Ministry Lengthens Time to Comment on New Open Burning Regs

Monday, July 14, 2008 04:00 AM

Green areas are "low", yellow ="moderate" and orange areas are "High" sensitivity zones

Prince George, B.C. – The Provincial Ministry of the Environment has extended it’s deadline for submissions on its review of the open burning smoke control regulation.

The regulation has not been changed much since 1993 and the proposed changes will establish “smoke sensitivity zones”.

The zones will be listed as having a sensitivity rating of high, moderate or low and will be based on population, air drainage, and height of land within certain perimeters. There should be no surprise that Prince George is listed as being a “high sensitivity” zone but in fact all populated areas are listed as “high sensitivity” .

The new regulations will govern the burning of vegetation associated with a wide range of activities including land clearing and forestry and sets out the conditions under which open burning would be allowed. The object of the new regulations is to reduce or minimize impacts to human health. The deadline for public input is now July 21^st.

You can access the information package here, and file input by clicking here.

Low Sensitivity Zones:
Based on meteorological and geographical criteria:

Drainage of air never goes to populated / sensitive area
Drainage does not go to major highway (corridor)
Drains into open ocean or unpopulated channels which lead to open ocean
Takes advantage of boundaries already based on drainages and watersheds to define M/L boundary (e.g. forest districts)

Medium Sensitivity Zones:
The area in between High and Low Zones

Further information about the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation can be accessed by clicking on the address below, or from the Ministry of Environment home page, by following the Environmental Protection Division and "Air" links (see www.env.gov.bc.ca/air/particulates/agttobsc).

High Sensitivity Zones:200, 350 and 500 people per square km with corresponding buffers of 4 km, 7 km and 10 km, and adjusted to height of land.

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Posted on Monday, July 14, 2008 04:00 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on July 14 2008 10:04 PM

I guess "bio-energy" sounds soooo green. Is it exempt?

Posted by: Eagleone on July 15 2008 5:18 AM

I heard the other day you can't carry your shot gun in your truck or camper anymore unless you have a hunting license. Apparently they don't recognize the PAL's on there own anymore and you have to apply to kill animals to take your gun out of your house. That makes no sense to me and I'd like to know when they changed the regs on that, because I didn't hear a whisper of it.

Posted by: acrider54 on July 15 2008 5:55 AM

The sky is falling

Posted by: govsux on July 15 2008 8:27 AM

burning fuel in the bush still

Posted by: metalman on July 15 2008 8:37 AM

Eagleone; I call that licensing requirement taxation. Eventually they will outlaw firearms because decent law abiding apartment dwellers in Van & To and Montreal cannot see the reason for owning them. By the way, is it true? Do you really have to have a hunting license to pack a shotgun or rifle out of the home now?
metalman.

Posted by: tinyapplecork on July 15 2008 7:55 PM

I am curious about that too. Wasn't there a carrying permit at one time? Can't we just burn all the over regulation?