DEQ fines Klamath Falls man for burning motor home

By Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality has issued a $4,162 penalty to Donald Richard Merrill for burning the remains of a motor home and other debris at his property on Altamont Drive, Klamath Falls, in October. Merrill did not respond by DEQ’s appeal deadline in April, and the full amount is currently due.

Merrill burned a motor home, which included furniture, insulation, metal and siding, along with treated wood, blankets and bags of garbage. State law prohibits people from burning these materials because, when burned, the materials emit dense, noxious smoke. This smoke creates a nuisance and poses a threat to the environment and human health.

Merrill was overseeing the burn when firefighters from Klamath County Fire District #1 arrived on scene. He told firefighters he started the fire. DEQ, Klamath County Fire District #1 and Klamath County Environmental Health work cooperatively to improve the air quality in the Klamath Falls area.


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