Article in The Morning News confirms worst signs of lack of thought behind Benton County decisions

The Morning News

Local News for Northwest Arkansas


Ordinance To Burn Old Buildings Moves Forward
Morning News report on Benton County quorum court burning decision
By Scarlet Sims
THE MORNING NEWS
BENTONVILLE — The Benton County Environmental Committee on Tuesday approved an ordinance to set up a process for property owners to burn old structures. The proposed ordinance did not include a requested provision to allow state environmental officials the final say over burns.
AUB comments: The weird thing is that a high percentage of Benton County is made up of people who have come from more progressive parts of the United States to work for Walmart vendors, but they apparently don't vote in local elections or comment at Quorum Court meetings.
TMN reports:
County justices of the peace want to create an easy and affordable way for property owners to get rid of unsightly chicken houses and barns built of untreated lumber. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality wants to authorize any structure to be burned, spokesman Aaron Sadler said.
"The Department of Environmental Quality looks forward to working with Benton County officials as they develop an ordinance that complies with state regulations regarding open burning and asbestos removal," Sadler wrote in e-mail.
State law discourages open burning of yard waste, according to its Web site. The state has a regulation allowing government officials to permit fires to prevent fire hazards, but another regulation says only the state should issue burn permits after an applicant demonstrates there are no "practicable, safe, and lawful alternative methods of disposal."
Morning News report on Benton County quorum court burning decision
In other business, the committee approved an ordinance to dispose of unclaimed and indigent dead.
END of TMN story.
Aub asks: The Morning News didn't have enough space to report details of the body-disposal process. Will they just dump the bodies in a chicken house and burn the place without following state regulations?
Austin, Texas, actually buries John and Jane Does and eats the minimal expense. They probably have a sweetheart contract with a gravedigger, but who knows?