Waste Tires

ECAR Fact Sheet for Indiana
Waste Tires

Regulations
Self-Audit Checklist
Best Management Practices
Contacts
Related ECAR Fact Sheets
Other Relevant Resources

BACK to VIRTUAL TOUR

The following fact sheet was prepared by the ECAR Center staff. Once prepared, each ECAR Center fact sheet undergoes a review process with the applicable state environmental agency(ies). You can check on the status of the review process here. Please read the disclaimer on the status page. While we have tried to present a summary of the essential information on this topic, you should be aware that other items, such as local regulations, may apply to you.

What You Need to Know

Waste tires can be a prime-breeding source for mosquitoes, the primary carriers of the West Nile Virus. The West Nile Virus is a viral disease that can cause encephalitis, an infection of the brain and spinal cord. Uncovered waste tires can accumulate pools of water where adult mosquitoes may lay eggs. One tire can generate thousands of mosquitoes over the course of a breeding season.

In addition to being prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes, waste tires may also present a significant risk to public health and the environment should a pile of tires catch fire. Tires are highly combustible.

Removing and properly disposing of waste tires will help to ensure that large piles of tires do not accumulate at the facility, eliminating mosquito breeding grounds and lessening the facility's chance of a fire and resulting cleanup.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has prepared a guidance document to help auto recyclers manage waste tires. Much of that information is included in the fact sheet below. You can access the link to IDEM's Compliance Manual for Auto Salvage Facilities under Other Relevant Resources.

Regulations

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (DEM) classifies waste tires as a solid waste. Below is a summary of the requirements that apply to auto recyclers who store waste tires.

Storage. If you generate twelve (12) or more waste tires a year, you must keep a record of how you dispose of them. You can comply with this requirement by filing copies of the waste tire manifest forms provided by your registered waste tire transporter.

Recording Keeping. If you deliver waste tires to a retailer who is serviced by a registered waste tire management facility, you must keep a file of the paid invoices that show disposal. The law requires records to be maintained one (1) year and the file must be available for review by IDEM.

Transportation. You are ultimately liable if you use an unregistered transporter that fails to properly manage the waste tires.

If you deliver waste tires to a retailer who is serviced by a registered waste tire management facility, you must keep a file of the paid invoices that show disposal. The law requires records to be maintained one (1) year and the file must be available for review by IDEM.

Disposal. Whole tire disposal is banned at landfills, making it necessary to alter tires by shearing across the bead into four relatively equal pieces or by cutting away each side wall from the tread, resulting in three pieces. Some landfills may require additional processing or may refuse to accept any tire material.

If you generate waste tires, you must dispose of them using one or more of the following methods:

Delivery to a wholesaler or to an agent of a wholesaler (a retailer);
Delivery to a manufacturer of tires;
Delivery to a facility that recycles tires;
Delivery to a permitted final disposal facility regulated under IDEM's waste regulations;
Delivery to a registered waste tire storage site;
Delivery to a facility operated as a waste tire cutting facility that is permitted by IDEM; or
Delivery to a registered waste tire transporter or a person who operates a municipal waste collection and transportation vehicle licensed under Indiana law.

Links to the Regulations and Forms. Use the following links to view the regulations pertaining to waste tire management.

Indiana Waste Tire Management Regulations

Self-Audit Checklist

When an inspector comes to your facility, there are certain things they check to see if you are in compliance with environmental regulations. It makes good sense for you to perform a "self-audit" and catch and correct problems before they result in penalties. Also, there are some compliance incentives associated with self-audits (see Audit Policy Page).

Use the following list to audit your waste tire storage areas and management procedures.

How many tires are stored? Make sure that if you generate more than twelve (12) tires per year, you keep a record of how you disposed of them by filing copies of the waste tire manifest forms provided by your registered waste tire transporter.
Are you property registered? If you wish to operate a waste tire storage facility or waste tire processing facility, you must (in most instances) first obtain a certificate of registration from IDEM.
Outdoor Scrap Tire Storage. Is your outdoor storage area for scrap tires 2,500 square feet or less (50' x 50')? Do you cover outdoor piles or provide other mosquito control? Do you protect tires from sources of ignition?

Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Most regulations tell you what you have to do to be in compliance, but they don't explain how to do it. That's where "best management practices" come into play. BMPs are proven methods that help you to get into compliance and stay there. The following BMPs are recommended for waste tire storage areas and management procedures.

Store as few waste tires as possible at your facility.
Schedule regular pickup for waste tires by a properly DEM permitted hauler.
Keep tires stored indoors, if possible, or keep tire piles covered in order to prevent entrapment of water.
If stored outdoors, store waste tires in a sunny area. (Sunlight speeds evaporation of standing water and kills heat-intolerant mosquito larvae.)
If waste tires cannot be processed in a timely manner, leave waste tires on the rims to avoid problems with mosquitoes until the waste tires can be managed properly.
Do not burn or bury waste tires.
Clean and maintain tire processing equipment regularly. Dirty, poorly maintained equipment poses a pollution risk from greasy rainwater run-off or dripping oil.

Contacts

For additional information, contact the Indiana Waste Tire Program Coordinator at 800-988-7901 or 317-233-9341.
Report spills and environmental emergencies immediately to IDEM by telephone at 1-888-233-7745.
Submit a pollution complaint online through the IDEM Pollution Complaints Clearinghouse

Related ECAR Fact Sheets

None.

Other Relevant Resources

BACK to VIRTUAL TOUR