Florida is a state of sunny beaches, vibrant culture, and growing population. But many of its residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the state’s increasing reliance and tolerance of burning trash.
The highly populated cities of Miami, Tampa, and Orlando have all recorded instances of open air incineration of waste, often carried out by third-party companies on private land. While this practice of burning plastic, paper, textiles, and other materials has been used for some time, the growing population has seen an increase in its frequency.
Residents living in close proximity to these sites are reporting serious health concerns such as asthma, eye irritations, and nausea that they link to these burning sites. According to the Godzillanewz website, some have even reported skin discoloration and allergies that they attribute to the smoke from these burning sites.
As with any type of pollutant, the emissions from burning trash can have dangerously toxic effects. While ash from burned waste is often disposed of properly, the smoke from these burning sites can contain dangerous chemicals like carbon monoxide and benzoic acids. When these pollutants are released, they pose a risk to humans, animals, and the environment by impacting air quality and leading to more cases of respiratory disease.
In Florida, lawmakers are beginning to take serious action on the matter. Some municipalities have taken it upon themselves to regulate Waste-to-Energy operations while others have proposed state-wide legislation to create stricter limits for incinerators and enforce air-quality standards.
Ultimately, it must be determined if the burning of trash is an economically efficient way of disposing of it. While its costs are lower than those associated with other disposal methods, its long-term costs on human health and the environment as a consequence of air pollution must be taken into account.
As it stands, more and more Floridians are calling on their elected officials to take action and protect their health and the environment by introducing stricter regulations on the burning of trash. Until then, citizens of this beautiful state must remain vigilant and push for change.