Smoke from untimely and inappropriate burning of crop residues in
Manitoba has been an issue of concern to numerous Manitobans during many
harvest seasons. Heavy smoke conditions have at times caused great
difficulty for many people, especially those with respiratory problems,
as well as hazardous driving conditions on many Manitoba roads.
To address this growing concern, education and extension programs
were put into place that proved very effective at reducing the amount of
burning that occurred in many areas of the province. Unfortunately, the
severity of smoke problems is not so much a function of the amount of
burning that occurs, as it is a consequence of the timing of burning and
the prevailing weather conditions. Most smoke problems arise as a direct
result of burning when smoke dispersion conditions are minimal, for
example, in the late evening and at night.
In 1992 the large crop, coupled with damp, late harvest conditions
resulted in many producers choosing to burn their residues. The
combination of poor smoke dispersion conditions and large amounts of
straw being burned resulted in heavy smoke that covered several parts of
Manitoba for an extended period of time.
The public reaction from these conditions was unprecedented, forcing
the government to take immediate action. On October 8, 1992 a
state-of-emergency was declared and the government imposed a seven day
ban on stubble burning. During that seven days, an Emergency Measures
Organization team with representatives from a number of departments,
and, in consultation with farm and municipal representatives, devised a
Controlled Burning Program which was put in place from October 14 to
November 3. The intent was to assist producers in burning crop residues
at times when the impact from smoke would be minimized. The program was
viewed as reasonably successful.
After the fall of 1992, a Crop Residue Burning Advisory Committee was
formed and given the mandate of balancing the two sides to this very
contentious issue. The Committee consisted of representation from Keystone Agricultural
Producers, a farmer-at-large, Manitoba Lung Association, Concerned
Parents of Children with Asthma, and the departments of Conservation,
Health and Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. The objective of the
committee was to conduct “a consultative process with rural and urban
citizens and stakeholders leading to the development of measures and
enforcement procedures to prevent the infiltration of residential areas
by smoke during harvest season.” The Committee considered opinions and
recommendations from a variety of rural and urban residents and
organizations and reached a consensus regarding a Smoke Reduction
Management Plan for the control of smoke from crop residue burning. The
Plan encompasses regulations, activities and systems to lead to a
significant ongoing reduction in the extent of crop residue burning and
the negative impacts on the health and safety of people, and ultimately
on the quality of the environment. The most comprehensive and effective
component of this Smoke Management Plan has been the
Burning of
Crop Residue and Non-Crop Herbage Regulation (M.R. 77/93) that was
enacted under the Environment Act on April 8, 1993. |