ENVIRONMENT: Burning Ban Takes Effect Oct. 14

Burning waste in barrels and backyard firepits will be illegal throughout NYS beginning Oct. 14. The rule will be published in the State Register on Sept. 30. The ban on burning already applies to municipalities with more than 20,000 people and will be extended to the countryside. The new regulation, posted on the Internet at http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/54477.html, specifies exceptions to the ban. For example, barbecues, some ceremonial fires, and burning tree limbs and branches less than six inches across and eight feet long, will still be legal. But burning leaves, trash and plastic bale wrap, among many items, will be prohibited, punishable by fines of between $375 and $15,000 for a first offense. DEC officers, state police, county deputies, local police and fire and codes officials will be empowered to enforce the law. Full Story (thedailystar.com).