Audubon requests burning ban

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — Nearly 7,000 of Wayne County’s 49,000 residents suffer from lung ailments including asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and cancer.

That’s the finding of a new American Lung Association Chapter report, “State of the Air 2005,” said Barbara Leo, a board member of the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society (NEPAS).

Leo referenced the report as she appealed to the Wayne County Commissioners at their September 20 meeting to ban barrel burning of household waste that is the practice of many families in Wayne County.

Four municipalities forbid the barrel burning of household waste—Damascus Township, Honesdale Borough, Bethany Borough and Hawley Borough, she said.

During her appeal, she presented a petition signed by 180 people, requesting the ban.

“Items that should not be burned are shrink wrappings, Styrofoam containers, plastic wraps, medicine bottles, vinyl siding, tires and baby diapers,” Leo said. “It is known that these items produce dioxins and chlorine.”

“Since the Clean Air Act was passed back in 1971, many of these items were not on the market and are not included in the act,” she said.

Most of these items will not be accepted by the county’s recycling center, she said. “Therefore, they end up in the barrels.”

In gathering her research, Leo asked other municipal officials if they would support such a ban. “I wasn’t accepted very well,” she said. “Many officials put me off and stated that barrel burning in their township didn’t amount to a whole lot.”

Unfortunately, even a small amount of dioxins can get into the food chain by clinging to grass, which is then eaten by cows and other farm animals, she said.

Leo said that an important source of the information she enumerated was contained in publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publication called “The Hidden Hazards of Backyard Burning.”

Ordinance and education

“We are requesting that you consider a uniform countywide ordinance to stop the burning of plastics, including the plastic bag containing the waste,” Leo said to the commissioners. “Further, we are recommending that the county Recycling Center seriously prepare a bid to include more plastic products such as yogurt container, deli tubs and clear vegetable containers. Education of the residents as to the dangers of burning plastics is an issue that NEPAS is willing to address as a public service to the community and would be happy to work with the county on this matter.”

“These matters are handled by the townships and not by the county,” said Tony Herzog, Chairman of the Wayne County Commissioners. “We will work with the Recycling Center to get them to examine their policies of accepting these plastics. We want to get all toxic substances recycled. It’s an educational thing. People need to be informed about these things.”

The Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society encompasses all of Wayne County, parts of Pike County and parts of Susquehanna County.