CHANGES TO PLEASANT PRAIRIE'S OPEN BURNING ORDINANCE APPROVED
On Monday, July 20, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board considered and approved changes to the Village ordinance governing Open Burning. The updates are an attempt to strike a balance between facilitating small-scale recreational fires on private property and addressing the health needs of residents with respiratory challenges.
Over the past few years, multiple factors led the Village to reevaluate the ordinance related to open burning. Factors include: increasing complaints regarding the burning of leaves and green yard waste; complaints related to the vagueness in the ordinance regarding recreational fires; and a determination by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that the Village of Pleasant Prairie, east of I-94, is not in compliance with air quality standards.
During March and April of 2014, the Village sought and received feedback from residents regarding open burning via an online public forum. The feedback revealed varying opinions related to open burning. It also revealed that residents held very strong opinions both in support of and contrary to particular types of open burning.
In response to portions of the feedback received, the Village budgeted for and subsequently expanded residential leaf collection during 2015, with the purchase of a new leaf collection machine, an expanded leaf collection schedule, and expanded compost site hours. Staff recently completed their work updating the ordinance and presented proposed changes to the Village Board for their consideration.
A major change to the ordinance includes the ability for residents to now have a recreational fire without a permit from the Fire & Rescue Department provided certain safety rules are followed. The changes also clarified which items may not be burned as part of open burning, for example: soft or green yard waste including grass, pine needles and leaves; construction waste; waste oil; plastics; commercial waste; synthetic products; and recyclable material. More detail relating to the changes are available by clicking "View PDF" below.
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