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Clearing the Air: Tools for Reducing Residential Garbage Burning

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Clearing the Air: Tools for Reducing Residential Garbage Burning Clearing the Air Tools for Reducing Residential Garbage Burning Compiled by the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District in partnership with the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance Funded through a grant from the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office placed strict air emission controls on Table of Contents Introduction municipal-waste burners and medical waste incinerators, which has led to a The rural areas in the Great Lakes states 99-percent reduction in dioxin emissions contain abundant woods, wildlife and from these sources since 1990. 4 Introduction farm country. Among the lakes, cabins However, these controls cannot be and homesteads, one of the largest replicated in burn barrels. We know that 6 Background – The Burning Problem sources of the harmful pollutant dioxin low combustion temperatures and poor in the country continues virtually air circulation in backyard burning 8 Education Tools unnoticed. Many of us have seen or situations cause incomplete combustion even participated in this release of and promote large amounts of dioxin Additional Resources pollutants without realizing it. The main production. It’s time to take this source culprit is not a large factory or mill, but of preventable pollution seriously. 13 Offering Alternatives sits quietly much closer to home: a charred 55-gallon drum. The sight Burn Barrel Studies 16 Regulatory Tools of burn barrels, burn piles and foul-smelling smoke from burning In 1992, the Western Lake Superior Minnesota: Closing the Gaps garbage is fairly common in rural Sanitary District (WLSSD) in Duluth, areas around Lake Superior and Minnesota sponsored the first known Wisconsin: Encouraging the Midwest. formal study of the pollutants released Local Ordinances by the burning of household waste in a Many people consider the long-standing simple “burn barrel.” At the time, Michigan: Local Enforcement practice of burning garbage and house- WLSSD operated a municipal garbage hold waste to be an acceptable disposal incinerator and was concerned about 23 Successful Case Studies option. However, smoke from burning recent findings of dioxin in the environ- waste contains many harmful pollutants, ment around Northern Minnesota. The 26 Appendix A-E: including hydrogen cyanide, sulfur WLSSD incinerator was found to release dioxides, polycyclic aromatic very little dioxin and other pollutants Sample News Release hydrocarbons, benzene, lead, mercury due to high burn temperatures and and many others. These pollutants can pollution control devices. However, the Sample Newsletter Text damage the lungs, nervous system, results of the burn barrel test were kidneys and liver. In addition, mounting surprising. Due to a lower burn Possible Funding Sources scientific evidence indicates household temperature and the lack of pollution garbage burning presents an even more control devices, the single barrel was Enforcement Education Tools serious threat to public health and the shown to release about 8 times more environment due to the large production dioxin and 11 times more overall Wisconsin’s Model Ordinance of dioxin, a known carcinogen. pollutants than a full-scale incinerator! According to research by the United This alarming finding led to more study “Bernie” Materials States Environmental Protection Agency by the U.S. EPA, which confirmed that (U.S. EPA), backyard burning is now high levels of dioxin and pollutants are This document, as well as the considered to be the largest known released from household garbage "Bernie the Burn Barrel" media kit, source of dioxin in the nation and pro- burning. The research showed that a are available on CD upon request or duces more than all other known sources family of four who burns their online at www.wlssd.com. For copies, combined. household wastes on-site will generate please contact WLSSD at 218-722-3336, as much OR MORE dioxin than a or the Minnesota Office of Burning is NOT a good way to dispose full-scale, 200 ton/day municipal Environmental Assistance Education of any sort of waste. Burning garbage is waste incinerator. Clearinghouse at 1-800-877-6300 dangerous to health, property and the or 612-215-0232. environment. It is unnecessary and often In 1997, the U.S. EPA and Environment illegal. Backyard burning also triggers Canada signed the Great Lakes numerous wildfires and can be a Binational Toxics Strategy agreement to nuisance to neighbors. In Minnesota, the address actions to “stop the input of burning of household waste has been persistent toxic substances into the Great illegal since 1969. Years ago, backyard Lakes environment.” The substances burning represented a smaller portion of addressed included dioxin and furans, the pollutants being released into the both compounds that are formed through environment. The U.S. EPA has now combustion of waste and are linked to 4 cancer in humans. Strict regulation of This campaign featured the character of Environmental Assistance (MOEA), industries and incinerators over the past “Bernie the Burn Barrel” and included “Guide to Reducing Backyard Burning two decades has greatly reduced the animated television ads, black and white and On-site Disposal.” emission of many pollutants, including newspaper ads, full color magazine ads, dioxin and furans. Remaining sources color posters and fact sheets that were This is a guide for local officials and such as household garbage burning mailed directly to local rural residents in solid waste administrators concerned proved harder to regulate and eradicate. 2001. This six-week multi-media about the practice of garbage burning in WLSSD staff participated in the Burn educational campaign kicked off with a their jurisdictions. The tool kit contains Barrel subgroup of the Binational Toxics news release and news conference. information about state and local laws Strategy Dioxin/Furan Workgroup and regulating burning, along with worked with other agencies to address With funding support from GLNPO, enforcement tools and examples. this issue. WLSSD hosted a workshop for local Bernie the Burn Barrel is included, as officials in 2005, and launched a second well as other public education WLSSD public education campaign using programs and efforts. Anti-Burning efforts “Bernie the Burn Barrel” materials. The 2005 campaign added billboards in Changing habits In late 1999, with support from the high-traffic areas and created Great Lakes National Program Office educational pieces for fire and The key elements of successful (GLNPO) of the U.S. EPA, WLSSD enforcement officials. This funding programs aimed at reducing garbage conducted a survey of Northeastern also allowed for the compilation and burning are: Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin publication of this Toolkit. •Educating the public about the residents to assess the amount of hazards related to burning garbage burning in the region. Over This document shares the information •Providing good waste disposal 27-percent of the respondents admitted gathered through subsequent infrastructure to burning garbage. collaboration with other members of •Offering incentives to stop burning the Burn Barrel subgroup and concerned and begin using other disposal Based upon these findings, WLSSD officials around Lake Superior. It methods developed a public education campaign includes an update of the 1996 •Developing and enforcing regulations about the hazards of garbage burning. publication by the Minnesota Office related to open burning Major Known Sources of Dioxin Data from the U.S. EPA Draft "Inventory of Sources and Environmental Releases of Dioxin-like Compounds in the United States: The Year 2000 Update." This data is still undergoing peer review and does not represent official EPA policy. 5 Every community is different and there is no “one size fits all” solution to Background – reducing residential garbage burning. The Burning Problem Successful programs have shown that using these elements in various combinations is crucial. Township Health and Safety Dangers supervisors, solid waste officials, garbage haulers, county deputies, tribal “We’ve always burned our garbage! leaders, teachers and concerned Why stop now?” community residents can all work together to reduce the dangerous practice “I heard the landfills are filling up, so of garbage burning. Materials included burning makes less waste!” within this guide represent collaboration between many of those groups. Citizens “It’s just paper. That can’t hurt and officials can have an immediate, anything.” positive effect upon the health of their communities when they work together to These are common misconceptions in reduce open burning. No matter what rural areas around the Great Lakes role you play in your community, you states. Many residents have been should find the information here useful. burning their garbage for years, never considering that their actions could have serious consequences. Some may resent being asked to stop burning. Local officials are sometimes reluctant to intervene, believing in the rights of citizens to choose their own waste disposal methods on their own property, not fully understanding the health and environmental dangers associated with residential garbage burning. Is burning garbage really such a big problem? In a word, yes. This idea can be hard to convey to many rural residents, but it is important that local officials and citizens begin learning about this issue and see how easy it can be to make a positive change in a community’s health and safety. Open burning causes serious pollution and dangerous conditions,
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