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.