By Carol Hillestad for Brodhead Watershed Association

Our creeks looked more like rocky roads than water bodies until recent rain and snow finally broke our long fall drought.

Red and white "Burn Ban” signs had shown up along roads throughout the Brodhead Watershed and elsewhere in Monroe County.

Did you ever wonder who decides when those signs need to go up? And why do they show up in different townships about the same time?

In Pennsylvania, it’s the district forester who requests a countywide burn ban, after half the fire chiefs in the county request it.

The signs are coming down now, but in Pennsylvania most kinds of open burning are prohibited.

Exceptions include clean wood, propane, natural gas and store-bought fire logs, paraffin logs, or wood pellets.

And it’s illegal to burn many specific kinds of trash in a household burn barrel — everything from pet waste and demolition waste, to furniture, mattresses and box springs, to tires, car parts and electronics.

Really? Why?

A household burn barrel can spew out enough toxic crud to make breathing anywhere nearby risky.

That smoke includes carbon monoxide, dioxins and heavy metals, ultra-fine solid particles, acid-containing vapor and other gunk that no one should breathe — not you, not your kids, your dog or your neighbors.

Things have changed since your grandaddy burned trash out behind the barn — because household trash itself has changed.

Today, it’s a witch’s brew of plastic coatings, synthetic dyes and fabrics, literally hundreds of chemicals and materials that are released into the air when burned.

Children are especially at risk; so are people with existing conditions. Even well downwind, the toxic air can damage lungs and eyes, and the very ashes left behind are dangerous.

And, oh yes, all that nastiness impacts drinking water, too.

The airborne toxins eventually settle on waterways and the earth, and along with those noxious ashes can foul the soil, creeks, groundwater — and private wells.

So, no, you shouldn’t burn that old couch or even cardboard (you’d be surprised what’s in cardboard these days). Wildfire is a real risk we can all understand. Burning trash can be deadly, too.

Check your local regulations about open burning. They must be at least as strong as state requirements, but some municipalities have much tighter regulations.

See DEP’s Burning Household Trash Can Harm Your Family, Neighbors And The Environment Blog post for more background on the impact of backyard burning.

Visit The Brodhead Association’s Water At Risk Series webpage for more articles on these topics.

For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Brodhead Watershed Association website or Follow them on Facebook.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Association.  Click Here to become a member.

Related Article:

-- Protecting Clean Water Together: Who's In Charge Of Your Water?  [PaEN]

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- Guest Essay: Turning The Tide On The Chesapeake Bay - Giving Thanks For Pennsylvania's Progress And A New Opportunity For Leadership - By Marel King, PA Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission; Julia Krall, PA Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Kristin Reilly, Choose Clean Water Coalition; and Chris Hoffman, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau  [PaEN]

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NewsClips:

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal Forum: Science Is Important, But People Must Be At The Center Of Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Effort - By Lawrence Sanford, Chair Bay Program Scientific & Technical Advisory Committee

-- Centre County Gazette: Centre County Receives Nearly $400,000 In DCNR Grants To Fund Conservation Projects

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-- Penn State: American Soil Losing More Crop Nutrients Due To Heavier Rainstorms, Study Shows

-- Penn State Extension Field Crop News: PA Agronomic Education Conference; Are My Forages Dead? Educational Opportunities; More!

-- Penn State Extension: Upcoming Crops Days And Conferences For Crop Producers, Pesticide Applicators, Crop Consultants

-- Vista.Today: Community Volunteers Lead Environmental Research Across Delaware River Basin

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Researchers Study Soundscapes To Monitor Invasive Plants

[Posted: November 25, 2024]

12/2/2024