Idaho DEQ to ask lawmakers for fee-related rule change on field burning

crop-burning

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality plans to ask the upcoming Legislature to change the system by which farmers pay to burn crop residue.

Farmers now estimate how much land they plan to burn and then pay the $2-per-acre fee at least a week beforehand. Under the proposed administrative rule change, they would pay at the end of the burn season for the actual amount burned, which DEQ says could really streamline the process from the grower’s standpoint.

Also, a grower’s prepaid burning day could be canceled due to weather, wildfire, or other factors. The DEQ accepts refund requests, which take time for the department to process, and do not repay an initially charged 3 percent fee for electronic transactions.

An advisory committee including agricultural and environmental interests developed the proposed change, which would take effect before the 2019 crop-residue burning season.

According to DEQ, the program aims to enable growers to burn crop residue under certain conditions so public-health risks from smoke are reduced. Growers must register a month before they plan to start burning.

DEQ notes that efforts to change the system so farmers can pay after burn season coincide with a software change and do not involve a fee increase. (Capital Press)

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