Una Community Fire Dept.

Columbia - South Carolina's new regulations on open burning have gone into effect, the S.C. Department of Health & Environmental control reported today.

"These rules are designed to help improve our air quality and to protect the public's health," according to Myra C. Reece, DHEC's chief of the Bureau of Air Quality. "The goal is to reduce smoke and other emissions that contribute to ground-level ozone pollution."

Reece said the revised regulations are part of the state's Early Action compact process to improve air quality. The initiative involves DHEC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments, industry, environmental groups and others interested in bringing cleaner air sooner to south Carolinians. The EPA earlier this year identified several South Carolina areas that were not meeting new federal ozone pollution standards.

"Additional restrictions on open burning were needed because the smoke from burning pollutes the air and can cause health problems for children and adults," Reece said.

Without exception, under the new open burning regulations it is illegal to burn:

"Ground-level ozone is the state's most widespread air quality concern, especially during the summer months," Reece said. "High ground-level ozone days generally occur on hot sunny days when the air is stagnant. Ground-level ozone is formed when nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon compounds react chemically in sunlight. This can create breathing problems especially for children, people with asthma or other respiratory problems and adults who work or exercise outdoors. Ground-level ozone can also cause tree and crop damage."

South Carolina's air quality forecast can be found at DHEC's Bureau of Air Quality Web site at www.scdhec.gov/baq or by calling Donna Culbreath at 803-898-4293. A copy of the regulation may be found at www.scdhec.gov/eqc/baq/pubs/2872cacrev_1.pdf.

Other open burning information can also be obtained from the DHEC Web site, calling the local DHEC Environmental Quality Control District office or by writing DHEC's Bureau of Air Quality, 2600 Bull Street, Columbian, SC 20201.

For further information:

Thom Berry 803-898-3885

E-mail: berrytw@dhec.sc.gov

SECTION I - Exceptions

A.Open burning of leaves, tree branches, or yard trimmings originating on the premises of private
residences and burned on those premises.

B.Open burning in connection with the preparation of food for immediate consumption.

C.Campfires and fires used solely for recreational purposes, ceremonial occasions, or human warmth. Fires
set for the purpose of human warmth must use only clean wood products (woody vegetation, leaves, or
wood which is not coated with stain, paint, glue or other coating material, and not treated lumber).

D.Fires purposely set in accordance with Smoke Management Guidelines for Vegetative Debris Burning
Operations in South Carolina, administered by the South Carolina Forestry Commission and acceptable to
the Department to include the following:
1. Prescribed burning of forest lands for specific management practices;
2. Fires purposely set for agricultural control of diseases, weeds, pests, and for other specific agricultural
purposes; and
3. Open burning of trees, brush, grass, and other vegetable matter for game management purposes.

E.Open burning in areas other than predominantly residential for the purpose of land clearing or right-ofway maintenance. This will be exempt only if the following minimum conditions are followed:
1. The location of the burning must be a sufficient distance but not less than one-thousand (1000) feet
from public roadways and all residential, commercial, and industrial sites not a part of the contiguous
property on which the burning is conducted;
2. Winds during the time of the burning must be away from any area in which the ambient air may be
significantly affected by smoke from the burning if that area contains a public roadway or a residential,
commercial, or industrial site;
3. The material to be burned must have been generated onsite and not moved to the site from another
location;
4. The amount of dirt on the material being burned must be minimized;
5. No heavy oils, asphaltic materials, items containing natural or synthetic rubber, or any materials other
than plant growth may be burned;
6. The initial burning must be started only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.; no combustible
material may be added to the fire between 3:00 p.m. of one day and 9:00 a.m. the following day;
7. No more than two (2) piles thirty (30) feet by thirty (30) feet or equivalent may be burned within a six
(6)-acre area at one time; and
8. In the case of land clearing, all salvageable timber and pulpwood must be removed.
51 | Regulation 61-62.2

F. Fires set for the purposes of training fire-fighting personnel and conducted at permanent fire-fighter
training facilities. Prior Department approval is required in order to obtain the exemption as a permanently
established training site. Fires set for the purpose of fire-fighter training at non-permanent locations must
receive Department approval prior to the initiation of any burning activity. Materials used for fire-fighter
training cannot contain asbestos, heavy oils, asphaltic material, plastic or rubber without express written
consent from the Department.

G.Open burning on the property where it occurs of residential construction waste from building and
construction operations will be exempt only if the following conditions are met:
1. The material being burned is residential construction waste associated with the building and
construction of one and two family dwellings only;
2. The location of the burning is at least five-hundred (500) feet from any occupied structure other than
a dwelling or structure located on the property on which the burning is conducted;
3. Heavy oils, treated wood products, asphaltic materials, items containing natural or synthetic rubber, or
any other trade wastes which produce smoke in excess of forty (40) percent opacity are not burned;
4. The burning does not occur during the ozone season (April 1 through October 30); and
5. The burning is conducted only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

H.Open burning, in remote or specified areas:
1. For non-recurring unusual circumstances.
2. For experimental burning for purposes of data gathering and research.
However, prior approval for these types of burning (in subparagraph H above) must be obtained from the
Department.

SECTION II - General
A.A written report or warning to a person of a violation at one site shall be considered adequate notice of
the Regulation and subsequent observed violations at the same or different site will result in appropriate
legal action.

B.Open burning may be conducted in certain situations if no undesirable levels are or will be created. The
authority to conduct open burning under this Regulation does not exempt or excuse the person responsible
for the burning from the consequences of or the damages or injuries resulting from the burning and does
not exempt or excuse anyone from complying with other applicable laws and with ordinances, regulations,
and orders of governmental entities having jurisdiction, even though the burning is otherwise conducted in
compliance with this Regulation.

C.The Department reserves the right to impose other or different restrictions and exemptions on open
burning in addition to those enumerated above whenever in the judgment of the Department such is
necessary to realize the purpose of this Regulation.