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Extremely
cold temperatures are forecast for this evening and
the rest of the week which could seriously affect
fruit crops in bloom or near bloom around the state.
Therefore, NJDEP has authorized the following procedure
for open burning to help fruit farmers protect their
crops. No tires can be burned as part of this authorization.
No open burning will be permitted unless
the temperature within the orchard area is at or below the critical
temperature for the bud stage and the wind velocity is less than
five miles per hour. Both conditions must be met before open burning
may occur. The average temperature required to kill ten percent of
the bloom (27 degrees) is defined as the critical temperature. Farmers
may only conduct open burning with approved permits or approval from
NJDEP. Farmers who believe that open burning is required to protect
their blossoms or young buds MUST FIRST contact NJDEP's Office of
Compliance and Enforcement, Administrator of Air and Environmental
Quality, at (609) 633-7288 to request approval. After 5:00 p.m. the
request should be made to NJDEP's 24-hour Communication Center at
(609) 292-7172.
Farmers must provide the following
information:
Name
of the individual who is to conduct the open burning and/or the responsible
party
Name of farm, street address (no
P.O. Box), telephone number of farm contact Predicted orchard temperature
in degree F and predicted wind speed Expected hours of open burning
Material which will be open burned
Farmers
may use smudge pots or open burn clean scrap lumber (untreated), felled
trees, prunings, hedgegrows, or fire wood. Farmers must make every effort
to obtain and use approved smudge pots. These pots must be fueled with
either kerosene or #2 fuel oil. No refuse trade waste, garbage, etc.
is to be combined with the authorized burning material. Farmers will
not be permitted to open burn tires to protect their fruit crops.
Once the open burning is completed,
the farmer must contact either of the listed numbers to provide the
identification used in the open burning request, the actual orchard
temperature in degree Fahrenheit, actual wind speed at the orchard
location and a statement that all restrictions in the open burning
approval were followed.
Failure to adhere to these provisions
may result in appropriate enforcement action.
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