The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality issued the following news release:
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Mike Linder announced today that the state is awarding $1,767,116 to support 93 tire recycling and cleanup projects across the state.
Nebraskans generate over one and a half million scrap tires each year - that's about one tire for every person in the state. The grants awarded today will help to clean up approximately 840,000 scrap tires through amnesties, will reimburse individuals and organizations for crumb rubber and equipment purchases, and will help prevent public health and environmental problems by eliminating tire piles, Linder said. 'Scrap tires create a health risk when they are improperly managed. These grant funds will turn many scrap tire piles into useful products used in playgrounds and athletic fields, and in other beneficial ways. We need to continue encouraging innovative uses of scrap tires so that we all benefit. That's the purpose of this program.'
The grants are part of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants program, which is administered by the Department of Environmental Quality. The grants support both the collection of scrap tires and the purchase of new tire-derived products. 2007 grant recipients include:
* Nebraska City Public Schools - awarded $81,812 for partial reimbursement of an artificial turf surface for its football field.
* Minden Public Schools - awarded $17,132.13 for partial reimbursement of an athletic running track surface made from crumb rubber.
* Forty-one scrap tire 'Amnesty Day' collection sites - awarded $856,486.90 to conduct scrap tire collections at approximately forty-eight locations across the state. Forty-one political subdivisions will be holding scrap tire amnesty collection site cleanups this year. Funds have been made available to clean up over 8,400 tons of scrap tires from individuals, farms, and businesses. The tires will be converted into crumb rubber for playground surfaces, running tracks, and artificial turf surfaces. They will also be processed into shreds for daily cover at landfills, and for use in leachate collection systems and around septic tank laterals. Other scrap tires will be hauled to scrap tire monofills (landfills that accept only scrap tires) outside of Nebraska.
2007 WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING PROGRAM, TIRE FUND GRANTS
* Ainsworth Community Schools, rubber mats and blocks, crumb rubber, $8,748.25
* Atkinson, City of, amnesty for 600 tons, $66,092
* Aurora Public Schools, playground mats, $7,478.73
* Bassett, City of, amnesty for 100 tons, $13,408
* Beautiful Savior Lutheran Preschool, North Platte, crumb rubber, $256.69
* Bellevue, City of, amnesty for 100 tons, $9,700
* Brady, Village of, amnesty for 100 tons, $9,720
* Brook Valley School ESU3, Omaha, crumb rubber, $7,550.91
* Bruckman Rubber Co., Hastings, crumb rubber, $1,931.44
* Butler County Landfill, David City, tire shredder and concrete pad, $164,999.50
* Cass Co. Dept. of Roads, amnesty for 250 tons, $27,580
* Cedar Rapids Public School, athletic track surface, $22,500
* Cedars Youth Services, Lincoln, crumb rubber, $2,620
* Clarkson, City of, rubber mats and crumb rubber, $4,055
* Columbus, City of, amnesty for 250 tons, $24,750
* LL Coryell & Sons Park Foundation, Lincoln, crumb rubber, $1,290.59
* Creighton University, Omaha, artificial turf baseball field, $54,572.50
* Cubby Care Campus Preschool, South Sioux City, crumb rubber, $465.92
* Dakota Co. Road Department, amnesty for 100 tons, $11,854
* Decatur, Village of, amnesty for 250 tons, $27,954
* Dixon County, amnesty for 100 tons, $11,546
* Elkhorn Public Schools, running track surface, $22,475; artificial football field turf, $76,948.75
* Faith Lutheran School, Lincoln, pour in place rubber and crumb rubber, $1,663.13
* Faith-Westwood United Methodist Church, Omaha, crumb rubber, $3,217.13
* Fillmore County, amnesty for 100 tons, $8,676
* First Congressional Church/Little Pilgrims, Fremont, crumb rubber, $468
* Fullerton Area Economic Development Corp., athletic track surface, $19,179.50
* Goldenrod Hills Head Start, Wisner, rubber mats, border blocks, crumb rubber, $7,067.61
* Greater Lincoln Obedience Club, Lincoln, rubber flooring, $6,427.24
* Greeley-Wolbach Public School, border blocks, crumb rubber, $2,637.75
* Gross Catholic High School, Bellevue, athletic track surface, $27,939.95
* Hall County Highway Department, amnesty for 420 tons, $42,660
* Hamilton Heights Inc., Omaha, playground mats, $18,210
* Hampton Public School, playground mats, $1,899.25
* Hershey Public School #37, athletic track surface, $21,366.25
* Johnson County, amnesty for 200 tons, $17,528
* Joy Preschool/Trinity Lutheran Church, Blair, crumb rubber, $1,425
* Kearney, City of, amnesty for 300 tons, $27,300
* Kearney Public Schools Foundation, artificial football turf, $81,174
* Keep Alliance Beautiful, rubber mulch, $5,242.83
* Keith County, amnesty for 100 tons, $9,240
* Kimball Landfill, City of, amnesty for 200 tons, $20,310
* Kiwanis Club of Milford, playground mats, $5,452.58
* Knox County, amnesty for 100 tons, $11,510
* Lexington, City of, amnesty for 125 tons, $13,230
* Lexington Public Schools, border blocks, $459
* Lincoln Parks & Recreation, playground mats, $19,638
* Little Blue NRD, amnesty for 300 tons, $27,528
* Little Lamb Preschool/Lutheran, Omaha, crumb rubber, $3,010
* Little Lambs Daycare/Preschool, Omaha, crumb rubber, $2,535.00
* Lower Elkhorn NRD, amnesty for 300 tons, $29,488; amnesty for 100 tons, $10,852; amnesty for 75 tons, $8,478
* Lower Loup NRD, amnesty for 250 tons, $27,697.50; amnesty for 100 tons, $11,228
* Lower Platte North NRD, amnesty for 150 tons, $16,152
* Lower Republican NRD, amnesty for 250 tons, $23,078
* Madrid, Village of, amnesty for 250 tons, $23,866
* Malcolm Public School, playground mats, $4,256.04
* Minden Public Schools, athletic track surface, $17,132.13
* Montessori Educational Centers, Omaha, playground mats, $3,000
* Nebraska City Public Schools, artificial football turf, $81,812.50
* Neligh, City of, amnesty for 350 tons, $34,153
* Neligh-Oakdale Public School, athletic track repair, $2,265.75
* Nemaha County, amnesty for 100 tons, $10,160.90
* Norfolk Public Schools, rubber mats and blocks, crumb rubber, $12,134.38
* North Bend Central Public Schools, athletic track surface, $6,700
* Northeast Community College, Norfolk, playground mats, $2,080
* Osmond, City of, rubber mats and crumb rubber, $9,899.25
* Pawnee County, amnesty for 55 tons, $6,063.50
* Pender Public School, playground mats, $3,406.56
* Perkins County Schools, athletic track surface, $19,857.25
* Polk County, amnesty for 300 tons, $27,700
* Randolph Public Schools, rubber mats and track repair, $3,087.13
* Rosewood Academy, Omaha, border blocks and mats, crumb rubber, $5,160.80
* St. Paul, City of, amnesty for 60 tons, $6,570
* Saline County, amnesty for 250 tons, $22,580
* Sarpy Co. Coop Head Start, Papillion, playground mats, $2,760
* Saunders County, amnesty for 450 tons, $45,568
* Schuyler, City of, amnesty for 125 tons, $11,917
* Schuyler Grade School, crumb rubber, $2,750
* Seward County, amnesty for 300 tons, $26,192
* SID# 6, Emerald in Lancaster County, amnesty for 600 tons, $56,300
* Sidney, City of, amnesty for 400 tons, $49,722
* Sterling, Village of, crumb rubber and mats, $1,167.40; amnesty for 10 tons, $945
* Solid Waste Agency of Northwest Nebraska (SWANN), amnesty for 50 tons, $5,591
* Touch of Love Childcare LLC, Norfolk, crumb rubber, $4,330
* Tri County Public Schools, DeWitt, athletic running track, $19,442.50
* Valley, City of, amnesty for 16 tons, $2,439
* Wayne County, amnesty for 200 tons, $20,160
* Westside Community Schools, Omaha, artificial turf baseball field, $101,750
* Wood River, City of, crumb rubber, $1,731.60.Contact: Brian McManus, 402/471-4223.
Brian McManus, 402/471-4223.
