The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company
The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company


:. current articles

February 1, 2012:

Feature Article

Rural realtors see value in EFP
January 25, 2012:

Feature Article

New technology, energy plan cuts on-farm energy costs
January 17, 2012:

Feature Article

Three producers, three opinions on EFP value today
January 12, 2012:

Feature Article

Land smarts drive 'Cadillac beef' opportunities
December 19, 2011:

Feature Article

Potato perspective: Snapshots from the big world of stewardship
December 11, 2011:

Feature Article

Making the 'little blue cow' a little greener
December 2, 2011:

Feature Article

On the pulse of stewardship
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  Reprint guide

May 6th, 2007
Tech Talk

What are the risks of using a burning barrel and how can I burn farm wastes safely and legally?

The best bet is to reduce, reuse, recycle and not burn at all

field

Open burning barrels, commonly used in the past to dispose of various farm wastes, can present a number of health and environmental risks. They typically do not reach temperatures high enough to completely incinerate waste and destroy dangerous chemicals created in the burning process. Barrels tend to smoulder and smoke and can release toxic materials into the surrounding area.

Although the burning of farm wastes is subject to provincial regulation, the best option is to avoid the regulation process by not burning at all - in other words, reduce, reuse and recycle. This is where an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) can help. Developing an EFP can help producers develop a personalized strategy to safely manage farm waste and a number of other on-farm environmental risks.

For those who still choose to burn, technical assistants with the EFP program can help producers understand the regulations pertaining to burning, including which materials can and cannot be legally burned.

Approved incinerators

For producers interested in having an approved incinerator on their farm or ranch, Alberta Environment's Code of Practice for Small Incinerators lays out the legal requirements related to the design factors of small incinerators. The Code is available at the Province of Alberta Queen's Printer Web site at http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/codes/INCINERATORS.CFM.

What can be burned

According to the Substance Release Regulation of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, wastes that can be legally burned include:

The Act also defines waste materials that cannot be burned. Prohibited debris includes:

Where to go for help

Information and assistance on managing farm wastes is available from TAs throughout the province.


The information on this website is available for reprint with credit to "The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan, www.albertaEFP.com".
Article development courtesy of The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company

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