Bredesen Announces Tire Cleanup Grant for Fayette County

Nashville, Tenn. – Governor Phil Bredesen and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke today announced a $163,305 Waste Tire Cleanup Grant for Fayette County. This grant will help fund the cleanup of thousands of tires at a site on Brewer Road in Somerville.

“This Waste Tire Cleanup Grant will help Fayette County clean up an illegal tire dump that has created a blight on Tennessee’s scenic landscape,” said Bredesen. “I’m pleased there is a mechanism in place to help communities like Fayette County deal with unsightly and potentially hazardous illegal dumps.”

Waste Tire Cleanup Grants are administered by Environment and Conservation through the Solid Waste Management Fund.  The Fund receives its revenues from a state surcharge on each ton of solid waste disposed in landfills and from a fee collected from new tires sold in Tennessee.

“The dump on Brewer Road contains more than 100,000 used tires,” said Fyke. “This Waste Tire Cleanup Grant will pay for a contractor to help Fayette County remove the tires from the site and dispose of them properly.”

“I’m glad this illegal dump is getting the attention it deserves, and that the county is getting the assistance it needs to do something about it,” said State Senator John Wilder.

Used tire dumps can pose significant health and environmental hazards. Whole tires provide habitats for rodents and mosquitoes, making them breeding grounds for disease. When burned, tires emit oxygen that constantly feeds the fire and noxious smoke that pollutes the air. Burning tires also release oils and soot that can contaminate both surface and ground water.
For more information on the Waste Tire Cleanup Grant program, visit the department’s Web site at http://www.tn.gov/environment/swm/grants/wtcgrant.shtml.