The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is reviewing complaints concerning alleged household garbage burning at a residence near Summerville.

According to records in the EPD Complaint Tracking System, complaints were received in September concerning property at 843 Hamp Brewer Circle in Chattooga County.

The first complaint was received September 17 and remains listed as under investigation. A second complaint concerning the same property was received September 28 and is currently listed as Review Pending.

The complaints allege that household trash was being burned in barrels outside the residence.

According to the September 17 complaint, a caller alleged that materials being burned included household garbage, plastics, diapers, dog waste and other items. The caller also alleged that burning sometimes occurred late at night.

The complaint states that the local fire department had reportedly been contacted and had been to the property twice.

The later complaint, received September 28, alleges that the burn barrels had subsequently been moved behind a building but that burning continued.

According to the complaint, nearby residents reported that smoke and odors from the burning were strong enough to cause nausea.

The allegations have not been established as violations. EPD notes that the matter remains under investigation and that only limited information is made publicly available while an investigation is ongoing.

The agency lists Air Quality Control as the primary concern in both complaints and Comprehensive Solid Waste as the secondary concern.

The case has been assigned to the Georgia EPD’s Mountain District, which handles environmental complaints in Chattooga County and other counties across Northwest Georgia.

Georgia environmental regulations prohibit the open burning of household garbage year-round. The prohibition is separate from Georgia’s seasonal outdoor burning restrictions involving yard and land-clearing debris.

Once EPD completes its investigation, additional public information concerning its findings and any action taken by the agency may be made available through the state’s Complaint Tracking System.

Sources:

Georgia Environmental Protection Division — Complaint No. 118402
Georgia Environmental Protection Division — Complaint No. 118458
Georgia Environmental Protection Division — Open Burning Rules