[h=1]Treated wood could pose a danger to animals, humans[/h] [h=2]Burning CCA-treated wood is illegal in all 50 states[/h]
- STACEY HAIRSTON Staff Writer
- Jul 14, 2013
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The majority of wood used in outdoor residential settings has been CCA-treated since the 1970s. The lumber has been used for decks, playsets, fencing, picnic tables, raised gardens and more.
According to Charlie McGolda with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), when the treated wood is burned, the arsenic in the wood becomes concentrated into the wood ash, making it highly toxic. McGolda said it is illegal to burn CCA-treated wood in all 50 states.
One tablespoon of that ash, if ingested, is enough to kill an adult, he said. It would only take five tablespoons to kill a cow.
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We were made aware last fall of the death of five cows in Bedford," said McGolda.
Last fall, the EPA received an anonymous letter from the neighbor of a Bedford livestock owner. The letter stated that a dead deer had been sighted nearby. Near the deer was a dead vulture....
"Upon investigating, the livestock owner said he had been moving cows from one field to another, when the cows broke the wooden fence," said McGolda. "The damaged boards were put in a burn pile and later burned."
McGolda said the ashes have a salty flavor that animals are attracted to and apparently, the deer had licked the ash and died. Subsequently, the vulture also died.
The owner's cows licked the toxic ash, as well, and also died. A necropsy performed on one of the cows showed the cause of death as arsenic poisoning...
