A ban on burning demolition debris in the state will soon become permanent.

The Senate approved the House-passed ban on Thursday and Gov. John Lynch said he would sign it.

"The burning of toxic construction and demolition debris poses an unnecessary and unacceptable danger to the health of New Hampshire's people and the health of our environment," Lynch said.

Last year, Lynch signed legislation extending a moratorium on burning debris until Dec. 31, but called for a permanent ban because of the health risks posed by airborne pollutants.

"Construction and demolition debris contains many toxic substances including mercury, lead, and arsenic," he said.

Thursday's vote came the same day oral arguments were held before the state Supreme Court in an appeal by Regenesis Corp., formerly Bio Energy LLC, which operates a co-generation plant in Hopkinton, Lynch's hometown.

Regenesis had obtained state permits to burn wood chips from construction and demolition debris in 2003, but the permits were later revoked. It then sued for the right to resume burning the same type of wood chips it had previously used, without going through a new permitting process.

State Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth, said the ban will reduce toxic emissions, prevent the state from becoming a dumping ground for out-of-state construction and demolition waste and develop new markets for re-used and recycled wood.

House sponsor Christine Hamm, of Hopkinton, also hailed the vote.

"This vote is a major step toward eliminating a clear and present danger to the health of New Hampshire's citizens and the welfare of our tourist economy," she said.

The Senate amended one burning bill to allow communities to burn untreated wood at their transfer stations for three years if it's supervised by a solid waste facility operator. The state has been asked to help communities find affordable alternatives within that three-year period.