 | 51 | ||
Magazine articles on field burning, 1995 and 2000-2001 |
3 | 52 | ||
Press clippings (Capital Press, Spokesman-Review, Evergreen Daily, Tri-City Herald, Lewiston Tribune, Bonner County Daily Bee, Pullman-Moscow News, The Coeur d 'Alene Press, and North Idaho Business Journal) |
||||
box | folder | |||
1990-1997 and undated |
4 | 53-62 | ||
1997-2000 |
5 | 63-69 | ||
2000-2003 |
6 | 70-79 | ||
box | folder | |||
Notes on various topics including research, contact information, and litigation, undated |
7 | 80 | ||
|
||||
Series 2: Research Files, 1975-2004 (bulk 1990-2000) |
||||
box | folder | |||
Capital Press Agriculture Weekly articles covering a wide range of agricultural topics, 1999-2002 |
7 | 81-86 | ||
Health and agricultural burning (articles and studies), 1984-2004 |
8 | 87-93 | ||
American Lung Association (pamphlets, correspondence, and articles), 1992-1998 |
9 | 94 | ||
Spokane County Physicians letters of support for ending grass field burning, 1996-2001 |
9 | 95-96 | ||
Washington State Cancer Registry annual report, 1997 |
9 | 97 | ||
Report on premature mortality due to particulate pollution, 1996 |
9 | 98 | ||
Results from Spokane Health Study, 1998 |
9 | 99 | ||
Washington State Department of Health public health report, 1996 |
9 | 100 | ||
Agronomy (papers and articles), 1995-2002 |
9 | 101-102 | ||
Grass seed cropping systems (articles, reports, and conference proceedings), 1997-2003 |
10 | 103-104 | ||
Direct seed intensive cropping conference (proceedings), 1998 |
10 | 105 | ||
Biomass burn emissions (studies and articles), 1995-2001 |
10 | 106-108 | ||
Weed and disease management articles, 1998 and 2000 |
10 | 109 | ||
Tobacco Free Washington effective media interviews guide, 1995 |
10 | 110 | ||
Washington State University Department of Crop and Soil Sciences field day proceedings, 1995 |
10 | 111 | ||
No till-direct seed cropping (articles and studies), 1975-2003 |
11 | 112-114 | ||
Public television appearance notes (KSPS: Mike Conley and Washington State University Grass Study), undated |
11 | 115 | ||
Farm Policy articles, 1995-2003 |
11 | 116-118 | ||
Solid Fuel Burning Device Program annual reports, 1991-1999 |
11 | 119 | ||
Hillyard rail yard hazardous waste burning site (report), 1995 |
11 | 120 | ||
Agriculture economics papers, 1997-2000 |
12 | 121-122 | ||
Grass seed (studies, reports, and articles), 1990-2001 |
12 | 123-124 | ||
Columbia Plateau Wind Erosion-Air Quality Project reports, 1995-1998 |
12 | 125-126 | ||
Conservation Tillage Columbia Basin case study newsletter, 1993 |
12 | 127 | ||
Columbia Basin Agriculture Research annual report, 1995 |
12 | 128 | ||
Palouse Co-operative River Basin Study report, 1978 |
12 | 129 | ||
Solution to Environmental and Economic Problems (STEEP) water and soil protections program (news updates and reports), 1991-2000 |
13 | 130-131 | ||
Air pollution and emissions from agricultural burning (articles, studies, and reports), 1977-2002 |
13 | 132 | ||
Moses Lake Conservation District newsletters, 1989 and 1990 |
13 | 133 | ||
"Where There's Smoke, There's Controversy--WSU involvement in grass burning, 1989-1997" (report), 1998 |
13 | 134 | ||
Propane flaming and reduced fuel loading study, 1997 |
13 | 135 | ||
Soil erosion (articles), 1989-1997 |
13 | 136 | ||
Inland Northwest Field Burning Summit (correspondence, survey, and article), 1991-1993 |
13 | 137 | ||
Agricultural Systems Assessment workshop and field tours (resource notebook), 1995 |
13 | 138 | ||
Agriculture and Bio-diversity (electronic discussion list posts), 1999 |
13 | 139 | ||
Wheat stubble burning thesis, 2001 |
13 | 140 | ||
Residue data (1995-1998), 1998 |
13 | 141 | ||
Chemical analysis of grass seed field straw (reports), 1993 and 1996 |
13 | 142 | ||
Conservation Reserve Program (guide and report), 1994 and 1996 |
13 | 143 | ||
The Nature Conservancy (article about group), 2003 |
13 | 144 | ||
Washington State agricultural data, 1997-2001 |
14 | 145 | ||
Washington State emissions data, 1994-2002 |
14 | 146 | ||
Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (information about the center), 1999 |
14 | 147 | ||
Spring-Winter canola production outline, undated |
14 | 148 | ||
Uses for wheat straw (article and study), 1997 and 2002 |
14 | 149 | ||
Soil quality information sheet, 1996 |
14 | 150 | ||
Fertilizer placement information, 1997 |
14 | 151 | ||
U.S. Department of Agriculture pamphlet on soil conservation assistance, 1981 |
14 | 152 | ||
Environmental justice (articles), 2000 |
14 | 153 | ||
[not used] |
14 | 154 | ||
"Amber Waves of Gain" (article about the Farm Bureau), 2000 |
14 | 155 | ||
Clean Air Acts (articles and text of legislation), 1990s |
14 | 156 | ||
Field burning in Oregon (data, reports, and articles), 1978-2002 |
14 | 157 | ||
Oregon grass seed production reports, 1991-1994 |
14 | 158 | ||
Idaho agricultural burning (Idaho Farm Bureau and Idaho Department of Ecology documents, smoke management plan, field burning hearings, and field burning reports), 1999-2002 |
14 | 159-160 | ||
Idaho agricultural burning (continued) |
15 | 161-164 | ||
Agricultural burning in California (newsletter), 1980 |
15 | 165 | ||
California rice straw (reports, handbook, burning information), 1997-2000 |
15 | 166-167 | ||
12 Hour back trajectories maps (Washington and Idaho), 1999-2000 |
15 | 168 | ||
Satellite smoke photographs (Washington and Idaho), 2001 |
15 | 169 | ||
Coeur d 'Alene Tribe blue grass meeting (agenda, notes, and resolution), 1997 |
15 | 170 | ||
Air pollution data from Spokane Crown Z and Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, 1997 |
15 | 171 | ||
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer map, undated |
15 | 172 | ||
Spokane County Air Pollution Control authority (air pollution public opinion survey, regulations, newsletter, and meeting minutes), 1991-1999 |
15 | 173-175 | ||
Spokane County agricultural burning data and regulations, 1997-1998 |
15 | 176 | ||
Whitman and Latah counties air quality data, 2000 |
16 | 177 | ||
Whitman County burn permits (application, reports, and permits), 1999 and 2001 |
16 | 178-179 | ||
Steve Mader burn enforcement case (photographs, notes, correspondence, reports, and permits), 1995-2002 |
16 | 180-182 | ||
Board of Whitman County Commissioners (correspondence and meeting minutes on field burning), 1998-1999 |
16 | 183 | ||
Environmental Protection Agency (review of burn permit program, newsletters, best practices guide, stakeholder forums, burn strategy, pollutant standards index, ambient air quality standards, air quality criteria for particulate matter, air quality report |
16 | 184-186 | ||
Environmental Protection Agency (continued) |
17 | 186.1 | ||
Environmental Protection Agency Spokane hearing notes, 2000 |
17 | 187 | ||
Upper Columbia River Sierra Club newsletter, 1998 |
17 | 188 | ||
Washington Conservation Voters Grass Burning Survey, undated |
17 | 189 | ||
[not used] |
17 | 190-198 | ||
Tri-State Perennial Grass Seed Working Group (meeting minutes and program review report), 1993 |
17 | 199 | ||
Grass Seed Cropping Systems for a Sustainable Agriculture 4th annual conference (member list and conference proceedings), 1997 |
17 | 200 | ||
Intermountain Grass Growers Association (correspondence regarding grass burning and report on the utilization of grass straw), 1975 and 1995 |
17 | 201 | ||
Franklin county notice of intent to burn, 2000 |
17 | 202 | ||
Department of Natural Resources burn management plan, 1995 |
17 | 203 | ||
Permitted burn acreage (charts, data, and reports), 1992, 1995, 2001-2002 |
17 | 204 | ||
Agricultural burn permit summary, 1996 and 1998 |
17 | 205 | ||
Post burn reports, 1998 |
17 | 206 | ||
Agricultural burn enforcement data, 1999-2000 |
17 | 207 | ||
Washington State agricultural burning laws and bills; 1989, 1999-2000 |
17 | 208 | ||
Yakima County Clean Air Authority emission standards data, undated |
17 | 209 | ||
Washington State Association of Wheat Growers (group finances, correspondence, press releases, press clippings, resolutions, and annual meeting proceedings, and newsletter articles), 1994-2001 |
17 | 210-212 | ||
Research notes (author unidentified; various topics related to field burning and SOS), undated |
17 | 213 | ||
|
||||
Series 3: Washington State Department of Ecology, 1989-2002 |
||||
box | folder | |||
Correspondence (incoming, outgoing, and internal), 1989-2001 |
18 | 214-217 | ||
Press releases, 1998-2000 |
18 | 218 | ||
Agricultural Burning Practices and Research Task Force (meeting minutes and agendas, task force history, workshop schedule, correspondence, reports, and member lists), 1992-2002 |
18 | 219-222 | ||
Agriculture Burning Practices and Research Task Force (continued) |
19 | 223 | ||
Project description and work plan for best practices manual, 2001 |
19 | 224 | ||
Grass seed field burning alternative certification, 1998 and 2006 |
19 | 225 | ||
Burning responsiveness report, 1995 |
19 | 226 | ||
Lawrence Peterson harassment charge |
19 | 227 | ||
Tom Fitzsimmons remarks at wheat growers convention, 1998 |
19 | 228 | ||
Research on alternatives to field burning, 1998 |
19 | 229 | ||
Budget and program overview report, 2000 |
19 | 230 | ||
Agricultural burn permit program audit, 2000 |
19 | 231 | ||
Agricultural burning evaluation panel (meeting agenda and reports), 2002 |
19 | 232-233 | ||
Burn penalty summaries, 1999-2000 |
20 | 234 | ||
Burn information (requirements, restrictions, and applications), 1990-2001 |
20 | 235 | ||
Symposium on particulate matter (presenter information), 2000 |
20 | 236 | ||
Air quality data, 2002 |
20 | 237 | ||
Alternatives to burning grant proposals, 2002 |
20 | 238-239 | ||
Air quality program (brochure, plans, report, and notes), 1995 and 2000-2001 |
20 | 240 | ||
Public outreach and education (brochures), 2002 |
20 | 241 | ||
Environmental Protection Agency review of burn program (correspondence and reports), 1999-2000 |
20 | 242 | ||
|
||||
Series 4: Litigation Files, 1996-2002 |
||||
box | folder | |||
Washington grass seed field burning emergency rule, 1999 |
20 | 243 | ||
Request to Environmental Protection Agency for review of field burning, 1999 |
20 | 244 | ||
Save Our Summers suit against Department of Ecology, challenging memorandum of understanding with Washington Association of Wheat Growers (court documents, MOU drafts, correspondence, reports, testimony, and supporting evidence), 1997-1999 |
20 | 245-247 | ||
Save Our Summers suit against Department of Ecology (continued) |
21 | 248-249 | ||
National Environmental Education Foundation report on Wheat Growers-Department of Ecology MOU controversy, 2000 |
21 | 250 | ||
Save Our Summers nondisclosure suit against Department of Ecology (court documents, timeline of SOS pursuit of missing documents, lists of Freedom of Information Act document requests, correspondence, and supporting evidence, primarily DOE correspondence) |
21 | 251-252 | ||
Save Our Summers Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) suit against Department of Ecology (court documents, affidavits, exhibits, notes, witness lists, reports, and Department of Ecology exhibits and evidence), 1999-2001 |
21 | 253-255 | ||
ADA suit (continued) |
22 | 256-262 | ||
ADA suit (continued) |
23 | 263-264 | ||
Mediation and settlement agreements between SOS and DOE (correspondence and mediation and agreement documents), 2000-2001 |
23 | 265 | ||
Save Our Summers rule request for stubble burning (correspondence, drafts of rule request), 2000-2001 |
23 | 266 | ||
Clean Air Act and environmental protection cases, United States Supreme Court, 2000 |
23 | 267 | ||
Supreme Court ADA cases, 2001 and 2002 |
23 | 268 | ||
Save Our Summers v. State of Idaho (court documents, correspondence, and exhibits), 2000 and 2002 |
23 | 269-270 | ||
SOS v. Idaho (continued) |
24 | 271-272 | ||
Litigation research organized for an unidentified case, 1996-2000 |
24 | 273-276 | ||
|
||||
Series 5: Photographs and audiovisual media, 1992-2003 |
||||
box | ||||
Photographs showing smoke from agricultural burning on the Palouse, 1998-2003 and undated |
25 | |||
Audiocassettes of hearings on agricultural burning, 1990-1996 and undated |
26 | |||
Video recordings (VHS format; newscasts, committee meetings, and agricultural burning information), 1992-1998 and undated |
27-28 | |||
|
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