Residents of Ames may have to find a new way to dispose of their leaves next fall.

The Ames City Council will read a proposal at their Tuesday night meeting to ban the act of burning leaves. The reading will be the first of three necessary to either pass or waive the proposal. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

If the ordinance passes, it will take effect before April.

Faith Kennedy, advocate of the ban, encourages Ames residents, including Iowa State students, to attend the meeting and express their opinions. She said Tuesday is a last-chance opportunity for public voices.

“This is the only time the public will have a say in what is happening. The next two readings will be for the council only,” Kennedy said.

This is not the first time leaf burning has been the center of debate of Ames residents. As a result of similar concerns in 1994, the former year-long privilege became legal only during the months of April, October and November.

Ames resident Tom Scott opposes the ban, noting that limiting leaf burning to certain months puts an added strain on asthma sufferers.

“In 1994, we were allowed to burn at any time of the year. Now, [having] only three months, everyone is burning at the same time, causing the air to be filled with smoke,” Scott said.

Scott, who said he has a lot of leaves to burn every year, said a wet October and November caused more problems this year.

“The wet leaves produced even more smoke than usual,” Scott said.

ISU students who live off campus also have been affected by the leaf-burning proposal.

Mike Roberts, junior in agronomy, said a ban would be a good idea because the smoke from burning leaves is an annoyance.

“I think it’s a good thing because if you can take leaves somewhere else, it doesn’t bother your neighbors. [The smoke] sometimes makes it hard to breathe,” Roberts said.

Kennedy stressed burning leaves is a health threat to all people.

“It is not just the people with asthma who are affected by the smoke,” she said. “Those who are healthy and are outdoors exercising frequently are also inhaling the smoke from the leaves.”

Kennedy said many people are not aware of the health risks associated with leaf burning.

She said a chief concern with leaf burning is its effects on individuals living with asthma and lung and heart diseases. She said the smoke also is harmful to young children and the elderly.

Kennedy said the smoke contains seven strong carcinogens, one of which is benzo(a)pyrene, also present in cigarette smoke. She said for every five pounds of burning leaves, one pound of pollutants is released into the air.

The smoke can be absorbed by mucus membranes and get into the blood stream where pollutants remain for up to a year, Kennedy said.

She said a leaf-burning ban would reduce health risks significantly.

“A study done in Des Moines showed that after they banned leaf burning, the number of patients admitted to the hospital with respiratory-related problems decreased by one-half,” she said.

Emery Sobottka, director of environmental health and safety at ISU, said he empathizes for people who suffer from health problems during the leaf-burning months.

“We are actually quite late jumping on the bandwagon,” Sobottka said. “I just hope that they make this a win-win situation. The city needs to propose more options for leaf disposal if this proposal does pass.”

Councilwoman Judie Hoffman said the city council will look into other options for disposal if the proposal passes, but members have not yet discussed the issue.

Kennedy said other leaf-disposal alternatives exist. She said yard waste disposal sites currently are available and many of them are free on a number of weekends. She also suggested contracting garbage companies to pick up yard waste or bagging leaves and dropping them off at landfills.

Scott said composting is another option, but that it does not work for all leaves. He said burning is the best solution for leaf disposal and that a few Ames residents’ “horror stories” might sway the city council to ban leaf burning if more people do not voice their opinions.

“The issue hasn’t been looked into the way it should have been,” Scott said.

Tuesday’s city council meeting will take place at City Hall, 515 Clark Ave. Kennedy said Ames residents who cannot attend the meeting may get in touch with council members by calling 239-5105.

The leaf burning proposal will be discussed further at city council meetings scheduled for Feb. 10 and Feb. 24.