Air Quality Bureau

Ventilation Category Waivers

Guidelines for Granting Ventilation Category Waivers for Smoke Management

Potential justification for granting a waiver under “FAIR” conditions

1. Burn project is in the wildland urban interface; or
2. Burn project is in a remote area – “populations” are greater than 15 mile radius away; or
3. Burn project is located above 10,000 feet elevation MSL.

AND

1. Burn project consists of “light fuels”, i.e. grass, litter, 1hour fuels; and
2. Burn project has specific needs for “fair” conditions which can be explained or justified, such as a research project or critical habitat protection; and
3. Burn project has been evaluated for cumulative airshed impacts from all burns, including transported smoke and dust.

 

Requirements that may be added to approval of burning under “FAIR” conditions.

1. A written justification describing the burn project – why this is necessary, fuels, elevation, aspect, burn objectives, wind direction, ignition plan, method of public notification, method(s) of smoke mitigation/monitoring, etc.
2. No new ignitions after 3:00 p.m.
3. Fax in daily accomplishments and hourly visual smoke monitoring.
4. Narrow wind direction window.
5. Reduce daily acreage/piles determined on a case-by-case basis.
6. Ignition can be halted if wind direction shifts resulting in heavy smoke in populated areas.
7. Public notification must be adequate for burn purpose and location determined on a case-by-case basis.
8. Perform instrument monitoring (case-by-case basis).
9. Maximum use of emission reduction techniques.

 

Reasons for granting a waiver under “POOR” conditions.

1. Will be approved (on a case-by-case basis) for night burning only – no “poor” daytime conditions will be approved; and
2. Burn project has specific needs for “poor” conditions which can be explained or justified, such as fire safety; and
3. Burn project is the only one taking place in that particular airshed; and
4. Burn project is in a remote area – “populations” are greater than 15 mile radius away.

 

Requirements that may be added to approval of burning under “POOR” conditions.

1. A written justification describing the burn project – why this is necessary, fuels, elevation, aspect, burn objectives, wind direction, ignition plan, method of public notification, method(s) of smoke mitigation/monitoring, etc.
2. Fax in daily accomplishments and hourly visual smoke monitoring. Narrow wind direction window.
3. Reduce daily acreage/piles determined on a case-by-case basis.
4. Ignition can be halted if necessary.
5. Public notification must be adequate for burn purpose and location determined on a case-by-case basis.
6. Perform instrument monitoring (case-by-case basis).
7. Maximum use of emission reduction techniques.