"More than 5 million tires are replaced and scrapped every year in Alabama. When improperly discarded, old tires can be an environmental menace. It is not uncommon to see scrap tires abandoned along roadsides, littered in rivers, creeks and other streams, and strewn across the countryside. There, they are eyesore and impair natural resources. They are also often piled in illegal tire dumpsites where they are both fire hazard and accumulate water and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests.
Even when properly disposed, scrap tires can still be a problem. They take up valuable space in landfills, and sometimes after being buried tires can work themselves back to the surface and require follow-up cleanup. To combat these problems, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has invested tens of millions of dollars over the past two decades to assist local communities in cleaning up improperly discarded tires and to promote innovative and beneficial uses for scrap tires so fewer would be just thrown away.
At the same time as ADEM seeks ways to solve the scrap tire problem, steelmaker SSAB Alabama, Inc., is looking for opportunities to make its steelmaking more environmentally friendly. Last year, SSAB completed a trial project in collaboration with ADEM that has the promise of helping both the regulatory agency and the steelmaker accomplish their goals."
