February 9, 2012

Placer County APCD 306 - 1 Rules and Regulations

RULE 306 OPEN BURNING OF NONINDUSTRIAL WOOD WASTE

AT DESIGNATED DISPOSAL SITES

Adopted 02-10-11

(Amended 02-09-12)

CONTENTS

100 GENERAL

101 PURPOSE

102 APPLICABILITY

103 ELEVATION ABOVE 1500 FEET

104 EXEMPTIONS

200 DEFINITIONS

201 DISALLOWED COMBUSTIBLES

202 NO-BURN DAY

203 NONINDUSTRIAL WOOD WASTE

300 STANDARDS

301 PROHIBITIONS ON OPEN BURNING

302 ARB SITE APPROVAL

303 BURN PERMITS

304 BURN PERMIT VALIDITY

305 BURN DAYS

306 VEGETATION PREPARATION AND DRYING TIMES

307 APPROVED IGNITION DEVICES

308 WIND DIRECTION

309 INSPECTION

310 LAWFUL POSSESSION

400 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

401 BURN PERMIT REVIEW

402 BURN PERMIT APPLICATION INFORMATION

403 REVOCATION OF A BURN PERMIT

404 BURN PERMIT FEES

500 MONITORING AND RECORDS

501 REPORTING

502 POST BURN INFORMATION
February 9, 2012

Rules and Regulations 306 - 2 Placer County APCD

This Page Intentionally Left Blank
February 9, 2012

Placer County APCD 306 - 3 Rules and Regulations

100 GENERAL

101 PURPOSE: To control and monitor open burning of nonindustrial wood waste at 

designated disposal sites above 1500 feet elevation, mean sea level.

102 APPLICABILITY: Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code, Sections 41803 and 

41804.5, this Rule authorizes the use of open outdoor fires for the burning of 

nonindustrial wood waste at designated disposal sites where such use has been 

permitted by the District and approved by the California Air Resources Board.

103 ELEVATION ABOVE 1500 FEET: Only city or county officials, in their official capacity, 

may apply for a burn permit to dispose of non-industrial wood waste at disposal sites 

located above 1500 feet, mean sea level.

104 EXEMPTIONS:

104.1 Rule Exemptions

104.1.1 Burning conducted pursuant to Rule 301, NONAGRICULTURAL 

BURNING SMOKE MANAGEMENT is exempt from this Rule.

104.1.2 Burning conducted pursuant to Rule 302, AGRICULTURAL WASTE 

BURNING SMOKE MANAGEMENT is exempt from this Rule.

104.1.3 Burning conducted pursuant to Rule 303, PRESCRIBED BURNING 

SMOKE MANAGEMENT is exempt from this Rule.

104.1.4 Burning conducted pursuant to Rule 304, LAND DEVELOPMENT 

BURNING SMOKE MANAGEMENT is exempt from this Rule.

104.1.5 Burning conducted pursuant to Rule 305, RESIDENTIAL ALLOWABLE 

BURNING is exempt from this Rule.

104.2 Exemption, Determination of Amount Burned Daily: Open burning of 

nonindustrial wood waste at designated disposal sites are exempt from burning 

that which can be reasonably expected to burn completely within the following 24 

hours, once ignition occurs.

200 DEFINITIONS: (Unless otherwise defined below, the terms used in this Rule are as defined in 

Rule 102, DEFINITIONS or Rule 301, NONAGRICULTURAL BURNING SMOKE 

MANAGEMENT.)

201 DISALLOWED COMBUSTIBLES: Any waste or manufactured material, including but 

not limited to petroleum products and petroleum wastes; construction and demolition 

debris; coated wire; putrescible (rotten wastes) and non-putrescible solid, semisolid and 

liquid materials or wastes; tires; tar; tarpaper; non-natural wood waste; processed or 

treated wood and wood products; metals; motor vehicle bodies and parts; rubber; 

synthetics; plastics, including plastic film, twine and pipe; fiberglass; styrofoam; garbage; 

trash; refuse; rubbish; disposable diapers; ashes; glass; industrial wastes; manufactured 

products; equipment; instruments; utensils; appliances; furniture; cloth; rags; paper or 

paper products; cardboard; boxes; crates; excelsior; offal; swill; carcass of a dead animal; 

manure; human or animal parts or wastes, including blood; and fecal- and foodcontaminated material.

202 NO-BURN DAY: Any day on which agricultural burning, including burning at a 

designated disposal site, is prohibited by the ARB or the APCO.
February 9, 2012

Rules and Regulations 306 - 4 Placer County APCD

203 NONINDUSTRIAL WOOD WASTE: Vegetation consisting of trees, vines and brush, 

which has been brought to the designated disposal site.

300 STANDARDS

301 PROHIBITIONS ON OPEN BURNING: Except as provided in this Rule or Regulation 3, 

no person shall use an open outdoor fire for the purpose of disposal or burning of any 

disallowed combustibles.

302 ARB SITE APPROVAL: Open burning of nonindustrial wood waste shall not be 

permitted at a disposal site until the ARB has approved the use of open outdoor fires for 

disposing of nonindustrial wood waste at the site.

303 BURN PERMITS

303.1 A person shall not ignite or allow open outdoor burning without a valid burn 

permit from the District.

303.2 A separate burn permit may also be required from the fire protection agency that 

has jurisdiction in the area of the proposed burn project.

304 BURN PERMIT VALIDITY: No burn permit shall be construed to authorize open outdoor 

fires for any day during which:

304.1 It is a no-burn day.

304.2 Open burning is prohibited by a fire protection agency for fire control or 

prevention.

305 BURN DAYS: No person shall knowingly ignite, or allow ignition of allowable 

combustibles, on no burn days or when it is prohibited by a fire protection agency.

305.1 If burning begins on a permissive burn day and in the subsequent days, a noburn day occurs, only that which is burning can continue to burn; no new or 

additional vegetation can be added.

306 VEGETATION PREPARATION AND DRYING TIMES: To assure rapid and complete 

combustion with a minimum of smoke, and to lower the moisture content of the 

vegetation being burned, (from when the vegetation was cut and is to be burned), the 

following are drying times.

306.1 No vegetation shall be burned unless it is reasonably free of disallowed

combustibles, dirt, soil, and surface moisture and shall be burned in a manner to 

prevent excessive smoke.

306.2 Vegetation stacked for burning shall not be burned unless it is stacked in such a 

manner to promote drying and ensure combustion with a minimum amount of 

smoke.

306.3 A minimum of 15 days of drying time for fine prunings or cuttings less than 3

inches in diameter, at the cut end.

306.4 A minimum of three (3) to six (6) weeks of drying time for prunings or brush or 

small branches 3 to 6 inches in diameter, at the cut end.
February 9, 2012

Placer County APCD 306 - 5 Rules and Regulations

306.5 A minimum of six weeks of drying time for trees stumps, and large branches

greater than 6 inches in diameter, at the cut end.

307 APPROVED IGNITION DEVICES: All open outdoor fires as authorized by this regulation 

shall be ignited only with approved ignition devices. The vegetation to be burned should 

be ignited as rapidly as practicable within applicable fire control restrictions.

308 WIND DIRECTION: Burning shall be curtailed when smoke is drifting into a nearby 

populated area or when it is or may become a nuisance or hazard.

309 INSPECTION: The APCO or his/her designee may require the inspection of the wood 

waste to be burned to verify that it is exclusively nonindustrial wood waste.

310 LAWFUL POSSESSION: The owner or person lawfully in possession of the land on 

which the disposal site is located shall file written approval of such burning with the 

District.

400 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

401 BURN PERMIT REVIEW: The APCO or his/her designee shall review and sign all burn 

permits prior to authorizing burning.

401.1 The fire protection agency having jurisdiction over the area on which the 

designated disposal site is located shall also approve the burn permit.

402 BURN PERMIT APPLICATION INFORMATION:

402.1 Type of burning;

402.2 Name and/or Business Name and address of the permittee;

402.3 Location of the proposed burn;

402.4 Distance from the proposed burn to the nearest neighboring home or structure;;

402.5 The type of vegetation to be burned;

402.6 Acreage or estimated tonnage or size of pile of the vegetation to be burned;

402.7 Reason for burning;

402.8 Applicant’s signature with date signed. The applicant signing the burn permit 

shall read and attest to the accuracy of the information provided.

402.9 Each burn permit issued shall bear a statement of warning containing the 

following words or words of like or similar import: "THIS BURN PERMIT IS 

VALID ONLY FOR THOSE DAYS ON WHICH THE STATE AIR RESOURCES 

BOARD DOES NOT PROHIBIT AGRICULTURAL BURNING PURSUANT TO 

SECTION 41855 OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE."

402.10 The applicant or representative shall have the burn permit available for 

inspection at the burn site during the burn.

403 REVOCATION OF A BURN PERMIT: The APCO, or his/her designee, may revoke a 

burn permit if it is found that the burn permit conditions, any state or federal laws, or the 

provisions of this Rule have been violated. The designated agency or the APCO shall 
February 9, 2012

Rules and Regulations 306 - 6 Placer County APCD

notify the burn permit holder in writing of the revocation and the reasons therefore, 

service of the notification of revocation may be made by personal delivery or certified 

mail. In the case of service by mail, service shall be deemed complete at the time of 

deposit of the notification in the United States Post Office, or a mail box, sub-Post Office, 

substation, or mail chute, or other like facility.

403.1 Within ten days after service of notice of revocation specified in Section 403

above, the burn permit holder may petition the Hearing Board in writing for a 

public hearing. The Hearing Board, after notice and a public hearing held within 

30 days after filing the petition, may sustain or reverse the decision of the APCO

or the designated agency.

404 BURN PERMIT FEES: Burn permits are valid only following receipt of fees specified in 

Rule 607, BURN PERMIT FEES.

500 MONITORING AND RECORDS

501 REPORTING: Notification shall be made to the District at least 72 hours prior to ignition.

502 POST-BURN INFORMATION: A post-burn report shall be submitted to the District, 

within 10 days following the completion of the burn.

502.1 Submitter’s name and agency;

502.2 Location of burn;

502.3 Date of burn;

502.4 Burn day status, each day of burn;

502.5 Ignition date and time;

502.6 Completion date of burn;

502.7 Any smoke impacts including any reason for impacts;

502.8 Recommendations for future burns in the area to minimize impacts.