B-C’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is altering open air burning regulations to allow more flexibility. The new rules will come into effect on September 15th, allowing time for people to become more familiar with the changes.

Senior Air Quality Science Officer Markus Keller-Halls says it “allows industry, residents, other people interested to see the final regulation out there, but not have to comply with it immediately and practically speaking… most of the burning happens in the fall.”

He says the main goal is to reduce the impact on air quality near communities. “With the old rule, the rules for burning were the same whether you were 100 miles into the bush or right beside a community where the risk to air quality is much greater. If it protects the environment and serves the public interest to tweak the requirements, the regulation for a specific instance and that can allow this type of burning that’s necessary to protect property or life.”

Keller-Halls says the new regulations will come into effect before the fall when the majority of burning takes place.

Jeff Andreas