Agricultural burning: consistency with no burn days.

Existing law designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with coordinating efforts to attain and maintain ambient air quality standards. Existing law designates the state board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control districts and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law prohibits agricultural burning, as defined, unless a valid permit has been issued from an agency designated by the state board. Existing law allows the state board to determine days when agricultural burning will be prohibited in any particular air basin. Even when issued, existing law provides that agricultural burn permits are not valid on days during which agricultural burning has been prohibited by the state board. Existing law requires the state board, in consultation with the districts, to identify, develop, and adopt a list of the most cost-effective measures that could be employed by the state board and the districts to reduce emissions of particulate matter from area sources, including emissions from woodstoves and fireplaces. Currently, the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District has adopted a rule implementing episodic wood burning curtailment which prohibits the operation of wood burning fireplaces and heaters on certain days. This bill would provide that an agricultural burn permit for burning within the jurisdiction of the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District is invalid on days in which the district prohibition on the operation of wood burning devices is in effect. This bill would require all permits issued within the district to contain a warning regarding this provision. This bill would prohibit the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District from making any rules that would enable any person to burn agricultural waste on any day during which any program operated by the district has prohibited the operation of a wood burning device.