Date: Fri 15-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

tires-recycling-dealers

Full Text:

Dealers To Be Charged For Tire Disposal

The Board of Selectmen Monday night agreed to attempt to solve a tire disposal

problem at the recycling center by charging commercial tire dealers 25 cents

per tire. There will continue to be no charge for residents who bring small

quantities of used tires to the recycling center.

The procedural change was prompted by a complaint from Charles Loomis of

Newtown Tire who said he disposes of only about 25 tires every three months

but often when he comes to the recycling center the tire trailer already has

been filled by dealers who bring 100 or more tires at a time.

Public Works Director Fred Hurley said it costs the town about $2 per tire, or

roughly $875 per trailer-load, to dispose of the tires at a facility in New

Jersey.

"The original intent of the town's recycling was for homeowners to dispose of

old tires," Mr Hurley said. "Since we stopped charging for tire disposal, I

haven't had to send out public works trucks every day to pick up tires that

have been dumped along roads all over town."

"We don't charge for tire disposal or other items like waste oil, antifreeze

and batteries - even though we have to pay to dispose of them - because we

believe it is an environmental problem to have them dumped all over town," he

said. "We don't charge for any of the items at the recycling center, even if

the resident doen't have a dump sticker. So there's no excuse for not bringing

them to the recycling center."

Mr Hurley said the reason that tire dealers also haven't been charged for tire

disposal was because it was believed that most tires came from vehicles owned

by local residents, "so in effect it is the same whether the dealer or the

resident brings the tires here."

However, he acknowledged that some tires might come from out-of-town vehicles

serviced by local dealers. In that case, local taxpayers are paying for the

disposal of non-resident tires.

Mr Loomis said the environmental charge which consumers pay when they purchase

tires actually is a tax which goes to the state of Connecticut's General Fund.

Despite what most consumers believe, the environmental charge is not used by

dealers to dispose of the tires, he said.

Mr Hurley said that charging a minimal fee, such as 25 cents per tire, to

dealers would help defray the town's cost and still allow dealers to use the

facility. Only tire dealers located in Newtown are permitted to use the

recycling center.

The selectmen agreed to implement the new system immediately and review it at

the end of the year.