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

PBM85 - Application for Open Burning for Mineral Operations

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 Services (FFS). For information regarding burns of this type, Florida Forest Services 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 noted above is the developer, please fill out the owner information in section 2 below. If applicant above is the owner, skip section 2.

2. Additional Applicant Information

First Name

Last Name

Company Name

Street Address

City

State

Zip Code

Telephone Number

Fax Number

Email Address

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.

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 open burning setback at least 1000 feet from any occupied building and 100 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 local city jurisdiction?	Yes	No
h. Is the burn pile(s) free of any power lines, low-hanging tree limbs, or brush?	Yes	No
i. Are the materials dry so as to produce minimal amount of smoke?	Yes	No
j. Is the burn pile(s) no more than 30 feet in diameter and 10 feet in height?	Yes	No
k. Will additional flammable materials be used to support combustion?	Yes	No
l. Will the burn site be under constant physical supervision of a competent employee at all times?	Yes	No
m. Will there be means of controlling and extinguishing the fire is on site at all times?	Yes	No
n. Will wind speed/direction be monitored at all times to minimize the potential of smoke, soot, and dust impacts?	Yes	No
o. Will there be adequate signage posted at the nearest roadway(s), primary entrance(s), and exit(s) to burnsite?	Yes	No
p. Will the applicant maintain a log on site that documents burning times (startups and extinguish times)?	Yes	No
q. Are the emergency phone number and the contact personnel on site provided?	Yes	No
r. Will all allowable burning hours between the hours 9:00 a.m. and 1 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
s. 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

These are the main 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.

Waiving Objection to Setback (if applicable)

Affidavit Template - Waiving Objection to Open Burning.

Please attach Affidavit Template

FEES:

$300.00 for every 3 months for initial land clearing for mineral operations

The appropriate fee 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.

Open burning authorizations issued under the provisions of Chapter 1-4 will be valid for a period of 90 days. The authorization may be renewed three times in a calendar year provided a request for a renewal is submitted before the active authorization expires. Each authorization renewal will require an additional fee of $600.00. EPC staff will conduct site inspections prior to each authorization renewal to confirm continued compliance with Chapter 1-4.

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

Should the applicant assert they meet these conditions, 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) * +

Sketch

Please upload a sketch of the burn site that shows the location of the burn pile(s) 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. 🛈