Tim Arheit wrote:
> Not to mention open air burning is illegal in many places, especially
> those hives containing plastic.
>
> See http://www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/facts/openburn.html for a summary
> of ohio's burning laws...

Well, there IS an out for burning infected hive equipment in Ohio's laws.

> Permitted burning includes:
> ...
> smudge pots and SIMILAR OCCUPATIONAL NEEDS; ....

(Emphasis is mine).  In New York State, the law states that a beekeeper MUST
burn AFB infected equipment.  Hence, I can have a bonfire to burn infected
equipment and not be in violation of open burning regulations.  Having said
that, I would first notify my local Volunteer Fire Department and local
village officials of my intent to burn to avoid the fire trucks showing up
at my bonfire.

> ... burning plastic simply can't be done anywhere.
Burning plastic remains a tough issue.  One simply should not open burn
plastic - the fumes are toxic.  Wrestling with that conflict in New York,
the state agriculture department has recommended working with local land
fill operators to make sure that contaminated plastic equipment is burried
upon delivery to the land fill (yeah, right!).  So one department is
recommending burying infected plastic equipment (even though the laws insist
on burning), while other state departments are in the process of closing all
landfills in the state.

> Local ordinances may be more strict.
Very true.  I made a point to represent burning requirements (similar
occupational needs) to my village board when they adopted a very strict open
burning law.  A loophole was put into the local ordinance to allow burning
as required by state laws.  The issue of burning plastic still remains.

Plastic can be irradiated, but New York doesn't recognize that.  New York
says burn, immediately, in the location in which the infection occurs.  The
nearest irradiation facility to me is in Massachusetts.  New York forbids
moving infected equipment out of the apiary in which it's located, say
nothing of transporting it across state lines.

> Has anyone experimented with anything that might kill the spores
> such as bleach solution that will kill the anthrax spores?
Again, irradiation works.  The NZ paper says bleach works.  But again, at
least in New York, the ONLY thing that is LEGISLATED is burning.

Aaron Morris - thinking  it is indeed time to bring the laws in line with
reality.  I expect that to happen soon after New York State legislators pass
a budget on time!

For those out of state, New York has NOT passed a budget on time in 17
years.  It's a long-standing NY joke.