Controlled Burns of Vegatation near nuclear facilities

[Camella Black]

Hello from Snelling SC which borders the DOE facility of the Savannah River Site. Once again it is burn season here and the smoke today was horrible. In my time traveling (34 years) to various nuclear plants including a couple of other DOE facilities I have never seen so much control burning as they do here.

Is this a common practice in your area and what do you think of it. While I know this really doesn't relate to the nuclear industry it is a huge problem for many of us that live around this site.

[Cathy]

Maybe Los Alamos should have done a few of those controlled burns years ago or was that what started the Los Alamos fires a few years ago?

[B.PRESGROVE]

Having worked out there for several years I can understand where you are coming from.  Those burns though do serve a very vital roll in keeping the vegitation down, considering the site is the size of New York City and dry as a bone right now.  They also help to curtail the animal population and bugs (which even though they burn alot of land those nuke little critters can live through anything).

[shovelheadred]

..Camella, having lived in SC most of my life, and now living in the sandhills, yes this is a common practice,,especially, the timber country where I live...it removes the underbrush, so the pine needle raking people can get at their needles easier,,,and also removes fuel for fires that would use this brush as fuel...I myself have done this on my property,,,some individuals burn their grass, which if you have centipede or zoysia is a mistake, as they are top ground grasses with very little root beneath the ground,,raking the dead grass is a better idea...there may be other reasons, but this is my experience.....

[number41]

Camella, I was at Vogtle last week, and I agree.  The smoke out there was horrible!  I didn't realize that it was necessarily controlled burning though, because I saw lots of small fires and smoke, but not a single fire control/fire department person.

[SloGlo]

keeps da kudzu in control.....   

[number41]

SloGlo, good thing you threw the winky/winky on there...........anybody from SC/NC/GA knows there's NOTHING you can do to stop the kudzu!!!!

[Mike McFarlin]

Nothing short of goats.

[SloGlo]

SloGlo, good thing you threw the winky/winky on there...........anybody from SC/NC/GA knows there's NOTHING you can do to stop the kudzu!!!!

aye tink da onliest weigh yinz kin git control of kudzu is to publish a reseepee four making whine frum it.  ya cood make monee offa it iffen ya fingered aught a whey two use it fer biodiesel err anudder alturnetiv fool.

[Camella Black]

though off topic, I love the idea of making wine from kudzu. heck in other countries they eat the stuff!. I have seen baskets woven out of it and know that it can be baled for fodder.

[Camella Black]

Camella, I was at Vogtle last week, and I agree.  The smoke out there was horrible!  I didn't realize that it was necessarily controlled burning though, because I saw lots of small fires and smoke, but not a single fire control/fire department person.

I know 

[shovelheadred]

...Union,SC,,has the Kudzu Festival, they eat it,,,and have a Kudzu Good time