Report to the Join Standing Committee on Natural Resources

Long-Term Funding Alternatives for the Scrap Tire Abatement Program

Status/Progress Report Concerning the

Scrap Tire Abatement Program

January 2000
Maine Department of Environmental Protection &
Maine Department of Economic and Community Development

Introduction
Executive Summary
Table of Contents

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Road Reconstruction Project using Type B modified tire chips as sub-base fill in Wesley, Maine

A. INTRODUCTION

This report is prepared in response to Maine Resolve Chapter 48 (1999) that directs the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Economic and Community Development "to devise a proposal for long-term funding of the removal of tire dumps" and to report findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources by January 14, 2000.

This Resolve further directs that the Commissioners of the Departments:

Review options for entering into contracts with tire abatement and site remediation contractors,
Review mechanisms to ensure long-term funding of the clean-up and reclamation activities,
Review alternative funding issues including additional fees charged to a purchaser of tires and the use or sale of waste tires for fuel, and
Identify any statutory or regulatory changes necessary to permit the Department of Environmental Protection to enter into tire abatement contracts or to ensure long-term funding of these activities.
This report also presents detailed information on the status of the tire stockpile abatement program in Maine and on regulatory efforts concerning the management of scrap tires.

B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Department of Environmental Protection undertook a number of initiatives in establishing the tire stockpile abatement program in 1996. Among these was an initial survey of all known tire piles in the state and a risk ranking of those piles. The survey resulted in the identification of:

5 "Class A" sites (greater than 1 million tires)

29 "Class B" sites (between 10,000 and 1 million tires)

284 "Class C" sites (less than 10,000 tires)

The estimated total number of tires in these 318 sites combined is approximately 22.3 million.

Significant progress has been made to date on site cleanups and tire removals. Thus far, a total of 7,082,500 tires have been removed from stockpiles under the program. These tires have been directed to beneficial uses. As of 12/31/99, abatement work was complete at 2 of the 5 Class A sites, was partially completed at a third site, and was ongoing at a fourth. By mid-2001, cleanups will be complete at 4 of the 5 Class A sites and work will still be ongoing at the fifth (and largest). In addition, at least 6 Class B sites will have been completely remediated by that time. See Table 1 of the report for site specific abatement status summary.

Total cost to date for the removal of 7,082,500 tires is $4,833,786. Cost projection estimates for the remediation of all known stockpiles according to risk category are as follows:

Class A: 9.8 million tires remaining $ 9,800,000

Class B: 1.7 million tires remaining $ 1,700,000

Class C :710,000 tires remaining $ 710,000

TOTAL $12,210,000

Cost estimates are based upon an assumed $1 per tire abatement cost.

The department recommends funding the tire stockpile abatement program through the use of the following funding mechanisms

ü $511,500 from the current surplus of approximately $850,000 in the Solid Management Waste Fund.

ü Beginning in FY 2002, direct $1.00 per tire fee to tire abatement ($850,000 annually) with a corresponding appropriation from the General Fund to support on-going solid waste management program activities.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

A. INTRODUCTION

B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

C. MAINE'S SCRAP TIRE MANAGEMENT AND ABATEMENT PROGRAM: HISTORY AND STATUS
1. Background
2. Environmental and Public Health Threats from Uncontrolled Tire Stockpiles
3. 1995-96 Legislation
4. Maine Scrap Tire Inventory
5. Enforcement
6. Scrap Tire Transportation
7. Scrap Tire Abatement/Clean up
a. Program Goals and Status
b. Site Activity Summaries: Class A Stockpiles
c. Site Activity Summaries: Class B Stockpiles
8. Changes in Scrap Tire Handling Regulations
9. Markets, Reuse and Cooperative Agreements

D. SCRAP TIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FUNDING

1. Revenue Sources to Date
2. Expenditures and Costs to Date
3. Projected Costs

E. RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

1. Contracts
2. Funding
3. Recommendations

Map of Class A & B Tire Stockpiles

Table 1 - Tire Stockpile Site Abatement Activity as of 12/31/99

Table 2 – Expenditures and Costs to Date

Appendix A – Description of Tire Programs in Other States

Appendix B – Summary of State Waste Tire program Funding

Appendix C – Resolve, to Direct the Dept. of Environmental Protection & theDept. of Economic and Community Development to Devise a Proposal for Long-term Funding of the Removal of Tire Dumps

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