2001 Annual Report: Waste Tires and Special Waste

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• Five-Year Plan
• Tire Manifesting
• Tire Grants
• Playground Grants
• Remediation of Illegal Sites
• Household Hazardous Waste Grants
• Used Oil Opportunity Grants
• Used Oil Block Grants
• Oil Changing and Disposal

Five-Year Plan
In March 2001 the Board approved the five-year plan for its waste tire recycling management program required by SB 876 (Escutia, Chapter 838, Statues of 1999). The plan includes the following elements, with funding allocations and performance criteria for each:

• Enforcement and regulations on waste and used tires storage.
• Cleanup, abatement, or other remedial actions of tire stockpiles.
• Research on alternatives to the landfill disposal of tires.
• Market development and new technology for used and waste tires.
• The waste and used tires hauler program and manifest system.

The main focus of the waste tire program in 2002 is to implement provisions of the five-year plan addressing staffing needs, managing various contracts, implementing priorities for cleanup set in the plan, and awarding and administering grants under the six grant programs.

Tire Manifesting
A major element of the waste tire plan is the development and implementation of a waste tire manifest tracking and monitoring system. The Board presented a draft manifest system at four public workshops in 2001 for affected parties. Development and testing of the new system is underway.

Tire Grants
The Board approved awards for three of six grant programs described in the waste tire plan and revised criteria for a fourth. These awards included:

• Waste tire cleanup grants
• Waste tire enforcement grants
• Local government waste tire education and amnesty day grants

Playground Grants
The Board awarded more than $2.5 million to 56 projects in the first cycle of the Park Playground Accessibility and Recycling Grant Program in May 2001. Award of the second round of grants is pending consideration by the Board in January 2002. In July 2001, the Board adopted regulations to administer its Playground Safety and Recycling Grant Program.

Remediation of Illegal Sites
Two of California’s largest illegal waste tire piles were addressed by Board activities in 2001. These sites are symbolic of the struggle to manage California’s annual toll of 31 million waste tires. Both piles were the scenes of catastrophic tire fires that can occur when environmental and fire safety regulations are ignored.

The Board completed winterization work and removal of one of six contaminated debris piles remaining on the Filbin tire fire site in Westley in 2001. In addition, characterization of the extent of contamination from oil and ash residues was completed. This allowed the Board to develop the remedial action plan necessary to cleanup the site. The Board’s five-year plan for funding tire-related activities allocates $10 million for remediation of this site over the next three years. The Board selected Sukut Engineering, Inc. to perform the remediation work.

The Board is working with U.S. EPA and other Cal/EPA agencies on a site characterization plan to identify the extent of contamination from oil and ash residues at the Royster tire fire site in Tracy. The five-year plan approved by the Board allocates $7 million over the next three years for the remediation of this site.

In 2002, implementation of the remedial action plan at the Filbin tire fire site in Westley will continue. In addition, the Board will work with U.S. EPA and sister Cal/EPA agencies to develop a remedial action plan for the nearby Royster site in Tracy.

Household Hazardous Waste Grants
In June 2001 the Board awarded $3 million in fiscal year 2000–01 household hazardous waste grants to 16 local governments. This funding helps local agencies deal with the proper management of household hazardous wastes. Priority was given to grantees proposing permanent collection facilities. Three million dollars also will be available as competitive grants to local governments in 2002.

Used Oil Opportunity Grants
In October 2001 the Board approved the used oil opportunity grants scoring criteria and evaluation process for fiscal year 2001–02. The scoring criteria examine local government need for a project, proposed methodology, evidence of a recycled-content purchasing policy, and detailed budget proposal. Preference will be given to grantees that did not receive funding in the last opportunity grant cycle (FY 1999-2000); and to those planning to establish or expand collection programs for used oil and/or filters from curbside, boaters, or agricultural sources; or establish oil collection/education programs for non-English speaking and/or underserved populations. Approximately $5.8 million will be available; the Board expects to award the grants in April 2002.

Used Oil Block Grants
The Board awarded $11.4 million to local jurisdictions in 2001 to implement used oil collection and recycling programs. These noncompetitive grants are based on population and available to all California cities and counties.

Oil Changing and Disposal
The Public Research Institute (PRI) of San Francisco State University completed a study for the Board in November 2001 that examined used oil disposal behavior and attitudes of California residents who change their own automotive oil. Their research studied the media use, and message and incentive receptivity of this target audience. The PRI study provided new and updated information about the characteristics and habits of California residents who change their own oil.

In early 2002 the Board expects to contract for additional analysis of the survey data from the PRI study, to better define this target group and refine strategies for communicating with them effectively. The surveys also yield more accurate estimates of the number of Californians who change their own oil and delineate improved methodologies for obtaining such estimates.

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