Toxins in modern garbage make open burning hazardous to health
Air Quality Awareness Week April 30-May 4

Contact:  Elizabeth Robb 502-573-3382

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 2, 2007) – The open burning of trash and debris in Kentucky, while an age-old tradition, is not only against the law but it can be hazardous to your health. The state Division for Air Quality (DAQ), as part of Air Quality Awareness Week, wants all Kentuckians to be informed of the hazards of illegal open burning.

Counties that are currently in violation of the national air quality standard, or have violated the standard in the past, may face additional open-burning restrictions from May through September.
For example, the burning of land-clearing debris – ordinarily permissible in these months – is disallowed. The additional restrictions are in place for Boone, Boyd, Bullitt, Campbell, Kenton, Jefferson and Oldham counties. Cities or counties may have even more stringent local standards than the statewide DAQ standard, so it is always best to check with state and local authorities before burning.

“Even though open burning of household waste is a long-standing cultural tradition in Kentucky, what is in our garbage has changed, so burning waste is far more hazardous to our health than it used to be,” said John Lyons, director of the Division for Air Quality. “When anything containing chlorine is burned, such as plastic milk jugs, a toxin called dioxin is released that finds its way into our water and the food chain, where it can accumulate in fat cells. Dioxin has been linked to increased risk of cancer and birth defects. The human health and environmental impacts of illegal open burning explain why illegal open burning can incur a fine of up to $25,000 per violation, per day.”

Examples of items that are illegal to burn include plastic, food scraps, metal, glass, coated wire, tires, furniture and buildings. Even items that are legal to burn, such as paper, release air pollution, and the division encourages people to recycle whenever possible to minimize health problems associated with open burning.

DAQ has established a hotline for citizens to call who would like to report an illegal burn, have questions about the risks associated with open burning, are looking for alternatives to open burning or who would like to know if an item is legal to burn. The hotline number is 1-888-BURN-LAW.

Open burning can lead to significant human health problems and the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet encourages people to call the BURN-LAW hotline if they would like to report an illegal burn that may be affecting their health.

For more information visit the DAQ Web site at http://www.air.ky.gov/.