1631.03 OPEN BURNING IN RESTRICTED AREAS.

   (a)   No person or property owner shall cause or allow open burning in a restricted area except as provided in subsections (b) to (d) hereof; in Ohio R.C. 3704.11 and in compliance with Section 1631.05 of this chapter.

   (b)   Open burning shall be allowed for the following purposes without notification to or permission from the Ohio EPA:

      (1)   Heating tar, welding, acetylene torches, highway safety flares, heating for warmth of outdoor workers and strikers, smudge pots and similar occupational needs.

      (2)   Bonfires, campfires and outdoor fireplace equipment, whether for cooking food for human consumption, pleasure, religious, ceremonial, warmth, recreational, or similar purposes, if the following conditions are met:

         A.   They are fueled with clean seasoned firewood, natural gas, or equivalent, or any clean burning fuel with emissions that are equivalent to or lower than those created from the burning of seasoned firewood;

         B.   They are not used for waste disposal purposes; and

         C.   They shall have a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height.

      (3)   Disposal of hazardous explosive materials, military munitions or explosive devices that require immediate action to prevent endangerment of human health, public safety, property or the environment and that are excluded from the requirement to obtain a hazardous waste permit pursuant to paragraph (D)(1)(d) of Rule 3745- 50-45 of the Ohio Administrative Code.

      (4)   Recognized training in the use of fire extinguishers for commercial or industrial fire prevention.

      (5)   Fires set at the direction of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials for the purpose of destruction of cannabis sativa (marijuana) plant vegetation, processed marijuana material and/or other drugs seized by federal, state or local law enforcement officials.

   Fires allowed by subsections (b)(1), (b)(2) and (b)(4) hereof shall not be used for waste disposal purposes and shall be of minimum size sufficient for their intended purpose; the fuel shall be chosen to minimize the generation and emission of air contaminants.

   (c)   Open burning shall be allowed for the following purposes with prior notification to the Ohio EPA in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 1631.04:

      (1)   Prevention or control of disease or pests, with written or oral verification to the Ohio EPA from the Ohio Department of Health or local health department, the centers for disease control and prevention, cooperative extension service, Ohio Department of Agriculture, or U.S. Department of Agriculture, that open burning is the only appropriate disposal method.

      (2)   Bonfires or campfires used for ceremonial purposes that do not meet the requirements of subsection (b)(2) hereof, provided the following conditions are met:

         A.   They have a total fuel area no greater than five feet in diameter by five feet in height and burn no longer than three hours;

         B.   They are not to be used for waste disposal purposes; and

         C.   They are fueled with clean seasoned firewood, natural gas or equivalent, or any clean burning fuel with emissions that are equivalent to or lower than those created from the burning of seasoned firewood.

      (3)   Disposal of agricultural waste generated on the premises if the following conditions are observed:

         A.   The fire is set only when atmospheric conditions will readily dissipate contaminants;

         B.   The fire does not create a visibility hazard on the roadways, railroad tracks, or air fields;

         C.   The fire is located at a point on the premises no less than one thousand feet from any inhabited building not located on said premises;

         D.   The wastes are stacked and dried to provide the best practicable condition for efficient burning; and

         E.   No materials are burned which contain rubber, grease, asphalt, liquid petroleum products, plastics or building materials.

   (d)   Open burning shall be allowed for the following purposes upon receipt of written permission from the Ohio EPA, in accordance with subsection (a) of Section 1631.04, provided that any conditions specified in the permission are followed:

      (1)   Disposal of ignitable or explosive materials where the Ohio EPA determines that there is no practical alternate method of disposal, excluding those materials identified in subsection (b)(3) hereof;

      (2)   Instruction in methods of fire fighting or for research in the control of fire as recognized by the State Fire Marshal Division of the Ohio Department of Commerce and the guidelines set forth in the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) publication 1403: “Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions, Chapter 4, Acquired Structures”, provided that the application required in subsection (a)(1) of Section 1631.04 is submitted by the commercial or public entity responsible for the instruction;

      (3)   In emergency or other extraordinary circumstances for any purpose determined to be necessary by the Director and, if required, performed as identified in the appendix to Rule 3745-19-03 of the Ohio Administrative Code. If deemed necessary, the open burning may be authorized with prior oral approval by the Director followed by the issuance of a written permission to open burn within seven working days of the oral approval;

      (4)   Recognized horticultural, silvicultural (forestry), range or wildlife management practices; and

      (5)   Fires and/or pyrotechnic effects, for purposes other than waste disposal, set as part of commercial film-making or video production activities for motion pictures and television.
(OAC 3745-19-03)