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.
“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.
