Published Sunday, April 15, 2012

On May 1, annual outdoor burning ban returns in 54 counties

Editorial

With April reaching the mid-way point, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division is getting out the word that in two weeks -- beginning May 1 -- Coweta County and 54 other counties will once again be in an outdoor burning ban.

This is nothing new. The May 1-Sept. 30 outdoor burning ban has been in effect for the 13-county Metro Atlanta area, including Coweta, area since 1996. In 2005, the ban was expanded to include 54 Georgia counties. This five-month ban prohibits citizens and businesses from burning yard and land-clearing debris. This rule is in addition to the year-round state ban on burning household garbage.

This burning ban is all about our health and clean air, which gets to be more of an issue during the warm spring and summer months.

If you have leaves or yard debris that you might want to burn, there are two weeks left in April before the burn ban becomes effective.  If you are thinking about outdoor burning during these two weeks, remember you have to get a burn permit from the Georgia Forestry Service. You can do that on the forestry website.

Also, conditions may not be conducive to outdoor burning even during this time before the five-month ban becomes effective. Lack of rain has made conditions dry in our community. Also, windy conditions are common during April. Make sure the conditions are right before considering outdoor burning in the next two weeks, and remember to get that burn permit. 

If you have questions for EPD about the burn ban, Coweta County is served by the EPD District Office in Metro Atlanta. You can call that office at 404-362-2671.