NY State tries to rein in toxic fumes by banning trash burning state wide.

Photo courtesy of the DEC.

No more open pit burning of trash will be permitted in New York State. The DEC, or the Department of Environmental Conversation has put in place a statewide ban on home waste.
Here in Westchester, local laws have long been on the books prohibiting residents from burning anything, barbecue, small campfires and controlled ceremonial fires can still be enjoyed.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the NYS Department of Health (DOH) and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are all concerned about the toxic carcinogen levels in the air produced when a homeowner burns their home waste in an open barrel.
One open barrel (10 pounds) of home waste burned releases more toxic fumes into the air, land, and water than a well-controlled incinerator burning 400,000 pounds of trash a day.
Local garden centers and farmers upstate will be affected by this ban. Previously, they were permitted to burn their agricultural plastic waste. Now they will have to stockpile the wasted until the state can figure out how to collect and dispose of the material. The state has money in this years’ budget for a program that will collect the material.
The state will partner with Cornell University to get the program started and to find the answer to the next problem and that is disposal of the material. If you can’t burn it how will you get rid of it?
Will the price of our farm products go up? Probably, but this is a good step for all New Yorkers. The health risks far out weigh the short spike you might feel at the grocery store.
Toxins can stay in our soil affecting the food that we eat. Local open pit fires according to the DEC are responsible for most forest fires. The smoke from these fires can cover a whole neighborhood.
The US Environmental Protection Agency, believes that emissions of dioxins and furans from backyard burning alone are estimated to be greater than for all other sources combined. This includes cigarette smoke, vehicles, sewage sludge incineration; municipal/medical/hazardous waste incineration, residential, industrial wood burning and others.
 

For more info: Check with your local municipality to see what kind of fires are legal in your area.