City curbs ‘open-air burning’
By May Lee Johnson
Diversity Institute Fellow
08.11.03
The Brentwood Commission voted Monday to place restrictions on open-air burning, amending an ordinance that establishes regulations for how residents and businesses can burn debris and other waste.
Previously, there were no limitations on burning. Now, residents must live on at least three acres of land to burn material and businesses can only burn if they use an air curtain destructor, which is used to cut down on air pollutants.
The commission passed the regulations in response to complaints from residents, saying the quality of air in Brentwood was starting to affect people’s health. New rules go into effect in October.
“Before this ordinance was regulated, people in Brentwood could burn almost anything from scraps from construction sites, limbs from trees, leaves and vegetation,” said Nancy Jones, Fire Marshal of the Brentwood Fire Department. “What the council did tonight was regulate that even farther.”
In order to burn debris from construction sites, for example, businesses must be located on at least 30 acres and must utilize the air curtain destructors, which can cost as much as $30,000 to rent.
The destructors operate much like an incinerator in the ground and control the air across the upper portion of the chamber in which the wood and waste is loaded. The powerful curtain of air creates a trap, where the high heat can reach as high as 1,000 degrees, city officials said. The power curtain keeps the unburned particles from flying in the air so that there is very little smoke.
Several city residents praised the commission for taking a stand.
“When I get up some mornings to take my morning run there is so much stuff in the air I can hardly breath,” said Julie DiTragila, who lives in Southern Woods subdivision. “I worry about all that stuff in the air because I have a 2-year-old who suffers with breathing problems. I hope this new law will help me keep her healthy.”
City commissioners said it was the right thing to do.
“Many cities have outlawed open-air burnings for (their) residents,” Commissioner Regina Smithson said. “What has happened is big construction sites have been digging a whole and burning paints, oil cans and everything you could imagine. Much of these materials are not only polluting the air, but are hazardous to people and animals. This is why we feel it was important to pass this ordinance.”
In other action, the board also approved about $581,000 to pay for clean-up and repair work that was done in the city after a storm in May.
The city suffered severe damage to trees, roads and drainage ditches. Traffic signs also were blown down, causing Williamson County to be declared a federal disaster area, city officials said. The city qualified for federal assistance, which covered 75 percent of the repair costs. The city had to pay the rest, which the commission approved during Monday’s meeting.
“Our city crews could not cover all the damage done by the storm,” Ray Mize, Director of Public Works, said. “The work went beyond the ability of the city crews so we had to hire private contractors and we paid out an awful lot of overtime. Our biggest need was help with removal and repairs.”