21. WASTE TIRES
Waste tires are tires that are no longer suitable for their intended purpose because of wear, damage, or defect.
21.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter of the Douglas County Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan (DCCSWMP) outlines the regulatory framework overseeing waste tires, discusses the existing conditions and programs within the Regional Planning Area (RPA), establishes objectives to meet the existing and projected needs, identifies alternatives, and recommends actions for achieving the established objectives.
21.2 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
21.2.1 State Requirements
The State of Washington regulates waste tires storage and transportation under Chapter 173.304 WAC. Specifically, the state has established the following requirements for waste tires:
- performance standards
- carrier license requirements
- storage permit requirements
- storage site license requirements
- location standards
- operating standards
- closure requirements
- financial assurance requirements
21.2.2 Local Requirements
Douglas County
Any jurisdiction, agency, private corporation, individual or other entity wishing to import waste tires into Douglas County must conform to the Douglas County Solid Waste Importation Ordinance (DCSWIO). As specified within the ordinance, a formal Letter of Request to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners requesting that their application for solid waste importation be reviewed is required. Only after the Douglas County Board of Commissioners has received a Letter of Request will the review and approval process begin. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners will review the information contained within the Letter of Request with county staff and others. If it is determined by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners that sufficient information has been provided and that all known potential adverse impacts have been identified, assessed and mitigated, the request may be approved.
Within Douglas County, no person shall deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of any waste tire upon any public place within the county or upon a private residence or other private property not owned by him/her, or in any waters within the county except:
- when such property is designated by the state or any of its agencies or the county for the disposal of solid waste, and such person is authorized by the appropriate permitting authority to so use such property;
- with the prior written consent of the landowner approving of such disposal upon their private property.
Additionally, within Douglas County all owners or persons in control of any private residence or other private property shall, at all times, maintain the premises free of any waste tires that pose a risk to public health and safety or create a nuisance.
21.3 EXISTING CONDITIONS
21.3.1 Education
An education program has been in place since 1993 to inform generators of the options available to them to properly dispose of or recycle their waste tires. The program has utilized resources through the media (radio, newspaper), posters, brochures and direct personal communications. Community Recycling Center (CRC) posters are available through the Douglas County Solid Waste Program Office (DCSWPO) as well as brochures. These posters and brochures have been distributed throughout the RPA announcing the location, hours of operation, phone number and point of contact for each of the CRCs.
21.3.2 Private Sector Collection Programs
Many tire retailers within the RPA have take-back programs for their customers. Therefore, as the customer purchases new tires their waste tires are collected and either recycled or disposed of by the tire retailer as a customer service. Both permitted wrecking yards within the RPA have waste tire collection and recycling programs. Used tires that still have good tread are resold, while the waste tires are either recycled or disposed of.
21.3.3 Waste Tire Collection Facilities
There are four waste tire collection facilities serving the RPA. The four waste tire collection facilities collect only automobile and utility truck tires and are open to the general public with established days and hours of operation. A small handling charge is assessed for each waste tire collected. The four waste tire collection facilities serving the RPA are located at:
- City of Bridgeport Community Recycling Center
- City of Rock Island Community Recycling Center
- Town of Mansfield Community Recycling Center
- Town of Waterville Community Recycling Center
Commercial and agricultural tires will not be accepted at the waste tire Collection facilities.
21.3.4 Waste Tire Collection Event
The City of East Wenatchee, in conjunction with Les Schwab Tire, sponsors a spring waste tire collection event for the Greater East Wenatchee Area. Under this program, any Greater East Wenatchee Area generator who has an automobile or utility truck waste tire can turn it into Les Schwab tire for a small handling and disposal charge. The handling and disposal charge varies depending upon whether the waste tire is brought in by itself or is still on its rim. The collected waste tires are then recycled by Les Schwab Tire.
Commercial and agricultural tires will not be accepted at the waste tire collection event.
Table 21-1 Quantity of Waste Tires Collected within the RPA
|
Company/Community |
|
|
|
1998 |
1999 |
|
||
|
Les Schwab |
|
|
|
|
|
24,945 |
24,756 |
|
|
Sears |
|
|
|
|
|
2,000* |
2,000* |
|
|
Douglas County |
|
|
|
|
138 |
182 |
|
|
|
Town of Waterville |
|
|
|
|
112 |
62 |
|
|
|
City of Rock Island |
|
|
|
|
87 |
59 |
|
|
|
Chelan County |
|
|
|
|
39 |
30 |
|
|
|
Greater East Wenatchee |
|
|
|
|
30 |
447 |
|
|
|
Town of Mansfield |
|
|
|
|
8 |
33 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27,359 |
27,569 |
|
|
* Not an exact figure, because no records were kept. |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Source: Bill Tinney II |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Map 21-1. Waste Tire Facilities within the RPA
21.4 OBJECTIVES
21.4.1 Ensure that Waste Tires are Properly Managed
With generators being responsible for the proper management of their waste tires, it is very important that the generator properly dispose of their waste tires. Failure of a generator to properly manage their waste tires can pose a direct threat to the public health and safety and the environment.
21.4.2 Ensure that Facilities Receiving Waste Tires Meet All Federal, State, and Local Regulations
With state regulations specifying how waste tires facilities are to be operated, it is very important that the owner or operator of a facility be properly educated. Failure of a facility owner or operator to comply with the state regulations can result in substantial penalties, fines and corrective actions.
21.4.3 Ensure that the Program Reflects Local Conditions
With the tendency of regulatory agencies to have a one-size-fits-all approach, it is imperative that all programs be locally supported and accepted. Because of the rural character of Douglas County and its cities and towns, all programs should reflect conditions and markets that exist locally and not be driven by what the Department of Ecology (DOE) deems efficient or cost effective.
21.4.4 Ensure that the Public has an Opportunity to Recycle
With restrictions placed upon how and where waste tires can be disposed of, it is imperative that generators have convenient and economical recycling opportunities available. Failure to provide such opportunities may lead to improper disposal and possible enforcement action against the generator.
21.4.5 Establish a Waste Tire Diversion Goal
It is the goal of the DCCSWMP to divert twenty percent of all waste tires sold within the RPA.
21.5 ALTERNATIVES
21.5.1 Ban Waste Tires from the GWRLF
Another way to increase source-separated recycling is to prohibit the disposal of waste tires into the GWRLF. One problem associated with disposal bans is illegal dumping of the banned material. Therefore, an important component of a disposal ban is the development of alternative handling and disposal methods. For example, if waste tires are banned from the solid waste stream, then a waste tire collection and recycling facility must be available, convenient and reasonably priced to accommodate the diverted material.
21.5.2 Restrict Disposal to Only Permitted and Approved Facilities
By restricting waste tire disposal to only permitted and approved facilities, proper disposal, diversion and recycling opportunities will be available within the RPA. This will ensure that the facilities are operated in a manner that protects the public health and safety and the environment. However, there are currently many non-permitted collection and disposal sites within the RPA. As required by Chapter 173.304 WAC, all solid waste facilities are to be permitted by the Chelan-Douglas Health District (CDHD) and inspected at least annually. Facilities failing to obtain or apply for a solid waste facility permit are considered to be illegal dumpsites, and are in violation of state law and local regulations.
21.5.3 Site and Permit a Number of Waste Tire Recycling Facility within the RPA
With three waste tire recycling facilities, two licensed and one non-permitted, within the RPA currently, additional facilities should be sited and permitted within the RPA. The actual number of recycling facilities would depend upon the volume of waste tires available, the geographic location of the facility in proximity to the sources of waste tires, convenience to the public and federal, state and local siting and permit requirements. If the recycling facilities were to be in close proximity to the source of waste tires, were convenient to the public, and the disposal fee was reasonable, the diversion and recycling of waste tires would likely take place. However, if too many recycling facilities are sited and permitted within the RPA, the overall volume is dispersed to the point the facilities may not be able to receive enough waste tires to sustain their operation.
21.5.4 Encourage Retailers to Implement Take-Back Programs
Retailers who sell tires should be encouraged to implement a take-back program. This would allow the customers a convenient opportunity to dispose of their waste tires properly and at no or at minimum costs. The DCSWPO could provide technical assistance to businesses that choose to implement waste tire take-back programs. The DCSWPO could assist the businesses by coordinating recycling options, by promoting the take-back programs, by offering workshops and similar assistance.
21.5.5 Encourage Utilization of Existing Recycling Opportunities
With existing waste tire recycling facilities and take-back programs available within the RPA, the DCSWPO should promote the use of these facilities and programs. The DCSWPO should develop and distribute posters, brochures and flyers promoting the hours of operation, locations and disposal costs for the recycling facilities. For those retailers who offer take-back programs the DCSWPO should develop and conduct a public awareness program utilizing radio spots, small informational pieces in the newspaper and advertising to promote their use. The DCSWPO should also conduct informational meetings throughout the RPA illustrating the benefits and diversion potential of these recycling facilities and take-back programs.
21.5.6 Conduct an Annual Waste Tire Collection Event for the Greater East Wenatchee Area
Under this alternative the City of East Wenatchee would sponsor an annual waste tire collection event for the Greater East Wenatchee Area. This would allow Greater East Wenatchee Area residents and commercial generators a convenient opportunity to dispose of their waste tires. In order to market the collected waste tires, it is important that specific collection requirements be met. Specifically, all waste tires must meet the following collection specifications:
- only passenger car or utility truck tires will be accepted,
- no commercial or agricultural waste tires will be accepted,
- no plastic wheel covers will be accepted,
- waste tires may be on rims
The DCSWPO should assist the City of East Wenatchee by coordinating the collection event, obtaining collection event personnel, promoting the collection event, preparing a site specific health and safety plan, providing notification to the appropriate emergency management agencies, providing collection event and traffic control equipment and other responsibilities as needed to assure a successful and safe collection event. Under this alternative, the DCSWPO would set up and tear down the waste tire collection site. All participants wishing to dispose of their waste tires would be checked in to make certain that their waste tires conform to the collection specifications, complete a collection event survey and then drop off their waste tires. All collected waste tires will be recycled.
21.5.7 Collect Waste Tires at the Community Recycling Centers
Because of the small volume of waste tires generated and the distance to travel to dispose of their waste tires, the participating jurisdictions of Bridgeport, Rock Island, Mansfield and Waterville are limited in their options. Under this alternative, the existing CRC would collect waste tires. This would allow the public and commercial generators within those communities a local opportunity to dispose of their waste tires. The DCSWPO should assist the participating jurisdictions by coordinating the transportation and processing of the collected waste tires. Additionally, the DCSWPO would be responsible for promoting the collection program, preparing a site specific health and safety plan, providing collection event and traffic control equipment and other responsibilities as needed to assure a successful and safe collection program.
21.5.8 Develop a Point-Of-Sale Notification Program for Tire Retailers
A point-of-sale notification program should be implemented to determine the quantity and type of tires being purchased annually within the RPA. The program would be divided into four elements:
- a public education element,
- a data collection and reporting element,
- a tire retail notification element,
- an annual program review element.
The public education element should be developed by the DCSWPO in conjunction with the business community. The data collection and reporting element should monitor all retail sales of tires within the RPA to establish a baseline to help determine how effective the waste tire collection, diversion and recycling program is. The tire retail notification element would require tire retailers to report annually to the DCSWPO on how many tires and what type of tires they had sold within the reporting year. Also, as part of the tire retail notification element, retailers would be required to post a public notice notifying their customers about how waste tires are to be disposed of and where they may dispose of their waste tires. The notice should be prominently displayed in the immediate proximity of where customers would find the tires to purchase. Lastly, the participating jurisdictions should meet with the Douglas County Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) annually to review the effectiveness of the point-of-notification program. During this annual review the following program points will be discussed:
- effectiveness of the public education program. Suggestions for improving the public education program.
- effectiveness of the data collection and reporting program. Suggestions for improving the data collection and reporting program.
- retail compliance with the tire retail notification program. Suggestions for improving the tire retail notification program.
- Evaluation of the overall program and its effect upon retailers. This evaluation should be based upon the following:
a. effectiveness of the public education program upon retailers,
b. burden placed upon the retailers to comply with the data collection and reporting program,
c. burden placed upon the retailers to comply with the tire retail notification program,
d. effectiveness in determining the quantity and type of tires purchased within the RPA.
21.5.9 Develop a Waste Tire Education Program
The DCSWPO should develop a waste tire education program. This program would provide the public with specific information on how to properly dispose of waste tires and what diversion, reuse and recycling opportunities exist within the RPA. The program could provide information on what is a waste tire, how it is regulated, where it can be recycled, and other similar information. The DCSWPO should develop brochures and information sheets to educate the public, retailers and regulatory authorities about how waste tires are to be managed properly. Existing waste tire recycling facilities and take-back programs should be promoted and the reuse and recycling of waste tires should be stressed over landfilling.
21.5.10 Monitor and Track Waste Tires
The DCSWPO needs to monitor and track all waste tires to determine who is generating the waste tires, the volume and type of waste tires being generated, where they originated from, where they are being disposed of, and how they are being disposed of. Without knowing these basic facts, it is impossible to properly manage the solid waste stream within the RPA. Therefore, the DCSWPO should establish a data tracking program which monitors and tracks all waste tires being disposed of within the RPA annually.
21.6 RECOMMENDATIONS
21.6.1 Restrict Disposal to Only Permitted and Approved Facilities
21.6.2 Site and Permit a Number of Waste Tire Recycling Facilities within the RPA
21.6.3 Encourage Retailers to Implement Take-Back Programs
21.6.4 Encourage Utilization of Existing Recycling Opportunities
21.6.5 Conduct an Annual Waste Tire Collection Event for the Greater East Wenatchee Area
21.6.6 Collect Waste Tires at the Community Recycling Centers
21.6.7 Implement a Waste Tire Education Program
21.6.8 Monitor and Track Waste Tires