The area's annual summer outdoor

burning ban begins Thursday in an effort to prevent more smog particles

from polluting metro Atlanta's air.

The ban will continue through

Sept. 30, putting the locks on all outdoor burning, including leaves,

tree limbs and other yard wastes. Instead, residents are asked to use

yard trimmings in composting, mulching and chipping.

The Fayette County Landfill

will accept all yard debris including grass clippings, tree branches and

tree stumps. The landfill's transfer station is open Monday through Saturday

from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Georgia Environmental Protection

Division has said open burning is a significant contributor of the pollutants

that form ozone.

The ban covers all 13 counties

in metro Atlanta which are in the designated "ozone non-attainment

area" and 32 additional surrounding counties.

For more information on the

burning ban, contact the EPD's air protection branch at 404-363-7000 or

the northwest regional office at 404-362-2671. Additional information

is available from the Georgia Forestry Commission office at 770-227-5522

or 770-358-1459.

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