Laois County Council has moved to clarify the Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009.

The purpose of these regulations is to state more clearly the types of waste prohibited by uncontrolled or unregulated burning.

This includes the disposal of household waste within the curtilage of a building and backyard burning of waste. Waste burners have also been outlawed unless regulated under the Air Pollution Act.

Exemption is provided for certain agricultural practices but only as a last resort and after specified steps are taken to, reduce and recycle waste arising, the council said.

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This exemption applies until 1st January 2014 when such activities will require registration with Laois County Council.

The burning of waste relates solely to material consisting of uncontaminated wood, trees, tree trimmings, leaves, brush or other similar waste generated by agriculture practices.

However this excludes garden and park wastes and cemetery wastes, and wastes arising from infrastructural development works, provided that such burning is done as a final measure following the application of the waste hierarchy as described of section 5 of the Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal By Burning) Regulations 2009.

Any uncontrolled burning of waste that causes, or is likely to cause, pollution is now explicitly in breach of both the Waste Management and Air Pollution legislation and Laois County Council will instigate legal action against offenders, said a spokesman.

(PR/BMcC)