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2012 Community Fire Fest

Open Burn Policy for Porter County

*** THERE IS A NO OPEN BURN POLICY FOR PORTER COUNTY***

Open Burning

Burning materials so that smoke and other "air contaminants" are emitted directly into the air, without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber, is an "open burn."⁴⁹ The Indiana Department of Environmental Management encourages alternatives to open burning, such as sale, reuse, or in the case of yard waste, composting.⁵⁰ Open burning is prohibited except as authorized by statute and rules adopted by the Air Pollution Control Board.⁵¹

There are several exemptions from the open burning prohibition. Open burning may be performed under some circumstances, where a safety or health hazard is not posed. The following are a few examples: Open burning may be used to control onsite vegetation from a farm, orchard, nursery, or along a drainage ditch. Prescribed burning may be performed for wildlife habitat or natural area management by the Department of Natural Resources. Similarly, burning may be performed according to the National Park Service Fire Management Plan for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Law enforcement officials may burn marijuana. An authorization may be granted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to conduct fire training, remove natural growth for a change in land use, or to dispose of highly explosive or other dangerous materials.⁵²

Because ozone levels have been determined to be unsafe in Lake County and Porter County,⁵³ private residential open burning is prohibited in these locations.⁵⁴ One exception is that open burning may be approved by a local unit of government in October through December (after "ozone season" has ended) for rural areas where leaf pickup is unavailable.⁵⁵ Open burning is also prohibited in apartment and condominium complexes and in mobile home parks.⁵⁶

http://www.in.gov/nrc_dnr/lakemichigan/airqual/airquale.html#a