Document text
Put those autumn leaves to good use Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Teresa Rippey of Gold Hill gathers up the many leaves in her yard into what she will eventually use as compost. Rippey, who has asthma, says she literally cannot go into her yard when people are burning leaves � because of the smoke. Composting makes more sense than burning By Paul Fattig GOLD HILL � Teresa Rippey looks forward to working outside with her horses or raking under the broadleaf maple trees when the autumn leaves begin to fall in the crisp, cold air. Unless she gets a whiff of a burning pile of leaves, that is. "I have asthma � I literally can�t breathe when there is smoke in the air," she said. "I can�t even go out to work in our yard when people start burning their leaves. I have to stay inside. "It�s frustrating that some people still burn their leaves when there are better things to do with them," she added. She and her husband, Ray, who live on a rural parcel between Gold Hill and the city of Rogue River, put their leaves to work. Alternatives to burning The Jackson County Environmental Health Division suggests the following alternatives to burning autumn leaves and yard debris: Compost the leaves and other yard material. Take prunings to Biomass One at 2350 Avenue G, White City. There is a fee. Take the material to the landfill. Rogue Valley Disposal has some options for picking up yard waste. The county also has a leaf exchange program to hook up people with leaves with those who need them for composting. Call 774-8207 for further information. Medford and Central Point both have leaf collection programs. Call Rogue Valley Disposal at 779-4161 for additional information. "It�s so easy to compost them," she said. "I even put them in the corral to keep the mud to a minimum. No one has to burn them." Although open burning is banned in Medford and Jacksonville, it is allowed in rural sections of Jackson County on days when there is good ventilation. Leaves produce a dense smoke when burned, pouring particulates into the air that can carry cancer-causing elements, explained Tim Dougherty, air quality coordinator for the Jackson County Environmental Health Division. The geography of the Rogue Valley creates a thermal inversion which causes pollution, he said. "That contributes to the collection of particulate pollution in the low-lying areas where we live," he said. Fine particulates can lodge in lung tissue, damaging the lung cells, he said. The smoke contributes to health problems for people with asthma, emphysema and other respiratory ailments. He suggests alternatives to leaf burning, such as composting. There is black gold in those autumn leaves, said composter Marsha Waite, master gardener and plant clinic coordinator at the Oregon State University Extension Service office in Central Point. "The leaves I put in the compost in the fall is workable stuff for the garden by springtime," she said. "I have beautiful crops." Basically, compost is used to replenish the humus � organic component � in the soil. Compost is usually made by alternating layers of soil and vegetable materials such as leaves, weeds and grass clippings. When kept moist, micro-organisms digest the plant material, creating the humus. The addition of lime increases the calcium content while reducing the acidity, Waite said, noting that oak leaves have a high acid content. Many experts add manure or fertilizer to the mix, she noted. Burning�s restricted inside air quality area All open burning is prohibited in the air quality maintenance area (AQMA) in Jackson County from Nov. 1 through the end of February. However, open burning is allowed outside the AQMA if the ventilation index is over 400. For information about the AQMA boundary, which includes the city of Eagle Point, call 774-8207. Before starting an open burn, residents must determine if the air conditions are favorable for burning that day by calling 776-7007 in Jackson County or 476-9663 in Josephine County. If burning is necessary, leaves should be dry to reduce smoke. Materials such as wet garbage, plastic, wire insulation, asphalt, petroleum products, rubber products and animal remains cannot be legally burned because of the resulting dense smoke or noxious odors. Residents also are urged to check with their local fire district before doing any burning. Many fire districts require burning permits through the winter. Open burning is not allowed in Medford or Jacksonville. "You want to mix the leaves with layers of dirt to get the microbes working," she said. "That�ll help break down the leaves. "And if the layer of leaves is too thick, water won�t penetrate," she added. "It should be moist but not soggy." She suggests tossing a tarp over the compost pile if it gets too wet from the winter rains. Compost bins should be relatively small to enable the owner to periodically aerate the material to keep it working, said Waite, whose compost bin is three feet by three feet. "If you have the leaves in the layers of soil and turn them regularly, you should have pretty good stuff by spring," she said. For additional information on composting, contact the local OSU extension service office at 776-7371. Composting creates great soil for the vegetable or flower garden while reducing pollution, said Rippey, 40, who has had asthma for the past decade. "That smoke isn�t healthy for anyone, especially this time of year when it�s cold and there is an air inversion," she said. "You can�t breathe when someone starts burning leaves. There are better ways to get rid of them." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.