Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 19, 2002 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. -q <br /> SUBJECT: Alternatives to Open Burning of Agricultural Landclearing Debris <br /> DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 2/11/02 Solid Waste Director Memo Gayle Wilson, 968-2885 <br /> Air Curtain Burning Information <br /> TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> Hillsborough 732-8181 <br /> Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br /> Durham 688-7331 <br /> Mebane 336-227-2031 <br /> PURPOSE: To receive a preliminary staff report,and to the extent possible, provide direction <br /> to staff to winnow down a list of possible options for alternatives to open burning of agricultural <br /> land clearing debris. <br /> BACKGROUND: On December 11, 2001, the BOCC adopted a Regulated Recyclable <br /> Materials Ordinance, which takes effect on July 1, 2002. The purpose of the ordinance is to <br /> regulate both recyclable construction and demolition (C&D) materials and potentially other <br /> materials in the waste stream by keeping those materials from being landfilled and requiring <br /> that they be separated for recycling instead. While the ordinance is not specifically a C&D <br /> recycling ordinance, the initial focus of the ordinance is on what are typically considered C&D <br /> materials - for example, untreated/unpainted wood waste, wooden pallets, and scrap metal. <br /> Cardboard is also included. Other materials may be added in the future to the list of regulated <br /> materials. <br /> Prior to adopting the ordinance on December 11, the Board conducted a November 7 public <br /> hearing on the matter. While adopting the ordinance, the Board asked staff to examine a <br /> number of points raised by citizens during the public hearing and other questions raised by <br /> Commissioners during consideration of the ordinance. Generally, concerns involve how best to <br /> balance interests in utilizing the Regulated Recyclable Materials Ordinance to prohibit open <br /> burning of landclearing debris with the desire not to place an unreasonable burden on the <br /> Orange County agricultural community. The accompanying memo from the Solid Waste <br /> Management Director outlines staff's assessment thus far of possible options. <br /> The ordinance adopted on December 11 differed from previous drafts in that it temporarily <br /> eliminated non-reusable wood waste from the definition of solid waste. That portion of the <br /> ordinance was the basis for most concerns raised at (or before) the BOCC's November 7 public <br /> hearing on the proposed ordinance, as it would impact the agricultural community's landclearing <br /> activities. Separating the prohibition on burning of landclearing debris allowed the remainder of <br />