Open burning

Dear Editor,

Thank you for your recent article about open burning. And thank you to the 80% to 90% of Lincoln Countians who obey Tennessee’s 52-year-old law generally banning open burning statewide.

If you burn garbage or prohibited materials, please reconsider — spring is here and summer is coming fast. Your neighbors are outdoors trying to enjoy their property. The stench of trash burning can often be strongly smelled for miles. Please think of others.

Generally, our state’s law allows open burning only of material that has been grown on the property, such as yard waste, leaves and tree limbs. It allows grills, fire pits, and certain burning when clearing land, as well. Burning pretty much anything else is generally prohibited. More information is at https://www.tn.gov/ environment/air/open-burning.html.

Besides the stink, there are good health reasons not to burn trash. Trash smoke causes cancers; chronic respiratory diseases; damage to the nervous system, liver and kidneys; disruption of hormonal and immune systems; adverse reproductive and developmental effects, particularly in children and developing fetuses; and heart disease. It can contaminate soil with heavy metals and it most affects the elderly, children and the unborn. Infant mortality in Lincoln County is 6.6%, which is 17.9% higher than the national average.

During certain months of the year, open burning of any kind requires a permit from the State Department of Forestry. More information is at https:// www.tn.gov/tnwildlandfire/prevention/ safe-debris-burning/permits.html.

By ordinance, open burning in Fayetteville is by permit only and is locally managed by the Fayetteville Fire Department. For more information on Fayetteville’s regulations, visit fayettevilletn. com, or call 931-433-6563.

Though it has been requested several times, Lincoln County officials have so far chosen not to enact a local burning ordinance. Enforcement of the state law in our county is conducted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

County residents can report violations of state open burning laws by emailing both the Lincoln County mayor at mayor@lc-tn.com and TDEC at Columbia. EFO_ADM@tn.gov. Include the location’s address and/or description and any photos, if possible. If you prefer to call, the Lincoln County Mayor’s Office is 931-433-3045 and TDEC is 931-3803371.

Please, if you are burning prohibited materials, reconsider. We’ll all breathe easier and be healthier. Thanks, and have a great spring and summer!

Sincerely, Jim Steele Fayetteville