| Open Burning |
|
| What
does Ohio EPA consider "open burning"? |
Any time you light an outdoor fire you are open burning.` |
| Why
do Ohio's laws prohibit so many kinds of open burning? |
Depending
on the burning material, open fires can release many kinds of toxic fumes.
Leaves and plant materials send aloft millions of spores when they catch
fire, causing many people with allergies to have breathing problems. Open
burning also makes it hard to maintain, health-based air quality
standards, especially in or near major metropolitan areas. Gases released
by open burning can also damage neighboring buildings by corroding metal
siding and damaging paint. |
| What
materials can never been burned? |
These
materials may not be burned anywhere in the state at any time:"
 | materials
containing rubber, grease, and asphalt or made from petroleum, such as
tired, cans and auto parts, plastics, or plastic coated wire; |
| garbage--any
wastes created in the process of handling, preparing, cooking, or
consumption of food; and |
| dead animals. |
|
| Where
is burning illegal? |
Open
burning is not permitted in restricted areas (There are only a few
exceptions). The restricted areas are:
| within the
boundaries of any municipal corporation; |
| within
corporation limits and a 1,000 foot zone outside any municipal
corporation having a population of 1,000 to 10,000; and |
| within
corporation limits and a one-mile zone outside any municipal
corporation with a population of more than 10,000. |
|
| What
types of open burning are permitted anywhere? |
A few types of open burning are permitted everywhere, even in
restricted areas. Fires must be kept to a minimum size for their
intended purpose, and shall not be used for waste disposal purposes.
Within a
Restricted Area--Permitted burning includes:
| cooking
for human consumption (barbecues, campfires, cookouts); |
| heating
tar; |
| welding
and acetylene torches; |
| smudge
pots and similar occupational needs; and |
| heating
for warmth of outdoor workers and strikers. Use common sense; use
only clean wood and restrict the size of the fire so it can be
contained in a 55-gallon drum. |
By notifying
Ohio EPA in advance, ceremonial fires can be set for limited periods of
time. Fires must be limited in size to 5 by 5 feet and may not burn for
more than three hours.
With prior
written permission from the Ohio EPA other fires may be set. Keep in mind
that permission may take from 2 to 3 weeks to obtain.
Outside a
Restricted Area:
Outside a
restricted area, the following types of wastes generated on the premises
can be burned:
|
Agricultural wastes: material generated by crop, horticultural, or
livestock production practices. This includes fence posts and scrap
lumber but not buildings. |
| Landscape
wastes: plant matter such as tree trimmings, branches, stumps,
brush, weeds, leaves, grass, shrubbery, yard trimmings, and crop
residues. |
|
land-clearing wastes: plant matter which is removed when land is
cleared for residential, commercial, or industrial development. This
material may be burned only under certain circumstances and WITH
PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION from Ohio EPA. |
|
Residential waste: wastes such as wood or paper products that are
generated by one, two, or three family residences. Garbage may not
be open burned. |
| However
no open burning can take place within 1,000 feet of an inhabited
building located off the property where the fire is set. Nor can the
fire obscure visibility for roadways, railroad tracks or air fields. |
| No wastes
generated off the premises may be burned. Tree trimmers, for
example, may not haul branches and limbs to another site to burn
them. |
| Open
burning is prohibited when air pollution warnings, alerts, or
emergencies are in effect. |
|
| Can
a community enact local ordinances to allow open burning? |
Local
ordinances cannot be less strict than the state law described in the
pamphlet this material was taken from. They can be more strict, however. |
| What
will happen if you are caught illegally open burning? |
Ohio
EPA has the legal authority to enforce open burning laws. Violations can
result in substantial penalties. If you have questions, or would like to
report a suspected open burning incident, contact your local Ohio EPA
district office or your local air pollution control agency. SWDO (937)
285-6357 |
|
