Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County
Roger P. Stewart Center
3629 Queen Palm Drive · Tampa, FL 33619
Ph: (813) 627-2600 · Fax: (813) 627-2630

www.epchc.org

ACI65 - EPC Application for Open Burning

for Initial Land Clearing Operation

with Air Curtain Incinerator

The approval of an open burning authorization application is dependent upon the evaluation by the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPC) for compliance with applicable laws. The authorization to conduct open burning can be conditioned or denied. If granted, it may be revoked for violation of permit criteria or the law. Be advised that the issuance of a permit does not exempt you from regulations of other authorized fire control agencies applicable to open burning in Hillsborough County and the municipalities. Open burn authorizations may be tracked online at epchc.org under “Status of Permit Application.”

The EPC administers open burning for initial land clearing purposes. Open burning for range improvement, maintenance and continuation of the grazing of animals or burning incidental to other continuous agricultural activities is administered by the Florida Forest Service (FFS). For information regarding burns of this type, Florida Forest Service can be contacted in Lakeland at 1-863-940-6701.

1. Applicant Information (Developer/Owner of the property)

Please check one: *

Developer

Owner

First Name *

Last Name *

Company Name

Street Address *

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Telephone Number *

Email Address *

*** If applicant is developer, please list name and address of the property owner. If applicant is the owner, please list name and address of the developer, if any:

Company Name

Contact Name

Address

Email Address & Telephone Number

2. Open Burn Contractor Information (entity physically conducting the burn)

First Name *

Last Name *

Company Name *

Street Address *

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Telephone Number *

Fax Number

Email Address *

Certified Burner *

Yes

Certified Burner #: *

3. Site Information/Description

Street Address *

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Emergency Contact Name & Telephone Number *

Number of Acres Being Cleared *

Growth Density (heavy or thin) *

Type of Materials (Citrus, Forest, Brush, Grass) *

Section

Township

Range

The following restrictions and conditions will allow you to determine if the proposed open burning meets minimum regulatory requirements.

** PLEASE NOTE: IF BURN SITE IS WITHIN CITY LIMITS OR TAMPA, TEMPLE TERRACE, OR PLANT CITY, A WAIVER OR PERMIT FROM THE RESPECTIVE FIRE RESCUE OR FIRE MARSHAL OFFICE MUST BE SUBMITTED.

You must submit this document with your sketch in the below Sketch file upload section.

RESTRICTIONS & CONDITIONS: *

	____________
	Yes	No
a. Does the burn material consist only of naturally occurring vegetation?	Yes	No
b. Is the vegetative debris generated from this site?	Yes	No
c. Is the ACI set back at least 300 feet from any occupied building and 50 feet from wild lands, brush, or combustible structures?	Yes	No
d. Is the open burning set back at least 100 feet from any public roadway, and smoke from the burn will not obscure visibility on roadways?	Yes	No
e. Are there any sensitive land uses in immediate vicinity (schools, hospitals, day care, residences, etc.)?	Yes	No
f. Is the open burn occurring within 2500 feet of any Hillsborough County Aviation Authority active runway?	Yes	No
g. Is the burn site located within city jurisdiction?	Yes	No
h. Is the ACI burn under any power lines or low-hanging tree limbs, or brush, and a firebreak of at least 50 feet is in place?	Yes	No
i. Are the materials dry so as to produce minimal amount of smoke?	Yes	No
j. Is the pit width 12 feet or less, length is equal to the manifold blower, and walls are vertical? If vertical walls cannot be maintained, shoring must be used.	Yes	No
k. Will the ash not be allowed to build-up in the pit higher than 1/3 of the pit depth, or to the point where the ash begins to impede combustion?	Yes	No
l. Will the burn site be under constant physical supervision of a competent employee at all times?	Yes	No
m. Will the amount of vegetative land clearing debris in the pit or trench box not protrude above the level of the Air Curtain Incinerator manifold?	Yes	No
n. Will the Air Curtain be in use at this location for a period of less than six months?	Yes	No
o. Will there be means of controlling and extinguishing the fire is on site at all times?	Yes	No
p. Will wind speed/direction be monitored at all times to minimize the potential of smoke, soot, and dust impacts?	Yes	No
q. Will adequate signage be posted so as to be legible to nearest roadway(s), primary entrance(s), and exit(s) to burnsite?	Yes	No
r. Will the applicant maintain a log on site that documents burning times (startups and extinguish times)?	Yes	No
s. Are the emergency phone number and the contact personnel on site provided?	Yes	No
t. Will all allowable burning hours between the hours 9:00 a.m. and one hour before sunset be complied with at all time? (No glowing coals, glowing embers, visible flames, smoke, emissions, flaming combustion, or surface combustion)?	Yes	No
u. Will contact be made with the Florida Forest Service each day prior to burning to substantiate if there are any burn restrictions? (FFS contact number 1-863-940-6701)	Yes	No
v. Will you contact County or municipal fire dispatch office daily of your intent to burn?	Yes	No

Based on Chapter 1-4, the above are the majority of the guidelines used in the inspection of a proposed burn site. It should be noted that EPC staff reserve the right, based on their professional judgment, to evaluate a proposed burn according to these guidelines and other regulations that may be applicable.

Affidavit Template - Waiving Objection to Open Burning.

Waiving Objection to Setback (if applicable)

Affidavit Template - Waiving Objection to Open Burning.

Please attach Affidavit Template

APPLICATION FOR OPEN BURNING INITIAL LAND CLEARING OPERATION WITHOUT AIR CURTAIN INCINERATOR:

A $300 application fee payment must accompany all applications for open burning. This fee is required to defray expenses in performing professional services necessitated by the actions of private enterprise. Funds collected for said services are nonrefundable.

Upon receipt of this application and fee, staff will conduct an initial site inspection to verify that the project meets all criteria. Should the applicant not meet the specified guidelines, a subsequent inspection will be performed. The inability to demonstrate compliance with the requirements may result in authorization denial and may require other disposal options.

EPC open burning authorizations issued under the provisions of Chapter 1-4 are for a 30-day period. A one-time extension of 15 days is available without additional fees provided a legitimate need for the extension exists. A written request for extension must be made 3 business days prior to the expiration date. No applicant will be allowed to burn at any one site for more than 180 days. Should the applicant exceed the 180 day time frame, this may be a violation of law and applicant may be required to apply for a stationary permit through the EPC Air Permitting Section.

Open Burn permits and renewals are subject to challenge under Chapter 1-2, Part IV by affected parties.

Should the applicant meet these conditions, please read carefully, and sign the statement below.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and SIGNATURE:

I have reviewed Chapter 1-4 and the guidance in this application, and I will adhere to them, and any additional conditions the Executive Director may include in any open burning authorization.

Signature (use your mouse to sign your name on the line in the block below) *

clear

Printed Name of Signature: *

Title *

Date (MM-DD-YYYY) * +

Municipality Authorization:

Has a municipality issued you any waiver or other authorization for the above- requested open burning? *

Yes

If yes, please attach the authorization to this application.

Click on Browse to search for the file on your computer, then select Upload. 🛈

Sketch

Please upload a sketch of the burn site that shows the location of the ACI with setback distances to the nearest occupied building(s) and roadway(s). Please sign and date the sketch.

You can only upload ONE FILE here with the application. If you have multiple documents please combine them into one file before uploading.

Click on Browse to search for the file on your computer, then select Upload. 🛈