[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Ridgefield 3-8-2000 (Ch. 7, Art.
II of the 1974 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 4-23-2003]
Herewith ordained are burning permit rules and regulations for the Town of Ridgefield, pursuant to guidelines of EPAC 15-Rev 5/92, Department of Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut, Public Act No. 99-225. The Town Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshal are herewith designated as open burning officials, to whom permit applications for regulated open burning must be submitted along with an application fee as provided in Chapter 170, Fees, § 170-2, which fee may be adjusted from time to time by the Board of Selectmen.
[Amended 4-23-2003]
Open burning is authorized only pursuant to
a permit issued by an open burning official, issued according and
pursuant to the following:
A.
Burning permits are issued for brush only.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
B.
The owner(s) of the land where burning is to be permitted
must sign both the application and permit.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
C.
An owner must notify the Town Fire Department on the
day of and prior to burning, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 11:00
a.m. only, to confirm that conditions are suitable for burning to
proceed that day. Confirmation to proceed shall be predicated and
conditional upon partly sunny to sunny conditions with wind speeds
between five and 15 miles per hour. Confirmed telephone notification
is sufficient.
D.
Permits are valid for seven days from the date of
issue, for a single burning only.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
E.
Burning must be conducted between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m., with burning completed by 5:00 p.m.
F.
Objectionable odors and excessive smoke are to be
avoided and all reasonable measures taken to assure complete combustion.
G.
All reasonable safety precautions must be taken, including
clearing of combustible grass and trees in the burning area, wetting
down the surrounding area, and placing of functional fire extinguishers
or a garden hose in the area.
H.
The burning permit must be immediately available to
be produced at the site during burning.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
I.
Burning must not take place during advisory or threatening
atmospheric conditions, during air pollution emergency episodes, during
periods when forest fire danger is high or extreme, within 100 feet
of a woodland or a grassland adjacent to a woodland, or in violation
of any other provision of this chapter or any special conditions noted
on the permit.
J.
Burning must cease if so directed by the open burning
official or his or her lawful designee, the State Department of Environmental
Protection, or the Town Fire Department.
K.
Under no circumstances shall the burning of household
trash, construction material, demolition material or hazardous materials
be allowed.
This chapter shall not govern the following:
Burning without a permit or in violation of
any provision of this chapter or any special condition appearing on
the permit shall result in issuance of a written warning for a first
offense. Subsequent violations shall be punishable by a fine of $50
for a second offense and of $90 for each subsequent offense thereafter,
which fines may be adjusted without further municipal action so as
to be in conformity with the State of Connecticut Superior Court Mail
in Violations and Infraction Schedule. Burning permits will not be
issued to any individual in whose name unpaid fines are outstanding.
