The Fayette Citizen-News Page

Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Burning ban starts May 1

The Georgia Forestry Commission is announcing the annual open burning ban will take effect May 1 and will continue through Sept. 30. The ban covers the original 13 counties that comprise the Atlanta Ozone Non-attainment Area and 32 additional counties that surround the Ozone Non-attainment Area.

In the local GFC district these include Butts, Carroll, Clayton, Coweta, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Heard, Henry, Lamar Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup and Upson counties.

In Atlanta during the summer months, the ozone in the air we breathe can reach unhealthful levels. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has identified open burning as a significant contributor of the pollutants that form ozone. Therefore, open burning in the Atlanta area must be restricted during the summer months.

Types of burning include burning leaves, tree limbs, or other yard wastes, burning over of forestland by the owners of the land, and burning of vegetative waste from land clearing (includes a ban on the use of air curtain destructors), burning over forestland by the owners of the land with the exception of specifically permitted "prescribed" burning of forestland in some rural counties, but not Fayette.

What are the alternatives? Yard trimmings can be used in composting, mulching, chipping or left for natural decomposition. Many municipal landfills and convenience centers accept yard trimmings from residents and process them into compost and mulch. Contact your local solid waste department for more information or call 1-800-Cleanup or log onto www.1800cleanup.org. Also you can contact the Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management at 404-679-4940.

For further information about the EPD's Open Burning Ban, contact the Air Protection Branch of the Environmental Protection Department at 404-363-7000 or the Northwest Regional Office at 404-362-2671. Questions about available options for handling solid waste should be directed to the Land Protection Branch at 404-362-2537, Additional information or burning can be obtained from your Georgia Forestry Commission office at 770-254-7218.