Environmental Progress - Spring 2003

Landscape Waste and Open Burning

Spring means renewed interest in what to do with the winter’s debris

The burning of landscape waste has been an issue of intense and often heated debate at both the state and local levels for the past decade. Landscape waste includes leaves, grass, tree limbs, shrubbery cuttings and other materials accumulated as the result of the care of lawns, shrubbery, vines and trees.

Though the state legislature has the authority to regulate the open burning of landscape waste, recent attempts to impose statewide bans have failed. The first leaf-burning ban bill in recent years was presented to the Illinois General Assembly in1993. House Bill 470 passed both houses, but was later vetoed by then Gov. Jim Edgar due to logistical concerns about where it did or did not apply. Additional attempts to pass leaf-burning bans were introduced between 1993 and 1997; however, none reached the governor’s desk.

In 1997, Senate Bill 1103 would have prohibited leaf-burning only in cities with a population of 75,000 or more. However, all but one had already banned leaf-burning. As a result, the governor vetoed the bill and the General Assembly failed to override the veto.

Is it legal to burn leaves in Illinois?

A long time tradition, the burning of leaves and discarded branches, is disappearing in many Illinois communities.

Is leaf-burning allowed in Illinois? The answer depends on local laws and ordinances, as units of local governments have the authority to impose leaf-burning bans. There are no state laws which prohibit leaf burning, but some restrictions exist: leaves may be burned only on the premises on which they are produced or at sites provided and supervised by a local government; local governments may prohibit the open burning of landscape waste or any other material; and local governments may regulate burning by specifying times and/or weather conditions during which open burning may occur.

Smoke from burning leaves, grass, brush, and most plants contains high concentrations of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and photochemically reactive chemicals, some of which are known carcinogens and some that contribute to smog formation.

Carbon monoxide can bind with hemoglobin in the blood to reduce oxygen flow. Particulate matter can become embedded in lung tissue. The burning of leaves releases the photochemically reactive chemical, benzo(a)pyrene, known to cause cancer in animals and which has been linked as the major factor in lung cancer caused by smoking. Additional information on landscape waste can be obtained by contacting the Illinois EPA Bureau of Air at 217-782-7027.