The Tire Industry Association (TIA), one of the world's leading authorities on tires, applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to not classify scrap tires as solid waste under the Clean Air Act.

TIA worked with numerous other associations to lobby Congress to ensure that the EPA scrutinized the industry's position that scrap tires should continue to be utilized as an alternative fuel for cement kilns, paper mills and other power generators.

Had scrap tires been classified as solid waste, the ruling would have necessitated new permitting for these facilities under section 129 of the Clean Air Act, instead of section 112 - a costly process that few would have bothered with, said TIA. This would likely have devastated the scrap tire recycling market, causing soaring costs to tire dealers and creating a negative impact on the environment.

"This is a victory for tire recyclers, our members, and the industry as a whole. The utilization of tire-derived fuel is an excellent way to keep scrap tires from stockpiles and landfills, and it provides other industries with a cost-effective, 'green' alternative to other fuels, such as petroleum,” said TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield. “It also, in turn, lessens our nation's dependency on imported oil, which, as we are seeing, is becoming more and more expensive."