Michigan announces scrap tire grants

Recycling Today, June, 2004

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has announced an additional $2.4 million in state grants. The grant money was approved by the state of Michigan's Administrative Board to help clean up approximately 1.8 million scrap tires from sites across the state.

The DEQ announced March 15, 2004, that 18 applicants were to receive grant awards of less than $25,000 each, totaling $102,307. Funding was made available under the authority of Part 169, Scrap Tires, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended. All state grants and contracts greater than $25,000 are required to be approved by Michigan's Administrative Board. These additional 17 grants will bring the total amount of the funds granted this year under the Scrap Tire Cleanup Grant Program to $2.5 million.

Among the 17 grantees are: Earl Maxwell, Berrien County, $855,000; Wheat Tire Site in Clare County, $210,000; Arthur M. McConnel, Arenac County, $184,000; Nora Brooks, St. Clair County, $178,500; Oakfield Township in Kent County, $157,500; and Willard Schlubatis, Branch County, $126,000.

The program funds for this year will completely clean up 26 of the 35 tire sites that are receiving funding and will create critical fire lanes in the remaining nine scrap tire accumulations. The grant recipients will have until August 2004 to complete the contract requirements for having their tires removed, processed and used by an end-user acceptable to the DEQ.