TEXAS SCRAP TIRE BRIEFING SHEET
SB 1516 (1989) requires scrap tires to be at least quartered within 60 days of receipt at a disposal site.

SB 1340 (1991) established waste tire program. Key features:

· a $2.00 per tire fee is imposed upon retail sales of new passenger and motorcycle tires.
· funds go into a tire recycling fund to pay qualifying processors 85 cents for every 18.7 pounds of tire shreds produced.

SB 1051 (1993) imposed a fee of $3.50 on truck tires, exceeding 17.5 inches in diameter to a maximum of 25 inches in diameter.

SB 776 (1995) made substantial revisions to the program. A 1$ fee was assessed on the sale of "good used tires" and a $3.50 fee on the sale of new agricultural tires 17.5" or greater. Additionally, SB 776:

· Reduces the reimbursement to processors to 80¢ per 18.7 pounds of scrap tires shredded unless they have 100% recycling, for which they receive 85¢ per tire.
· Requires processors to recycle their tires by sending them to a legitimate end user in order to be reimbursed.
· Requires all processors to shred to a 2x2" minus size unless they have a viable contract with a legitimate end user that requires a different size.
· Requires applications and registrations for recycling facilities that make products (including crumb rubber) from scarp tires. Established a $2 million fund for scrap tire recycling facility construction grants.
· These grants were available for 1996 and 1997.
· Requires applications and registrations for energy recovery facilities that use scrap tires for fuel. For FY 1996 established a $4 million fund to provide grants to energy recovery facilities that burn whole tires and a $2 million fund to provide grants to energy recovery facilities that burn scrap tire shreds. FY 1997 energy recovery facilities are paid 80¢ per tire until $6 million has been reimbursed.
· Generators may not be charged a fee by the transported who picks up their tires.
· Prohibits the disposal of any whole tire that is eligible for reimbursement, or any tire shredded into a landfill.
· 1997 Texas scrap tire program ended.
· No fees will be collected. A free enterprise system will be reintroduced.
· The TNRCC has money left over, which will be used for pile clean up.
· The manifest system is still in place.
· Processors will have to demonstrate an ability to process and sell the tires taken in or be shut down.

MAJOR MARKETS
Five cement kilns currently operate in the state, and there are some civil engineering projects in use. Some tires are still landfilled.

Tracking the Fate of Scrap Tires in Texas: An Audit Report

STATE CONTACT
Brooke Jackson
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 13087, MC-174
Austin, TX 78711-3087
Phone: (512) 239-2515
E-mail: brojacks@tceq.tx.us
TX General Info