Burning Green Waste: Burn Permits on Kauaʻi
Burning Green Waste: Burn Permits on Kauaʻi
With the enormous amount of downed trees and green waste now on Kauaʻi, disposing of material without creating additional CRB breeding sites is a serious concern.
Burning may be an option — with approval from the Hawaiʻi Department of Health Clean Air Branch. There are two different avenues that may apply.
CRB-Related Burn Permit — No Fee
You do not have to be a farmer or live on agriculturally zoned land to request permission to burn material associated with Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle.
According to the Hawaiʻi Department of Health Clean Air Branch, if you have CRB activity, CRB damage, or material that is associated with a CRB infestation, you may write to the Clean Air Branch requesting permission to burn the affected material.
There is no fee for this CRB-related permit, and the approval may be issued for one year.
In your letter, include:
• Your name, address and contact information
• The address/location where the burning would occur
• A brief description of the CRB problem and the material you need to dispose of
• A photograph showing the CRB damage, infestation or affected material, if possible
Including a photograph can help the Clean Air Branch evaluate the situation before the Kauaʻi inspector visits the property.
The Clean Air Branch has an inspector on Kauaʻi who can inspect the site as part of the approval process.
Where to send your request:
Clean Air Branch
Environmental Management Division
Hawaiʻi Department of Health
2827 Waimano Home Road, Hale Ola Building, Room 130
Pearl City, HI 96782
Phone: 808-586-4200
We are confirming whether CRB-related requests may also be submitted by email and will update this page as soon as we have that information.
Agricultural Burning Permits
If you operate a legitimate agricultural business, you may instead qualify for a standard Agricultural Burning Permit from the Hawaiʻi Department of Health Clean Air Branch.
Unlike the CRB-related request above, this requires the State's formal application. Agricultural Burning Permits are valid for one year, and DOH conducts an on-site inspection before making its decision. (Hawaii Department of Health)
The application fee depends upon the acreage proposed for burning. For an area of less than 10 acres, the fee is $50; larger areas have higher fees. (Hawaii Department of Health)
The application requires information about the agricultural operation and a map of the proposed burn area showing surrounding residences, buildings and other relevant features. The inspector evaluates the burn area, material to be burned, water available for fire control and potential smoke impacts. (Hawaii Department of Health)
Hawaiʻi DOH Agricultural Burning Permit application and instructions (Hawaii Department of Health)
Before You Burn
A permit does not mean you can burn whenever or whatever you want. The permit contains conditions governing what may be burned, where and when burning may occur, notification requirements, and other restrictions. Burning can also be prohibited during drought, high fire danger or an official No-Burn Period. (Hawaii Department of Health)
Before burning, follow all conditions on your permit and required notification procedures.
Do not burn without the required approval. Hawaiʻi generally prohibits open burning of yard waste and other green waste outside authorized burning. (Hawaii Department of Health)
Why This Matters for CRB
Moist, decomposing green waste — particularly piles of chipped material — can provide excellent breeding habitat for CRB.
After the hurricane, Kauaʻi has an extraordinary amount of downed vegetation to deal with. Our goal is to dispose of that material responsibly without inadvertently creating thousands of new places for CRB to reproduce.
Where appropriate and legally permitted, burning can be one tool for destroying CRB breeding material rather than allowing it to remain and decompose.
Every breeding site we prevent helps keep beetle pressure down while we wait for better biological-control tools.