According to legislation signed in 2003 (SB 703, Flores), agricultural burning is prohibited in the San Joaquin Valley unless permitted by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (District) and concurred by the CA Air Resources Board (CARB). Since 2003, the District has implemented a phased reduction of agricultural burning which must be approved by CARB every in 5 years. The current burn program was set to expire at the end of 2020 at which time all agriculture burning would be prohibited unless the District and CARB approved a new ag burning plan.
Recently, the agricultural industry worked with the District in their most recent update to their ag burning plan, adopted on December 17. However, that plan will not be reviewed and approved by the ARB until February 25, 2021, meaning ag burning would not be allowable between January 1 until the new plan is approved on February 25.
CCM joined with several other ag organizations in sending a letter to the Governor urging CARB allow agricultural burning in the interim. CARB responded to the letter indicating that they would, under special circumstances, allow for continued burning until the new burn plan is adopted.
CARB concurs, for the limited period through February 24, 2021, with the postponement of the prohibition of agricultural burning “where issues such as disease pose obstacles to implementing alternatives.” CARB’s concurrence covers:
- Burning of weeds and vegetative materials on rice field levees and banks;
- Weed abatement burning affecting ponding and levee banks;
- Burning of apple, pear, and quince crop prunings and orchard removals; and
- Burning of diseased beehives.
CARB is also allowing agricultural burning where the District and permit applicant can document that there is an immediate imperative to clear a field for planting, and consistent with the District’s updated ag burning plan approved in December 2020.
The District’s adopted ag burning plan for citrus is as follows:
- Effective January 1, 2021, prohibit open burns for citrus orchard removals at agricultural operations whose total citrus acreage at all agricultural operation sites is greater than 500 acres; and citrus orchard removals greater than 40 acres at a single location per year; maintain case-by-case determination for removals greater than 15 acres and less than or equal to 40 acres at agricultural operations whose total citrus acreage at all agricultural operation sites is less than or equal to 500 acres.
- Effective January 1, 2022, prohibit open burns for citrus orchard removals at agricultural operations whose total citrus acreage at all agricultural operation sites is greater than 200 acres; and citrus orchard removals greater than 30 acres at a single location per year; maintain case-by-case determination for removals greater than 15 acres and less than or equal to 30 acres at agricultural operations whose total citrus acreage at all agricultural operation sites is less than or equal to 200 acres.
- Effective January 1, 2023, prohibit all citrus orchard open burns, except for small orchard removals ≤ 15 acres as provided through small orchard removal allowance for all orchards.
CARB is set to review and vote to approve the new ag burning plan on February 25, 2021. To read CARB’s letter to the District approving interim burning, click here.
