Christy Lattin
Burning Man cleared a major regulatory hurdle when its mass temporary event permit application was approved June 26 by the Central Nevada Health District.
The district, which serves residents of Fallon, Churchill, Mineral, Eureka, and Pershing Counties, is in its second year as the lead agency overseeing environmental health at the annual event—a responsibility previously held by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. CNHD staff are working in partnership with the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) and the state’s Environmental Health Division as part of a mentoring program to better understand the event’s complex operations.
Permit fees are based on projected daily attendance during a 30-day period, from Aug. 7 to Sept. 5. This year’s permit totals $42,478, with daily attendance expected to surge during the main event week, drawing between 46,000 and 69,000 attendees, or “burners” per day.
One of CNHD’s responsibilities includes inspecting at least 50% of the estimated 400 permits issued for food vendors, potable water systems, and wastewater haulers.
Before issuing this year’s permit, the district required three conditions to be met. First, CNHD requested a daily briefing with representatives from NDA, Burning Man’s public health liaison, the event’s medical lead, and the operations manager. This is the first year such briefings have been required, which included Zoom meetings to better accommodate all participants.
“Although the daily meetings may not always be necessary, we want to build a strong partnership with CNHD staff,” said Marnee Benson, director of government affairs for Burning Man.
The second condition required Burning Man to designate a public health liaison to serve as CNHD’s point of contact. Benson and Katie Hoffman, Burning Man’s agency relations manager, will continue serving in that role.
The third requirement involved communication access. CNHD requested direct radio or emergency phone contact with event operations. In response, Burning Man committed to providing access to its on-site pager system and ensuring Wi-Fi coverage for basic cellular communications.
“We work with over 15 different federal, tribal, state and local agencies, including the Central Nevada Health District,” Benson said. “Burning Man supports CNHD in numerous ways during the planning season and during our event in Black Rock City. The protocols we’ve developed over the years with the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health and CNHD create a reliable and efficient system to help ensure the agency can operate effectively and members of the public are protected.”
The district also ratified a contract with NDA for staffing assistance to complete permit inspections. The contract totals $10,559.85, plus per diem costs.
CNHD’s pre-planning costs for this year come to $57,493.42, including $22,800 for staffing, $10,559.85 for the NDA contract, and approximately $24,133.57 for other expenses such as supplies, RVs, volunteer transportation, and a golf cart.
Combined revenue from the mass event permit and other temporary permits is expected to total $60,428.
In addition to CNHD approval, the Bureau of Land Management requires a special recreation permit for Burning Man to be held on federal land. The BLM’s Black Rock Field Office has implemented a five-year temporary closure on public lands surrounding the site to protect natural resources, ensure safety, and coordinate law enforcement support. This year’s closure is in effect from July 24 to Oct. 5.
The Central Nevada Health District oversees environmental health, clinical health services, public health preparedness, and communicable disease investigation throughout its five-county service area.
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