Reduce local burning of wood and yard waste and eliminate ‘backyard’ trash burning.

• MPCA’s Air We Breathe report identifies neighborhood sources as the largest emitter of air toxics pollution most likely to affect people’s health. Sources include commercial and residential winter heating, backyard fires, yard equipment like lawnmowers and snowblowers, and small businesses like gas stations.  
• Why you should care: air quality and health (MPCA). 
• Use the MPCA Air Pollution Score on the Environmental Justice Areas of Concern Map (MPCA) to locate areas for targeted assistance and incentives. 

Firewood and Wood Waste:

• The MPCA recommends burning dry wood (less than 20% moisture content), as this reduces particulate emissions in smoke. Moisture meters can be used to determine the moisture content of wood. In Vermont, libraries have meters available for rent to the public for free. 
• EPA Burnwise has great information and lots of resources including information about how to build a wood shed, to tips for a long lasting burn in a wood stove, and many, many more. 
• When it comes to wood waste, there are preferred methods of disposing of urban wood (MPCA). Burning or disposing of wood waste is the least preferred. The best method is to prevent waste by improving urban forestry practices. Some U.S. cities such as Ann Arbor and Baltimore are partnering with companies to reuse their wood. Closer to home, businesses like Wood From the Hood in Minneapolis create lumber and other products from urban wood.
• Utilize biochar for municipal wood waste through permitted or low-emission processes. The City of Minneapolis opened a city-owned and operated biochar facility. Great River Greening can work with municipalities to turn their wood waste into biochar. Please note, residents should be discouraged to create bio-char as individual, or non-permitted, bio-char generation has no emission controls. 
• Wood sheds, or shelters, protect wood so it can remain clean and dry for burning. This example program in Oregon works with high school wood working classes to provide free wood shelters to residents. 
• Wood banks provide clean dry wood to residents in need for free and also often serve as an opportunity for education. There may be grant opportunities available to set one up or to purchase wood for an existing bank.

Recreational Fires and Fireplaces: 

• Burning household garbage such as in a burn barrel is generally against the law in MN.
• Burning woody yard waste may be allowable (larger than a recreational fire would require an open burn permit through MN DNR), but there are often better options. The anticipated quantity of EAB wood waste calls for consideration of no/limited burning and better/higher value management options. 
• Many cities across the state require permits for recreational fires. This is a great option to help educate more residents about the important factors to consider when having recreational fires that can impact neighbors. City of St. Anthony Village and City of St. Louis Park ordinances are great examples of how to regulate recreational fires.
• Nearly two-thirds of what ends up in landfills and garbage incinerators in Minnesota could have been reused, recycled, or composted. If your community trash gets sent to an incinerator, diverting some of this waste can reduce demand, and lower emissions. One solution is to create a community compost pile or encourage residential composting. (See BP 22.1)
• An outreach campaign might partner or be run by chimney sweeps, who are in people's houses and can recommend cleaner burning techniques and technologies, potentially incentivized by the city.

Stoves and Boilers: 

• Environmental Initiative’s Minnesota Project Stove Swap is a voluntary program that provides financial incentives to consumers to replace old wood heating appliances with new, more efficient, less-polluting technologies. 
• New high-efficiency air source heat pumps (ASHPs) run by electricity can operate with outdoor temperatures as low as -13 degrees F. Financial payback for installing ASHPs is short when an existing heating or cooling system needs to be replaced. If replacing propane, total heating costs/energy reduced is in the range of 28% to 54%. Check for utility, state, and federal rebates and tax credits or use the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) Pay for your projects tool to find funding for heat pump projects.
• Research on air source heat pumps in Minnesota (Center for Energy and the Environment)
• A number of Minnesota cities have placed a ban on use of outdoor wood boilers (Savage, Burnsville, Stillwater). Other cities have adopted additional standards like moratoriums, restrictions on warm season usage, and/or permitting, setback and stack height requirements. See certified hydronic heaters / outdoor wood boilers on the EPA site.
• In 2016, the MPCA developed two model ordinances to address solid fuel-fired heating devices such as wood boilers or outdoor furnaces to assist local governments in addressing wood smoke complaints. First, see an introduction to model ordinances to control wood smoke. The first model ordinance is to prohibit nuisances from solid fuel-fired heating devices. The second model is for zoning solid fuel-fired heating devices. 
• The MPCA compiled a list of Minnesota local ordinances related to residential wood burning boilers and outdoor furnaces (last updated 2015).

Fireworks: 

• Fireworks contribute to short-term but significant increases in air pollution. One study found an average 42% increase nationwide in fine particle pollution after the Fourth of July. Firework explosions also result in sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and metals, such as magnesium to be released into the air. A Minneapolis study found late in the evening on July 4th particle pollution increased 180-600% and carbon monoxide concentrations increased 32%.
• Due to pollution, and wildfire concerns, some cities are opting instead for a drone or laser display. 
• Residential use of fireworks concentrates smoke and fine particles at ground level. 

Prescribed Burning:

• Prescribed burning is an important natural resource management tool, but it also produces smoke that can increase air quality related health risks. Cities can reduce impacts by educating prescribed burn staff in smoke management practices, avoiding sensitive population areas, and rescheduling burns on poor air quality days. 
• Iowa State University provides a publication on Smoke Management for Prescribed Burning: What to Consider (2012). 
• Consider alternatives to prescribed burning such as grazing goats for invasive species management. 

Burning Structures: 

• Consider building redevelopment or repurpose first. See BP 5. 
• Adopt a Construction & Demolition Ordinance or enact policies that promote recycling and reuse of materials, building deconstruction, and more under BPA 22.8. 
• See Building material reuse and recycling (MPCA)