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Environment Matters: Summer 2003

In This Issue...

Burning Household Waste: New Rule Reduces Air Toxics

Do you know the dangers from burning residential waste at your home? Today's trash contains plastics, metals, and synthetic materials that all produce air toxics when burned, especially at the low temperatures and oxygen levels typical of burn barrels, wood stoves, and fireplaces. These air toxics include dioxins, benzene, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and other compounds that cause respiratory ailments, stress immune systems, and can cause cancer.

Smoke and toxic emissions from burning residential waste stay close to the ground, affecting your family and neighbors. Children are often more susceptible than adults to adverse health impacts from these air toxics. The toxics can be inhaled and can deposit as fine particles, contaminating our food sources and accumulating in our bodies.

We can reduce or eliminate health risks caused by burning trash at our homes. Throughout California, many local and county governments and air districts have already restricted the types of materials that can be burned outdoors. However, it is estimated that over 700,000 households are currently allowed to burn all or some of their household waste in their backyards. To provide more consistent protection of public health, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) approved a statewide rule, called the Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) to Reduce Emissions of Toxic Air Contaminants from Outdoor Residential Waste Burning. The rule minimizes air toxic emissions by prohibiting the outdoor burning of household wastes other than natural vegetation and banning burn barrels and backyard incinerators beginning January 1, 2004.

During 2003, local air districts may designate limited exemptions in very sparsely populated areas, where community health risk from burning non-vegetation waste can be minimized. In these exemption areas, residents may still be allowed (1) to use burn barrels and/or (2) to burn paper and cardboard, which do not produce as much dioxins as other mixed waste containing chlorinated compounds. Contact your local air district for more specific information about the area in which you live.

What can you do if the new restrictions affect your current waste disposal practices? Remember the principle: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Check the Web sites below for alternatives to burning household waste at home. Contact your local waste management agency or department of public works to see what recycling and waste collection services are offered in your area. Although you may need to contract for waste collection services or haul your waste to a local transfer station or landfill, you also may find ways to reduce the cost of these options. Even in more remote areas, it may be possible to establish small community dumpsters to reduce hauling distances and costs. Combine trips to the recycling center or disposal facility with other errands. Even if you are still allowed to burn vegetation, consider mulching, chipping, or shredding it for compost or landscaping purposes instead.

This new rule restricting outdoor residential waste burning was established to protect your health and that of your family and your community. If you observe illegal burning of waste, report it to your local air district. Remember that dumping waste on your land, on another's property, or on government land is illegal, unsightly, and a public health hazard. Report illegal dumping to local enforcement authorities, even if you do not know who dumped the waste. Local, county, state, and federal offices of air quality, fire protection, waste management, and public health will be working together to advise communities about responsible disposal of household waste and ways to reduce and eliminate illegal dumping and burning of household waste.

For detailed information, you can go to the following Web sites:

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Environmental Ambassador Pilot Program

Environmental Ambassador Pilot Program teams are gearing up for participation in the professional development institutes scheduled for summer 2003. Web pages specific to each Environmental Ambassador are now available to view and will be updated throughout the life of the program.

Governor's Conference on Service, Volunteerism, and Mentoring

Join First Lady Sharon Davis at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles on October 7th and 8th at the inaugural Governor’s Conference on Service, Volunteerism and Mentoring.

For two exciting days, leaders and practitioners from all professions, ranging from philanthropy; business; nonprofits; schools, colleges and universities; faith-based organizations; and state, county and local government will converge at this historic gathering, making the case that service and civic engagement are crucial and can help solve community challenges in areas of education, environment, health and human services, public safety, and homeland security.

There will be something for everyone who attends this conference! Participants will:

  • Attend lively plenary sessions with trendsetters, opinion leaders, and policy makers to explore the latest thought-provoking ideas and initiatives. 

  • Participate in practical “how-to” workshops. 

  • Gain valuable information. 

  • Develop new skills. 

  • Build important new relationships. 

Please join us and find out how Californians are working hard to improve the quality of life through service, and find out how you can make a difference in your community!

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School District Waste Reduction Program Case Study--
Prairie Elementary School

Prairie Elementary School, part of the Pacheco Union Elementary School District, is located 180 miles north of Sacramento in Shasta County . The school serves a student population of 320 students, comprised of K–3 grade levels.

Motivated by a cut to custodial funding, Prairie Elementary custodian Jeff York found a way to cut disposal costs at the school. Jeff is an avid reader of the Board's Web site and has put the recommendations he found there to good use. By observing what materials were being thrown away, Jeff was able to identify what the school could divert for recycling:

"I identified four products that my waste hauler would pick up at no cost. These items include cardboard, #10 tin cans, paper, and plastic. I then requested a one-yard container for cardboard and three 96-gallon containers for paper and plastic."

By diverting these recyclable materials from Prairie Elementary School's trash, the school has reduced its number of trash containers from two 4-yard containers picked up twice a week, to one container picked up once a week—that's half as much trash! In addition to the new recycling program, the school has made waste reduction efforts as well. The school cafeteria uses washable hard plastic lunch trays and has recently gone back to using washable flatware.

This reduction of service translates into a cost savings for the district, one that wouldn't happen if someone like Jeff isn't monitoring the program weekly. The district's monthly bill has been reduced from $689.24 to $220.00. The Superintendent, Mr. Reed, agreed that any money saved in the reduction of disposal costs would be redirected into the Prairie School site budget. Jeff has also discovered that during school breaks, the contracted disposal service can be modified to "active" or "on-call" so that the District is not paying for service it doesn't need. Jeff provides the monitoring needed to make that call to the hauler to let them know in advance when service is not needed.

Prairie Elementary School is also integrating their new recycling knowledge with an educational program for their students. Christina Schlosser, from Shasta County Department of Resource Management Community Education Section (CEC), visited the school to educate the staff and students on what items can be recycled. The program is targeted for K-3 grade level, and is called "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."

Since an article about the program appeared in the local Record Searchlight newspaper, other schools have called to find out how to get started with their own recycling programs. Additionally, the recycler has agreed to pick up emptied milk and juice cartons from the breakfast program and will phase in the lunch cartons. Jeff is confident that when all the cartons are removed from the waste stream the school's disposal bill will be reduced even more.

The school district officials are considering adopting an integrated waste management policy. Such a policy would institutionalize smart business practices such as recycling for years to come. Check out the following links for more information:

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In the Next Issue...

In the fall 2003 issue of Environment Matters, look for another school district waste diversion case study and a status report on the Unified Education Strategy Grant Program.

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Last updated: April 04, 2008

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