17.8.615    FIREFIGHTER TRAINING

(1) The department may issue an air quality open burning permit for open burning of asphalt shingles, tar paper, or insulated wire which is part of a building or standing structure, oil or petroleum products, and automobile or aircraft bodies and interiors, for training firefighters, if:

(a) the fire will be restricted to a building or structure, a permanent training facility, or other appropriate training site, in a site other than a solid waste disposal site;

(b) the material to be burned will not be allowed to smolder after the training session has terminated, and no public nuisance will be created;

(c) all asbestos-containing material has been removed;

(d) asphalt shingles, flooring material, siding, and insulation which might contain asbestos have been removed, unless samples have been analyzed by a certified laboratory and shown to be asbestos-free;

(e) all prohibited material that can be removed safely and reasonably has been removed;

(f) the open burning accomplishes a legitimate training need;

(g) clear educational objectives have been identified for the training;

(h) burning is limited to that necessary to accomplish the educational objectives;

(i) the training operations and procedures are consistent with nationally accepted standards of good practice; and

(j) emissions from open burning will not endanger public health or welfare or cause or contribute to a violation of any Montana or federal ambient air quality standard.

(2) The department may place any reasonable requirements in an air quality firefighter training open burning permit that the department determines will reduce emissions of air pollutants or will minimize the impact of emissions, and the recipient of a permit must adhere to those conditions.

(3) The applicant may be required, prior to each burn, to notify the department of the anticipated date and location of the proposed training exercise and the type and amount of material to be burned. The department may be notified by phone, fax, or in writing.

(4) An application for an air quality firefighter training open burning permit must be made on a form provided by the department. The applicant must provide adequate information to enable the department to determine whether the application satisfies the requirements of this rule for a permit. 

(5) Proof of publication of public notice, consistent with this rule, must be submitted to the department before an application will be considered complete. An applicant for an air quality firefighter training open burning permit shall notify the public of the application for a permit by legal publication, at least once, in a newspaper of general circulation in the area affected by the application. The notice must be published no sooner than ten days prior to submittal of an application and no later than ten days after submittal of an application. The form of the notice must be provided by the department and must include a statement that public comments may be submitted to the department concerning the application within 20 days after publication of notice or filing of the application, whichever is later. A single public notice may be published for multiple applicants.

(6) When the department approves or denies the application for a permit under this rule, a person who is directly and adversely affected by the department's decision may request a hearing before the board in the manner provided in 75-2-211, MCA.

History: 75-2-111, 75-2-203, MCA; IMP, 75-2-203, 75-2-211, MCA; NEW, 1982 MAR p. 691, Eff. 4/1/82; AMD, 1994 MAR p. 2528, Eff. 9/9/94; TRANS, from DHES, 1996 MAR p. 2285; AMD, 2011 MAR p. 569, Eff. 4/15/11; AMD, 2016 MAR p. 1164, Eff. 7/9/16.