Warren County Receives $362,527 Tire Program Grant

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today announced a grant of $362,527 for Warren County from the state's Tire Environmental Act Program.

Warren County will provide matching funds of $90,632 and use the grant to purchase equipment to improve the county's management of scrap tires. The project costs $453,159 and will support the cleanup of illegal tire dump sites across the county and reduce the health risks they create for citizens.

"The Tire Environmental Act Program provides ways to retrieve old tires and repurpose them into community assets," said TDEC Deputy Commissioner Greg Young. "These grants help make that happen, and we look forward to the results that come from this process."

Warren County recycles approximately 700 tons of scrap tires annually. Equipment funded by the grant will allow the county to manage its scrap tires in a more efficient and safe manner. To further enhance its efforts, the county will develop a public education campaign through its schools and utilize social media to emphasize the importance of proper disposal of tires.

The purpose of the Tire Environmental Act Program is to select and fund projects that best result in beneficial uses for waste tires. Projects must qualify for one of three categories: tire processing/recycling, tire-derived material use, or research and development. The program provides grant funding to eligible entities, including local governments, non-profit organizations, higher education institutions, K-12 schools, and for-profit businesses.

Tennessee established the Tire Environmental Fund in 2015. Upon the first retail sale of a new motor vehicle to be titled and registered in Tennessee, a flat fee based on the number of a vehicle's wheels is assessed. The fee goes into the fund, which is used for projects creating or supporting beneficial end uses for waste tires.

Since 2015, grantees have been awarded almost $9.2 million, and approximately 7.6 million tires or nearly 82,000 tons of scrap tires have been diverted from landfills. The tires are repurposed for use in rubberized asphalt, tire-derived aggregate, tire-derived fuel, granulated rubber porous flexible pavement, and other beneficial end uses that result in tires being diverted from landfill for a higher and better use.