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Department of Ecology News Release - June 16, 2008
08-165
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has awarded a contract to a team of companies to continue cleanup of tire piles in Washington. Tire Disposal and Recycling, a Portland-based business, and L&S Tire Company, from Lakewood and Spokane, will remove approximately 630,000 tires from 47 sites under the $1.2 million contract.
Fifteen of those tire pile sites are located in the northwest counties of King, Kitsap, Skagit, and Snohomish. The other 32 identified tire pile sites are scattered across the state from Clallam Bay to Grays Harbor to Moses Lake. (See the attached list of site locations.)
Storage of 800 or more scrap tires requires a state license as well as a solid waste handling permit. Ecology uses funds from the Waste Tire Removal Account established by the Legislature to clean up unauthorized tire piles in the state. Funding for the program comes from a $1 fee charged on each new replacement vehicle tire sold in Washington. Ecology continues to work closely with county health districts to identify existing unauthorized tire piles in the state.
Tire cleanup efforts under this latest contract will start this summer and are expected to continue through 2009. Tires will be removed and hauled to processing facilities in Portland, Lakewood, or Spokane and separated for reuse, recycling or disposal.
“We continue to make progress cleaning up this public health and safety threat, one tire pile at a time,” said Laurie Davies, manager of Ecology’s Solid Waste Program. “These piles can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, nesting places for rodents, and present fire hazards.”
In 2005, Ecology identified 54 tire pile sites in the state containing 3 million tires (refer to the 2005 report at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0507043.pdf). Today the total number of sites across the state totals 140 tire piles that contain 5 million waste tires. These tire piles are located in 27 counties across the state.
Under contracts for Eastern Washington and southwest areas of the state, cleanup has been completed at 44 waste tire sites, removing 3.6 million tires. Ecology officials expect to complete the cleanup of the remaining 96 waste tire piles across the state by the end of 2010. These cleanup efforts are expected to cost a total of more than $8 million from the specific fund for clean-ups.
“Increased enforcement of existing laws and more emphasis on recycling will help reduce the need for clean up of future tire piles,” said Davies. Prevention efforts involve collaboration with Washington State Patrol, police departments, fire departments, county code enforcement, county public health, and other environmental compliance agencies.
The following table lists the sites to be cleaned up under this contract.
|
Site Name |
City |
Site Name |
City |
|
Aberdeen AW |
Aberdeen |
Opp Property |
Newport |
|
Emery Auto Sales |
Aberdeen |
Terrific Bargains |
Newport |
|
Sideline AW |
Aberdeen |
Othello-Rodriguez |
Othello |
|
Used Car |
Aberdeen |
Hurricane Ridge |
Port Angeles |
|
Edwards Property |
Auburn |
Airport Auto Wrecking |
Port Orchard |
|
Alderman Property |
Benton City |
Bremerton Auto Wrecking LF |
Port Orchard |
|
Scamhorn Property |
Buckley |
Jefferson County |
Port Townsend |
|
Lewis County Flood Tires |
Centralia |
Mendoza Automotive |
Prosser |
|
Telford Grange |
Creston |
Savage/Prosser Auto |
Prosser |
|
A&A Auto Wreckers |
Ellensburg |
City of Ritzville |
Ritzville |
|
DJs Auto Wrecking |
Ephrata |
Merritt Property |
Roy |
|
Scott Property |
Ephrata |
Cecil Moses Park |
Seattle |
|
Japanese Gulch |
Everett |
Monster's Auto |
Seattle |
|
Federal Way Auto Wrecking |
Federal Way |
Puget Sound (tires underwater) |
Seattle |
|
Mockmer Property |
Gig Harbor |
Harris Property |
Sedro Woolley |
|
Browning Property |
Goldendale |
McCuen's Auto Wrecking |
Snoqualmie |
|
Quantrell Property |
Goldendale |
Miller Property |
Soap Lake |
|
Binford Metals |
Kent |
Brewer Property |
Spanaway |
|
Longview Auto Wreckers |
Longview |
A&A Auto Salvage |
Spokane |
|
Carlock Property |
Lyle |
Hubbard Property |
Sprague |
|
Davis Property |
Moses Lake |
Competitive Auto |
Toppenish |
|
Kimerling Property |
Napavine |
Island Auto Wrecking |
Vashon |
|
Bennett Property |
Newport |
Sparks Property |
Woodinville |
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Media Contacts:
Kathy Davis, media relations, 360-407-6149
Laurie Davies, Solid Waste Program, 360-407-6103
For more information:
Ecology’s Tire Cleanup website:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/tires/
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
