|
ECAR
Fact Sheet for
Texas
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
Disposal of scrap tires is one of
the biggest solid waste issues facing automotive recyclers. Scrap
tires pose a significant threat to public health and the environment.
Scrap tire piles provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which
may cause disease, and they also present a serious fire hazard.
This fact sheet will help you manage
the tires stored at your facility and how to remove them properly.
Regulations
Scrap tires must be managed to prevent
fires and control disease vectors (mosquitos, rats, and snakes).
Anyone who stores more than 500 scrap tires must register with the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ); however, the scrap
tire rules apply to all generators and handlers, regardless of whether
or not they are registered. Auto recycling operations/salvage yards
are considered to be scrap tire generators.
Good reusable tires are not considered
to be scrap tires if they are stacked, sorted, classified, and arranged
in an organized manner for sale. Good used tires that are stored
in stockpiles are scrap tires. Scrap tires must be hauled by a registered
transporter to an authorized facility, either a permitted landfill
or a scrap tire facility.
Scrap Tire Management. Generators
may not store more than 500 scrap tires on the ground. Generators
who register with the TCEQ may store up to 2,000 tires in a trailer.
A state sales tax identification number is required for registration.
The state comptroller answers tax questions at 1-800-252-5555.
Generators must:
- Monitor tires stored outside for
vectors at least once every two weeks.
- Stack, sort, classify, and arrange
good used tires in an organized manner for sale.
- Document the removal of all scrap
tires using manifests, work orders, invoices or other records.
- Allow only registered scrap tire
transporters to remove their scrap tires.
- Ensure that the transporter who
collects the tires delivers them to an authorized facility.
- Still comply with all manifesting
requirements if transporting their own scrap tires without registration.
There are no state fees required
for scrap tire management. Generators may charge customers any amount
for disposal or may include the cost in the price of the tires purchased.
Fees for removal are negotiated between generators and transporters.
Recordkeeping. All facilities
must keep manifest records showing the nature of scrap tires. The
manifest is simply a cradle-to-grave record of the nature of each
load of scrap tires removed from a generator site. The generator
and every facility handling the tires must keep a copy of the manifest
for each load. The generator completes and signs the first section
of the manifest showing how many tires were picked up. The transporter
signs the manifest and leaves a copy with the generator. When the
tires are delivered to a permitted landfill or an authorized scrap
tire facility, the final sections of the manifest are completed
showing how many tires were disposed of at the facility.
The completed manifest must be returned
to the generator within 60 days after the scrap tires were transported
off site. The generator should notify the regional office of any
transporter or authorized scrap tire facility that fails to complete
the manifest, alters the generator portion of the manifest, or does
not return the manifest within three months after the off-site transportation.
Originals of manifests, work orders, invoices, or other documentation
must be retained by all facilities for a period of three years.
All such records must be made available to the executive director
upon request.
Links to the Regulations and Forms.
Use the following links to view the regulations pertaining to
scrap tire management.
State
of Texas Requirements for Management of Used or Scrap Tires
Application
for Scrap Tire Management Registration
Scrap
Tire Manifest Form
Self-Audit
Checklist
When an inspector comes to your facility,
there are certain things they he or she checks 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
scrap tire storage areas and management procedures.
- Where are scrap tires transported
for disposal/recycling? Make sure your transporter has a valid
state permit as a scrap tire transporter. Also, make sure the
tires are being taken to an authorized recycler or disposal facility.
- How many tires are stored?
Generators may not store more than 500 scrap tires on the
ground. Generators who register with the TCEQ may store up to
2,000 tires in a trailer.
- Have you kept manifest records
for all tire loads? All facilities must keep a cradle-to-grave
record of the nature of each load of scrap tires removed from
a generator site. The generator and every facility handling the
tires must keep a copy of the manifest for each load.
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 scrap tire storage
areas and management procedures.
- Store as few scrap tires as possible
at your facility.
- Schedule regular pickup for scrap
tires by a properly permitted hauler.
- Keep tires stored indoors, if
possible, or keep tire piles covered in order to prevent entrapment
of water.
- Store waste tires in a sunny area
to allow evaporation of standing water and to kill heat-intolerant
mosquito larvae.
- If scrap tires cannot be processed
in a timely manner, leave scrap tires on the rims to avoid problems
with mosquitoes until the scrap tires can be managed properly.
- Do not burn or bury scrap tires.
Contacts
- For more information on tire recycling
and scrap tire regulations, contact TCEQ’s Registration, Review
& Reporting Office at 512-239-2106.
- For general questions, contact the
TCEQ Regional
Office nearest you.
- To report a spill/release or other
pollution emergencies, contact the Emergency 24-hour Hotline at
1-800-832-8224.
- To report an environmental incident
or complaint, contact 1-888-777-3186.
Related
ECAR Fact Sheets
None.
Other
Relevant Resources
- Scrap Tires.
- Scrap Tire Recycling Information
- Guidance for Project Involving Beneficial Use of Scrap Tires (TCEQ-10302)
BACK
to VIRTUAL TOUR
|