USA – new EPA website and brochures on backyard burning

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to reduce the open burning of household waste, often referred to as backyard burning. In addition to being a fire hazard, backyard burning is a source of dangerous pollutants, including dioxins, particulate matter, lead, mercury, and hexachlorobenzene. Since stringent controls have been placed on municipal, medical and hazardous waste incinerators, backyard burning has become the nation’s largest quantified source of dioxins.



Cornell Waste Management Institute reports that the EPA has established a Web Site {at http://www.epa.gov/msw/backyard/) containing information, links, brochures, presentations and other outreach materials for governments to use with their residents. The brochures can be customized to include local information on backyard burning.



The first brochure, “State and Local Governments Are Key to Reducing Backyard Burning”, encourages state and local government officials to take action to reduce backyard burning in their jurisdictions. It describes the dangers of backyard burning, and provides information on what some jurisdictions are doing to provide waste disposal alternatives and outreach to residents, and to restrict backyard burning through regulations.



The second brochure, “The Hidden Hazards of Backyard Burning”, is aimed at residents, and can be distributed by local governments in their efforts to discourage backyard burning.