Spring cleaning? Know before you burn!

Even though it seems like Punxsutawney Phil told us what we wanted to hear instead of the truth, the latest weather forecasts show that spring may finally be just around the corner.

With this newfound warmth on the horizon, it’s only natural that everyone jumps into spring cleaning mode. Tackling projects such as cleaning out the backyard, garage, attic, basement, or any other area in your home that is cluttered will most likely yield a significant amount of stuff that needs to be thrown away.

When it comes to this task, many Silver Valley residents will want to skip that trip to the dump by simply having an ol’ fashioned burn pile.

If you are one of these people, you may be asking yourself — what items are OK to burn outdoors?

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has you covered with a question and answer fact sheet that they have recently released.

Although the agency recommends finding alternatives to burning whenever possible to protect air quality and public health, they remind Idaho residents that there are several items that are illegal to burn and regulations are in place that regulate burning.

Q: Which items are prohibited from burning?

A: It is illegal to burn garbage and most human-made substances, including plastics, hazardous wastes, paints or painted materials, tires and trade wastes (produced by a business), all of which emit hazardous pollutants into the air when burned. You cannot burn the following items:

- Garbage

- Dead animals or animal waste

- Junk motor vehicles or parts

- Tires or other rubber materials

- Plastic

- Asphalt

- Tar and petroleum materials

- Paints

- Lumber or timbers treated with preservatives

- Trade waste (construction or demolition waste, or any material from business operations)

- Insulated wire

- Pathogenic waste

- Hazardous waste

Q: What am I allowed to burn?

A: Unless a burn ban is in effect or other restrictions apply, such as prohibited by local ordinance, residents may burn the following:

- Tree leaves, yard trimmings and gardening waste only if allowed by local ordinance or rule and burned on the property where they were grown.

- Fires for preparation of food, campfires, barbecues and hand warming.

- Weeds along fence lines and canal and ditch banks

- Ceremonial fires

Q: What are some alternatives to burning?

A: DEQ encourages residents to use cleaner and safer alternatives to burning, such as composting, mulching or curbside recycling of yard waste where available.

- Recycle paper products whenever possible.

- Compost yard debris and kitchen scraps.

- Buy or rent a chipper and use chips for mulch and compost.

- Take hazardous materials such as oil-based paints, solvents, garden chemicals and car fluids to a hazardous waste collection site. Burning these materials is illegal and extremely dangerous.

- Donate materials.

Q: If there is no alternative to burning, what should I do?

A: If there is no alternative to burning, DEQ advises potential burners to check with local fire protection districts and the Idaho Department of Lands to find out if a permit is required and check DEQ’s Daily Air Quality Reports and Forecasts page to see if burning has been regulated in your area.

If burning is the only option, these guidelines can minimize smoke impacts from open burning:

- Burn only clean, dry material. Remove any dirt that would inhibit good combustion. Green limbs and other vegetative garden waste smolder and produce excessive smoke.

- Keep the burn pile small and manageable. Large piles develop a lot of ash, robbing the pile of oxygen and causing smoky conditions.

- Burn during the midday hours, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., when solar heating and ventilation is at its maximum. To prevent smoke from lingering near the ground, never start a burn in the evening or during early morning hours. Complete burning before dusk.

- Do not burn green slash piles, and use additional precautions when burning near residential areas.

Q: When do I need a special permit to burn?

A: Prescribed burning and crop residue burning require special burn permits.

IDL requires a permit for all open burning of forest, rangeland and crop residue to accomplish land management objectives.

Individuals living outside city limits anywhere in Idaho who plan to burn for any reason during closed fire season (May 10 to Oct. 20), must obtain a fire safety burn permit from IDL. Contact your local IDL office for prescribed burning information and permits.

Always contact your local fire protection district as other permits may be required.

Growers may burn crop residue when approved by DEQ. Training, permits and fees are required outside reservation boundaries. Contact DEQ’s Crop Residue Program or regional office for more information.

IDEQ West Silver Valley Airshed Program Coordinator Dan Smith advised in a previous interview that Silver Valley residents should abide by these guidelines to keep the air quality in our area from deteriorating further.

“Smoke from outdoor burning in the west Silver Valley is a pretty big issue,” he said. “Following the recommendations in this news release is really important. Slash burning contributes a significant portion of the air pollutants in the west Silver Valley.”

Smith has spearheaded an effort in our area over the last two years to cut down on particulate matter being sent into the air from both outdoor burning and wood stoves.

“The EPA Community Airshed Grant coordinated out of the Kellogg DEQ office has specific funding to help reduce both slash burning on public and private forest lands, as well as to reduce outdoor burning of yard waste.”

For more information on IDEQ, the local air quality or burning regulations, contact the Kellogg DEQ office at 208-783-5781.