Bulkley Valley & Lakes District Airshed Management Society

Burn Operators Forum

(to support chapter on Forest Harvest Debris Burning in Clean Air Plan)

For Proceedings, scroll down to bottom of page.

A significant amount of progress has been made on the implementation of strategies outlined in Chapter 6 of the Clean Air Plan. In summary, these strategies are:

Education of all burn operators by creating a centralized information source
Coordination of burning operations to take advantage of available venting and to avoid overloading the airshed
Enforcement of applicable regulations and burn plans
Continued operation of the Resource Management Burning Regional Working Group Subcommittee
and
Continually explore alternatives that directly target reductions in the amount of debris to be burned and/or emissions from debris being burned.

1. Education of all burn operators by creating a centralized information source

The Ministry of Environment delivers the majority of education and compliance programs, supplemented by specific BVLD initiatives by the Airshed Management Society.

Each year education and compliance initiatives are undertaken by Environmental Protection and Conservation Officer Service staff related to open burning under the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. In 2002-4, a large scale distribution of educational materials to burn operators occurred, along with ground and air initiated onsite efforts. In 2003-4, a province-wide audit of open burning under the regulation took place and included both education and compliance aspects. Educational materials available on the MOE Skeena website include:

Tips for Open Burning-information (29 KB) on reducing smoke emissions, how pollution from smoke due to open burning occurs and information on Ministry of Forests Smoke Management Plans;
a quick and easy true/false checklist (31 KB) based on the requirements of the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation; and
the Skeena Region Guide to the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation (209 KB) , including information on where to get the venting index forecasts and burn-ban information

SPECIAL EVENTS

SMALL SAWMILLS: Wood Residue Forum

Click here for details (PDF file)

APRIL 11 AND 12, 2008

Friendship Centre, Smithers BC

2. Coordination of burning operations to take advantage of available venting and to avoid overloading the airshed

The BVLD 3-day Custom Venting Index Forecasting Service began in Fall 2004. An overview of the CVF service is provided in the updated 2007/08 Season letter to licensees as well as at annual Burn Operator Forums (see Proceedings below).

If you are a burn operator and want to register for this service, contact:

Uwe Gramann, M.Sc.

(Uwe is pronouned OOVA)
Air Resource Technician
Ministry of Environment
Box 5000, 3726 Alfred Ave
Smithers, B.C. V0J 2N0
phone: 250.847.7547
fax: 250.847.7591
E-mail: Uwe.Gramann@gov.bc.ca

3. Enforcement of applicable regulations and burn plans

The Skeena-Stikine Forest District and the Nadina Forest District both fall within the boundaries of Skeena Region, and more specifically the Bulkley Valley-Lakes District Airshed. Both forest districts have burn plans approved by Forest District Managers, that work to reduce smoke impacts from open burning. The Burn Plan for Smoke Management in the Bulkey, Kispiox, Cranberry and Cassiar Timber Supply Areas 2005 [PDF - 98 KB] and the Nadina Forest District Burn Management Plan 2005 [PDF - 60 KB] and Nadina Forest District Map showing smoke sensitivity zones [PDF - 2.9 MB] are available here or by calling the District Ministry of Forest offices, or Ministry of Environment in Smithers.

BC Ministry of Environment
1 (250) 847-7260

or go through Enquiry BC 1-800-ONE-STOP (663-7807)
8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday

Burn Permit applications
Regulation interpretation
Reporting regulation violations
General Air Quality enquiries

4. Continued operation of the Resource Management Burning Regional Working Group Subcommittee (renamed Woody Debris Management Committee in August 2008)

This committee has been meeting since July 2003. Minutes and proceedings from each of their meetings are available below. The work of this committee has included harmonizing requirments and operating procedures between burn plans and smoke management plans within the BVLD airshed and in adjacent jurisdictions. The recommendations are summarized here: Appendix F of Clean Air Plan: Best Practice Recommendations for amendments to current Burn Plans (August 23, 2004)

Annual meetings of this committee focus on reviewing results of the previous burning season in terms of air quality impacts and compliance, sharing existing and emerging best practices for forest debris management, and creating an inventory of burns planned for the upcoming burn season. In addition, the current version of Chapter 6 for the Clean Air Plan is reviewed and recommendations made for amendments.

2008

Proceedings (5 pages PDF)

Custom Venting Forecasting and 2007 Burn Season - PowerPoint presentation by Uwe Gramann PDF format

Dispersion Modelling Presentation by Ben Weinstein PDF format

Summary of 2008 BVLD AMS Committees PDF format

Terms of Reference for Woody Debris Management Committee PDF format

2007

Proceedings (10 pages PDF)

Forum overview and Highlights from past forums - PowerPoint Presentation by Laurie Gallant (PDF)
Presentation on Fall 2006 Burn Season - PowerPoint presentation by Ben Weinstein (PDF)

Afternoon session welcome and review of emission reduction strategies - PowerPoint presentation by Laurie Gallant (PDF)

AMS Milestone Report-PowerPoint presentation by Laurie Gallant (PDF)

2006