Outdoor Burning in Texas - Texas Municipal League

OUTDOOR BURNING IN TEXASmulch could become a marketable product, be put to usewhere it is produced, or be given to individuals or nurseries.If the material cannot be used as a landscape mulch, chippingcan still be useful to reduce the volume of waste thatmust be disposed of by some other means.Logging. Timber sometimes can be converted to a marketableproduct—lumber, pulp, or firewood—as one way toreduce the costs of disposal. The remaining small limbs andbrush are then much easier to dispose of through one of theother alternatives.Landfills. Some landfills have recycling centers, with chippersfor wood waste and collection bins for paper, plastic,and glass. Type IV landfills accept brush. Contact your locallandfills for details.Air-curtain incineration (trench burning). Many landclearing contractors have portable devices, known as trenchburners or air-curtain incinerators, that can be used to disposeof brush or untreated lumber with minimal emissions. Thesefacilities must be authorized by the TCEQ prior to theirconstruction at a burn site and must have obtained a federaloperating permit. Many contractors and distributors leaseout these devices.Related TCEQ PublicationsThe TCEQ has a variety of publications available onissues related to outdoor burning. Several of them providedetailed explanations of specific alternatives to outdoor burning,for example:RG-325: Used Oil Recycling Handbook: Guidance forUsed Oil HandlersGI-036: Composting and MulchingRG-419: Disposal of Domestic or Exotic Livestock CarcassesTo order single copies of these or other TCEQ publications,call TCEQ Publications Distribution at 512-239-0028or write:TCEQ Publications, MC-195P.O. Box 13087Austin, TX 78711-308710 TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY