A burning issue just gets worse

The weekly Question:  Do you think commissioners should continue to extend the county burn ban?  Yes 89%  No 11%

Extending the burn ban was a no-brainer for Ector County commissioners, but the continuation of dry conditions in this area increases the pressure to somehow give relief to residents inconvenienced by not being able to burn their trash.

The small amounts of moisture that have fallen in sporadic fashion have done nothing to head off the possibility of wildfires. So, for safety's sake, commissioners were forced to keep the burn ban in effect.

But so far, the commissioners court has done nothing to provide any type of trash pickup for people who normally would be burning their waste.

We suspect that a lot of county dwellers are just ignoring the county mandate and burning their trash in defiance of the commissioners.

But as the months wear on, the concern is that more and more people will ignore the burn ban.

So, again, we suggest that the county arrange a few drop-off zones with containers or trucks to collect the refuse in the more dense population areas to provide residents with an option. That would allow them to dump their garbage without burning it or hauling into town and depositing it in municipal trash containers.

The county could then dispose of the accumulated waste, providing a service in exchange for residents not endangering neighboring property with illicit burning.

If the county wanted to defray some of the cost of collecting and hauling, a small fee for dropping off trash could be charged. But providing the service free of charge probably would be best.

All we're suggesting is a common sense approach to a really sticky situation. And since this area is subject to prolonged drought conditions, the sooner some alternative can be arranged, the better it will be for all.