ALABAMA (WHNT) — Several North Alabama counties are listed under the Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s regularly scheduled open burn ban starting in May.
ADEM lists Baldwin, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Lawrence, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Russell, Shelby and Talladega as the 12 counties included in the open burn ban starting May 1 and runs through October 31.
“The ban is in effect each year for the warmer months to combat the formation of ground-level ozone and the generation of fine particulate matter,” ADEM said.
The department said that prohibiting the burning of things such as wood, tree trimmings, brush and debris is an effective way to reduce the formation of ground-level ozone. While it can be beneficial to the atmosphere, “Ozone is a respiratory irritant when found at ground level. In addition, fine particulate matter can travel deep into the lungs and cause respiratory distress,” the department said.
Toney Volunteer Fire & Rescue listed out several alternatives for the disposal of vegetation from land clearing and maintenance during the open burn ban:
- Take vegetation to an ADEM-permitted landfill
- Allow the vegetation to decompose naturally
- It may be left on the property from which it came
- It may be taken to a location off-site, but it cannot be burned there
If ALL of the conditions listed below are met, ADEM said vegetation can be burned:
- Only clean (no fuel or non-vegetative refuse added) vegetation may be burned
- It must be burned on the property from which it is generated
- Burning must be at least 500 feet from the nearest occupied building and a distance from any road that would prevent visibility issues from the smoke
- The fire should be started between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. No vegetation should be added to the fire after 3 p.m.
- No vegetative or land-clearing burning is allowed from May 1 to October 31 of each year in the 12 counties listed above. However, some agricultural and silvicultural burning may be allowed in 11 of the counties (excluding Jefferson County) with prior approval from ADEM and the Alabama Forestry Commission. Unless prohibited for drought and safety reasons, the burn ban does not prohibit the use of outdoor fireplaces and campfires.
You can learn more about the open burn ban on the ADEM website here.
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