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News Release 157
TIRE DUMP ROUNDUP CLEANUP PROGRAM CONTINUES IN 2008
Volume 36-157 |
Contact: Renee Bungart |
(For immediate release) |
573-751-4465 |
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MARCH 24, 2007 -- Spring is a great time to enroll in the Department of Natural Resources' Tire Dump Roundup Program and rid your property of unwanted scrap tires at no cost.
Enrollment into the Tire Dump Roundup Program is limited to sites containing approximately 500 to 10,000 tires. Active businesses and property owners who have participated in prior cleanup initiatives are not eligible. The program allows Missouri private property owners to self-report tire dumps on their property and have them cleaned up for free. The owner must sign an access agreement that states that if a property owner violates the solid waste management law in the future, the department can proceed with assessing penalties and cost recovery for the cleanup.
The Department of Natural Resources established the Tire Dump Roundup Program in November 2006. Over the last 16 months, 150 sites containing an estimated 314,030 tires have met the qualifications and enrolled in program. To date, 68 of those sites containing a total of 262,164 tires have been cleaned up and removed from Missouri's environment. The Missouri Vocational Enterprises provides the labor for the cleanups.
The Scrap Tire Fee, a 50-cent-per-tire fee charged on every new tire purchased in Missouri, funds the cleanups. Since the fee was established in 1990, more than 14 million tires have been removed from Missouri's environment. The fee will expire on Jan. 1, 2010, unless extended by the legislature.
Illegal scrap tire dumps pose serious environmental and health threats. Insects and rodents that grow and breed in these dumps can transmit diseases, such as the West Nile virus. Fires at tire dumps can release hazardous substances to the air, soil and water sources. When recycled properly, scrap tires have other beneficial uses. They can be made into playground surfaces, running tracks, recycled rubber products and can even be burned for fuel in power plants. In 2005 and 2006, more than 5.5 million tires were used as tire-derived fuel in power plants. The Department of Natural Resources is also working with the Missouri Department of Transportation to promote the use of scrap tires in asphalt for Missouri's roadways.
Other financial incentive programs are available to those who do not qualify for the Tire Dump Roundup Cleanup Program. The department continues to work with Missouri's solid waste management districts and nonprofit citizens groups in cleaning up dumpsites that contain fewer than 500 tires.
For more information or other financial incentives or to sign up for the Tire Dump Roundup Cleanup Program, contact the department's scrap tire unit at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-3909.
For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do .
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