Backyard Burning is the term applied to the burning of waste by householders or the burning of waste on sites by builders.
Householders and Businesses should note that all unlicensed burning of waste can cause serious danger to health.
There are two important laws, which control the burning of waste and both have heavy penalties for non-compliance:
This obliges everybody not to cause or permit an emission in such a quantity, or in such a manner, as to be a nuisance or cause Air Pollution. There is an additional obligation on business and other non-domestic operators to use the best practical means to prevent or limit emissions.
This prohibits the burning of any waste except in accordance with a permit. The Local Authority may issue such a permit for relatively small quantities, subject to strict conditions. A case where a permit has been issued is the burning of natural untreated wood by a sawmill for space heating, but burning of wood treated with chemicals is prohibited.
If you wish to report burning that is taking place or wish to talk to someone in relation to backyard burning then you should contact the Environment Section on 091 536595 or email environment@galwaycity.ie