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CONSERVATION CORNER
(For the week of March 23, 2009)
Open Burning Do's and Don'ts
by James L. Cummins

Each year the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) receives many inquiries about opening burning and agricultural or forest burning, and the information can be confusing.

In general, all open burning of commercial, institutional, residential or industrial solid waste is prohibited. However, there are some exceptions. They are: 1) Infrequent burning of agricultural wastes in the field; 2) Land-clearing debris; 3) Ordinance; 4) Permitted open burning at hazardous waste disposal facilities subject to regulation under Subtitle C of the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); and 5) Silvicultural (the study, cultivation and management of forest trees) wastes for forest management purposes.

Requirements for burning agricultural and silvicultural wastes are as follows:

The Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) must issue a permit. These permits are issued according to the daily fire weather forecast. A permit is required for any fire that is set for a recognized forestry and/or agricultural purpose.

Starter or auxiliary fuels may consist of dried vegetation, petroleum derived fuels of the gasoline, kerosene or light fuel oil types (diesel), or a combination of these. The burning of, or use of, any other combustible material that causes excessive smoke (plastic materials or rubber tires) is prohibited.

The open burning of land-clearing debris must not use starter or auxiliary fuels which cause excessive smoke; must not cause a traffic hazard; must not be performed if prohibited by local ordinances; must not take place where there is a High Fire Danger Alert declared by the MFC or Emergency Air Pollution Episode Alert imposed by the MDEQ Executive Director.

The open burning must also meet buffer zone requirements. One important requirement being that it must not occur within 500 yards of commercial airport property, private air fields or marked-off runway aircraft approach corridors unless written approval to conduct burning is secured from the proper airport authority, owner or operator.

For further information on permits and requirements, please visit www.deq.state.ms.us.

James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.