LAWRENCE COUNTY Council reconsiders open-burning ban

Officials are looking for a spot to put drop-off recycling bins.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Open burning in the city is on its way back.
A majority of city council members agreed during Tuesday's caucus meeting that they wanted to rescind a ban on rubbish burning passed nearly two years ago.
Council still must work out the details of fines and enforcement for a new rubbish burning ordinance.
It appears that a majority of council favor rubbish burning from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Council President Christine Sands suggested that city firefighters be in charge of selling permits. She said that would make it easier for enforcement because firefighters will be called to put out any unauthorized burning.
Council members are expected to have a special meeting within the next month to discuss the fines and enforcement.
A date for the meeting has not been set.
Councilman Will Quimby had suggested burning be banned during warm-weather months of April through September to appease opponents to open burning.
"The biggest complaint is when it's nice, the smoke gets in [opened] windows," he said.
But other council members did not support that compromise.
City officials do risk losing state grant money if they reinstitute burning. The amount was not available Tuesday night.
Council likely won't be voting on the matter until the special meeting or their next regular meeting June 15.
Also on agenda
In other business, city council members say they want to be part of a countywide drop-off recycling program, but they don't know where to put the collection bins.
Amy Labi-Carando, director of recycling and solid waste for Lawrence County, suggested the best place to keep the bins would be the city fire station off the Columbus Inner Belt.
She said they must be in a high-traffic area that has someone watching over them 24-hours a day.
But council members were concerned that the flow of those recycling would interfere with fire trucks leaving for emergencies.
Labi-Carando said they are talking with the owners of Cascade Galleria, just off South Jefferson Street, about putting the recycling bins in the parking lots. The only requirement is that snow must be removed daily from the site, she said.
Labi-Carando said the owner would not agree to remove the snow, but city officials say that could be done by public works employees.
There are already two other recycling drop-off sites at the Pulaski Township and Hickory Township municipal buildings. Bins are also going into the Wal-Mart parking lot off U.S. Route 224 in Union Township, Labi-Carando said.
cioffi@vindy.com