One rationale often cited by people who burn their household trash is that
burning is the only feasible or convenient way for them to dispose of waste.
Therefore, it is important to provide trash burning alternatives to communities
via the establishment of waste management infrastructure. This section contains
the following resources to help your community establish a waste management
infrastructure:
The Minnesota Solid Waste Administrator’s Association has provided a
sample solid waste
ordinance for counties to establish waste management departments. It
addresses all aspects of waste management, including:
- provisions for inspections and oversight
- proper collection and containment procedures
- principles for siting waste management facilities
- fee structures
- mandatory recycling and yard waste management
- licensing requirements for waste management contractors
Examples of two Minnesota counties’ adaptations of this ordinance are also
included. Stearns and
Hubbard Counties
in Minnesota each have created ordinances establishing waste management systems,
and both include language regulating burn barrels. The other Great Lakes states
may have different requirements, but these ordinances can serve as an indication
of the types of issues that should be considered in solid waste legislation.
Also included in this section is
Waste Transfer
Stations: A Manual for Decision-Making, a manual published by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. This publication defines what a transfer
station is and how it relates to municipal solid waste management in the context
of a community’s total waste management plan. The manual identifies issues and
factors to consider when deciding to build a transfer station such as design,
site selection, and community involvement.
Back to Table of Contents
