A decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to not classify scrap tires as solid waste under the Clean
Air Act is being applauded by the Tire Industry Association
(TIA), which had pushed hard for the ruling.
The TIA worked with numerous other organizations to lobby
Congress to ensure that the EPA scrutinized the industry’s
position that scrap tires should continue to be utilized as
an alternative fuel for cement kilns, paper mills and other
power generators, according to Paul Fiore, the TIA’s director
of government and business relations.
“This is a victory for tire recyclers, our members and the
industry as a whole,” says TIA Executive Vice President Roy
Littlefield.
Had scrap tires been classified as solid waste, the ruling
would have necessitated new permitting for these facilities
under Section 129 of the Clean Air Act, instead of Section
112 – a costly process that few would have bothered with,
Fiore explains.
“This would likely have devastated the scrap tire recycling
market, causing soaring costs to tire dealers and creating a
negative impact on the environment,” he says.
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“TIA was glad to be an active participant in these efforts. I
wasn’t optimistic, but TIA is very happy to see the outcome,”
Fiore reports.
“The utilization of tire-derived fuel is an excellent way to
keep scrap tires from stockpiles and landfills, and it
provides other industries with a cost-effective ‘green’
alternative to other fuels, such as petroleum,” Littlefield
points out.
“It also, in turn, lessens our nation’s dependency on
imported oil, which, as we are seeing, is becoming more and
more expensive,” he adds.
For more information, visit www.tireindustry.org.
