The spring and summer open burning season opened on March 1, 2016. During this season open burners do not need approval from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality before burning. Permission from local fire control agencies is still required.
In conjunction with the open burn season, the DEQ is conducting a survey for burners, local authorities and the general public about the Open Burning Program. “We’re always looking for ways to improve the program so we hope people will take a few minutes to let us know how we’re doing,” said Kristen Martin, DEQ’s Air Program meteorologist. The survey is open until April 1 and can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7W28LLJ.
“If you’re planning to do an open burning project, please remember that only clean, untreated wood and plant material can be burned,” said Martin.
According to the DEQ, you can’t burn food wastes, plastics, wood that has been coated, painted, stained, or treated, dead animals or animal droppings, rubber materials, chemicals, asphalt shingles, tar paper, hazardous wastes, or structures containing these materials. The full list of prohibited materials is on the DEQ’s Open Burning website: http://www.burnclosures.mt.gov.
Before you burn, you must contact the local fire control authorities for permission and information about local fire safety related requirements. DEQ also recommends contacting county health departments to determine whether any county level air quality related requirements exist, specifically in Lewis and Clark, Missoula, Lincoln, Flathead, and Yellowstone counties.
The spring/summer open burning season will end on August 31, 2016. For more information on air quality related open burning rules, prohibited materials, frequently asked questions and state permit requirements, please visit DEQ’s open burning webpage at http://www.burnclosures.mt.gov or call 406-444-0283.
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