About the Proposed Tire
Incinerator
Why is it so bad to burn tires?
The proposed tire incinerator, known as the
"Meadville Power Station", in Greenwood Township, Crawford County,
Pennsylvania, would be a major source of hazardous air pollution. Many
of the substances it would release such as Lead, Mercury, PAH's and
Dioxins are known carcinogens that can be highly toxic at very low
levels of exposure. These substances are also known to bioaccumulate in
the fat cells of humans, fish and wildlife, building up over time and
magnifying throughout the food chain. Exposure to fine particulate
matter (PM 2.5), one of the major emissions that the facility would
produce, has been linked to respiratory problems and
diseases. The facility would also produce large amounts of
ground level ozone which can cause respiratory problems and is
detrimental to the environment.
There are many beneficial uses
for scrap tires, including recycling, retreading, devulcanization, and
rubberized asphalt, to name just a few. Existing municipal
policies which view scrap tires as a waste are outdated and should be
updated to recognize them for the valuable resource that they are.
Emerging tire recycling technologies should be investigated, and use of
existing technologies should be expanded to best make use of this
resource.
The Environmental
Protection Agency has recognized
that current test methods used to determine the amount of particulate
matter released into the atmosphere by burning tires are flawed so
there is no way to accurately predict particulate matter emissions.
Where will
the tires come from?
The
tire recycling industry is very strong in Pennsylvania. CRE's facility
would consume up to 36.5 million scrap tires a year. According to a
2007 Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commision study, all of
Pennsylvania's 12 million annually generated scrap tires are used by
existing industries. It even says some tire recyclers actually have to
import tires, and that they operate below capacity because of the lack
of available tires. The latest Rubber Manufacturer's Association report
also shows that nearly 100% of the scrap tires generated in
Pennsylvania reach end-use markets. The Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection says that there are 2 million scrap tires in
tire piles in our state. 2 million tires would run
the
incinerator for less than a month. CRE representatives have refused to
say where they plan on getting the tires. The question remains, "Where
will the tires come from?"
What you can do?
Help CARE preserve
your environment and your
health. Write a letter to the Meadville Tribune expressing your
concern. Attend the CARE meetings.
Let the Greenwood Township supervisors, Meadville City Council, and the
Crawford County Commissioners know that the negative
environmental impact of a tire burning facility would far outweigh any
economic benefit it would create. Encourage council members to review
the human health impacts of the proposed emission
from Crawford Renewable
Energy tire burning facility, and explore all legal options under
federal Environmental Protection Agency rules to intervene and stop the
building of this plant. Ask your employer to get involved in this fight
for clean air and water.
About CARE
Contact
CARE
CARE's goal is to preserve the health and prosperity of the community
and the environment, and protect our natural resources.
CARE's current
environmental campaign is to
stop Crawford Renewable Energy from building a tire burning facility in
Greenwood Township, Crawford County, PA
