In the interest of public health and welfare, it is the declared public policy of the State of Oregon to reduce the practice of open field burning while developing and providing alternative methods of field sanitation and alternative methods of utilizing and marketing grass seed and cereal grain straw residues and to control, reduce, and prevent air pollution from open field burning, propane flaming, and stack burning by smoke management. In developing and carrying out a smoke management control program it is the policy of the Environmental Quality Commission:

1. (1) To allow for field burning based on the limits specified in state law while protecting public health and welfare, recognizing:

   1. (a) The importance of flexibility and judgment in the daily decision-making process, within established and necessary limits;
   2. (b) The need for operational efficiency within and between each organizational level;
   3. (c) The need for effective compliance with all regulations and restrictions.
2. (2) To study, develop and encourage the use of reasonable and economically feasible alternatives to the practice of open field burning.
3. (3) To increase the degree of public safety by preventing unwanted wild fires and smoke from open field burning, propane flaming, and stack burning near highways and freeways within the State of Oregon. The Environmental Quality Commission hereby adopts by reference, as rules of the Environmental Quality Commission, OAR 837-110-0105 through 837-110-0155, the rules of the State Fire Marshal filed with the Secretary of State on November 13, 2009. These rules shall apply to that area west of the Cascade Range and south to the Douglas/Lane County lines.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 468 & 468A

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 468A.555

History

DEQ 8-2010, f. & cert . ef. 8-27-10
DEQ 14-1999, f. & cert. ef. 10-14-99, Renumbered from 340-026-0003
DEQ 14-1994, f. & cert. ef. 5-31-94
DEQ 4-1993, f. & cert. ef. 3-10-93
DEQ 5-1992, f. & cert. ef. 3-3-92 (and corrected 3-18-92)
DEQ 5-1984, f. & ef. 3-7-84