Burning Issues

"My neighbor burns his household trash in a barrel behind his garage every weekend. Says he has for the past 50 years," a friend told me recently. "He says he's saving the town money by not taking it to the dump."

My friend's neighbor probably hasn't saved his town much money. But he is probably breaking New Hampshire law every time he burns his trash.

RSA 127-N, which took effect January 1, 2003, prohibits burning residential trash, which includes packaging materials, coated or laminated paper, rubber, painted or treated wood, coated cardboard, plastics, shingles, foam rubber, oily rags and animal, vegetable and kitchen waste.

The character of household trash has changed dramatically in 50 years. Today's trash can contain inks, dyes, chlorine, plastics, heavy metals and a variety of synthetic materials which produce toxins as the trash burns at the low temperatures characteristic of backyard burn piles. Many of these toxins get released directly into the air, where they stay close to the ground or fall onto plants and soil, where they can affect the health of residents and neighbors, especially children. Other pollutants remain in the ash, where they can contaminate soil and groundwater.

A recent EPA study showed that burning a week's worth of trash from a single household in an open barrel can spew as much of some toxic chemicals into the air as a well-controlled municipal incinerator burning the trash from thousands of homes.

Wood stoves and fireplaces provide primary or supplemental heat for many New Hampshire homes. State officials say residents may continue to burn newspapers and other household paper waste in home heating units.

But Rick Rumba, air toxics program manager for the NH Air Resources Division, advises against burning holiday wrapping paper in a fireplace or wood stove. "A lot of that paper is imported from countries that still use inks and dyes containing cadmium, lead and other harmful materials," says Rumba, noting that some toxic materials may rise with the smoke and pollute the air, but others, like heavy metals, can pollute the soil when people sprinkle the ashes on their lawns or gardens.

The new ban on burning household trash doesn't prohibit Granite Staters from burning clean wood, leaves and small brush outdoors. However, you'll need a permit from the local fire warden before you kindle a pile of leaves or brush. Even when you do have a permit, state regulations prohibit open burning between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, unless it's raining.

When snow completely covers the ground where you plan to burn brush or clean wood, you don't need a fire permit, although some local ordinances restrict wintertime burning

"I always like to tell people, fire permits are a privilege, not a right," says New Hampshire's Chief of Fire Protection, Robert Nelson. "Fire wardens issue permits on the basis of safety and weather conditions."

New Hampshire legislation that went into effect in 1993 made it illegal to dispose of leaf and yard waste in solid waste disposal facilities. Many municipalities do leaf and yard waste composting at the local transfer station and some commercial composting operations accept leaf and yard waste. As an alternative to burning, residents can also safely and easily compost these materials at home. To learn how, call the UNH Cooperative Extension Info Line at 877-398-4769, Monday through Friday from 9am  2pm.

Other resources:
Much more information on the health and environmental effects of backyard burning: http://www.epa.gov/msw/backyard/

To report illegal burning of household trash, contact Air Resources compliance officer Gary Milbury at 271-0907 or 800-498-6868.

For posters and pamphlets providing residents with information about residential trash-burning, call Kathy Brockett at 271-6284 or Barb Fales at 271-1390 or call 800-498-6868.

For more information about the NH rules governing open burning or obtaining a fire permit: http://www.nhdfl.org/protection_bureau/fp_firepermits.htm

For a fact sheet on municipal composting of yard waste: http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/sw/sw-3.htm

For lists of NH composting companies (many accept residential leaf and yard waste):
http://www.ceinfo.unh.edu/Agriculture/purchcom.pdf
http://www.des.state.nh.us/SWTAS/Composters.htm