Geneva, don’t allow open burning
The Daily Herald recently reported on the Geneva City Council’s consideration of open burning within its city limits.
Three years ago the Batavia City Council addressed the same issue. The changes Batavia enacted relaxed open burning restrictions. Originally, open burning was limited to cooking food only. The new law permits open burning any time, and with no restrictions on duration. As a result, my neighborhood has been beset ever since with increased emissions of smoke, smoke that burns the eyes, settles in homes and lungs and makes a neighborhood walk decidedly less enjoyable.
Frankly, the downtown residential area of Batavia is too thickly settled for campfires in driveways, backyards and front yards.
Although the Batavia ordinance states that “Open burning that is offensive or objectionable because of smoke or odor emissions …” is prohibited, leaving the determination of what is offensive or objectionable up to some individual’s judgment.
The only metric included in the ordinance states that fires shall not exceed two feet in height and three feet in diameter, a size that is consistently exceeded by the fires lit in this neighborhood. However, the size of the fire is not the appropriate metric, as even the smallest fires can create a lot of smoke, particularly when kindled with recently fallen and still green tree branches.
I do not consider myself a militant regarding this issue; my wife is a smoker and I attend my share of barbecues. But these campfires in my neighbors’ driveways are unhealthful and uncomfortable.
It’s likely that I am in the minority on this issue. But the Illinois Constitution states: “Each person has the right to a healthful environment. Each person may enforce this right against any party, governmental or private, through appropriate legal proceedings….” In other rights, minorities do have some rights.
It’s my suggestion, therefore, that Geneva not follow Batavia’s example on this issue but instead keep open burning to a minimum inside its city limits.
Stephen Foust
Batavia