Know the rules before you burn

When people burn waste, it causes air pollution and, in some cases, can be illegal.

Open burning of certain materials is prohibited in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

If you have a trash pile and burn household waste, construction debris or anything other than vegetative matter, you could pay a fine. Anyone convicted of illegal burning in Jeff Davis Parish can be fined up to $100 or be imprisoned for up to 15 days or both.

According to DEQ, some materials that should never be burned are:

• Plastic and other synthetic materials

• Tires and other rubber products

• Paints, household and agricultural chemicals

• Asphalt shingles, heavy oils, wire

• Newspaper, cardboard and other paper products

• Buildings and mobile homes

The burning of waste is prohibited, except the following statutory exceptions:

• All parishes under 300,000 you can burn leaves, twigs, vines on private property if you attend the burning (except in East Baton Rouge, Orleans and Jefferson parishes).

• Parishes under 90,000 or less can burn trees, branches, limbs or other vegetable matter provided it does not occur in town or affect the air of the city or town.

• Burning agricultural by-products in the fields is permitted.

• Controlled burning of cotton gin agricultural wastes in connection with cotton gin operations is also permitted.

• Controlled burning in connection with timber stand management is allowed.

• Controlled burning of pasture land or marshland in connection with trapping or livestock production is also allowed.

Citizens can call the DEQ to report illegal open burning at (225) 219-3640 or call the DEQ regional office that serves their parish. In Jeff Davis Parish, citizens can call Regional Manager Billy Eakin at (337) 491-2667 at the Southwest Regional Office in Lake Charles.

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Posted by Graphic Designer 2 on Oct 24 2012. Filed under Editorial. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.