Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
with ground or water, reducing their effectiveness. Borate wood preservatives are odorless,
nonirritating to skin and eyes, and considered safe to use around people and horses. Al-
though there may not be an EPA requirement to wear gloves when handling a particular
treated wood, it is always a good idea to protect your hands from splinters when handling
treated or untreated wood of any kind. When cutting treated wood, avoid inhaling sawdust
or getting dust or wood chips in your eyes. Wash your exposed body parts well after work-
ing with treated wood.
Never
burn treated or other manufactured wood. Not only are the
vapors and ash harmful to your health, but they will also pollute the environment. Keep
treated wood away from waterways and out of the groundwater. Whether you can haul
treated wood to your local landfill will depend on your area regulations and whether the
landfill is lined. How to properly dispose of treated wood is a growing concern, and there
is no simple answer. Here at Long Tail Ranch, we use scraps of treated posts and lumber as
gate props, as building blocks for small retaining walls, and for edging between gravel and
grass in nontraffic areas.
