Erin Spinka

The practice of backyard burning remains a popular waste disposal method for many residents throughout the country. Yet, this “disposal” method creates pollutants such as dioxins, lead, mercury, particulate matter and hexachlorobenzene. According to the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “backyard burning has become the nation's largest quantified source of dioxins.” To combat the problem, the EPA has designed a website, www.epa.gov/msw/backyard, to educate government officials and residents on its effects. To order or customize brochures to include local information, visit the National Service Center for Environmental Publications at www.epa.gov/ncepihom or call (800) 490-9198.