State Continues Rolling Out Rubber Roads: Waste Board helps convert used tires to a better use

SACRAMENTO--The California Integrated Waste Management Board awarded more than $1.5 million for road projects that will protect California’s fragile environment by taking more than 400,000 waste tires away from California landfills while, at the same time, helping local governments statewide put some bounce back into their roads.

"We've seen the dangers that come with stockpiling waste tires, so it’s imperative that we all do our part to reduce the waste and minimize risk," said Board Chair Margo Reid Brown. "Using RAC is another example of communities finding a higher, better use for waste materials while also protecting the health of our people and our environment."

The grants will help communities underwrite the cost of using rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC) and rubberized asphalt chip seal in local road paving and road repair projects. Use of RAC rather than conventional asphalt provides safer, quieter roads for communities, while also diverting thousands of waste tires from California landfills and hazardous illegal stockpiles.

To date the Waste Board has provided over $24.8 million in RAC grants as part of the ongoing effort to find innovative new uses for the 42 million waste tires generated each year. Approximately 75 percent of those tires are recycled, but the state faces the challenge of dealing with roughly 10 million surplus tires annually, the majority of which end up in landfills or illegal stockpiles.

Accumulated waste tires pose environmental health hazards as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents and other pests. Tire piles also pose a high fire risk. Tire fires are difficult to extinguish, and create heavy smoke and toxic runoff into waterways.

RAC is an alternative to traditional asphalt made by blending rubber from recycled waste tires with asphalt, and then applying the mix to road surfaces. Standard RAC uses 2,000 waste tires for every lane mile paved while RAC Chip Seal utilizes 300 pounds of waste tires for every ton of seal material. RAC resists cracking, retains its original color so road markings are more clearly visible, reduces noise, and over its lifetime dramatically cuts costs for road projects: a two-inch layer of the material can save up to $50,000 per lane mile compared to a standard 4-inch thick layer of conventional asphalt.

Funding for the grants approved Tuesday come from the $1.75 recycling fee levied on each new tire sold in California. The Board receives $1.00 of each $1.75 fee, and the remainder is used for tire-related air emission programs.

RAC Grants awards were approved for the eligible applicants listed below:

Targeted RAC Incentive Program

Applicant	Amount	Tires
City of Los Alamitos (Orange County)	$141,500	1,347
Subtotal	$141,500	1,347

RAC Use Program

Applicant	Amount	Tires
City of Agoura Hills (Ventura County)	$29,055	12,785
City of Irwindale (Los Angeles County)	$15,960	7,023
City of Lynwood (Los Angeles County)	$29,000	12,760
City of National City (San Diego County)	$250,000	110,000
City of Palm Springs (Riverside County)	$28,258	12,435
City of Rancho Palos Verdes (Los Angeles County)	$41,000	18,040
City of Seal Beach (Orange County)	$17,000	7,480
City of Stockton (San Joaquin County)	$133,500	58,740
City of Torrance (Los Angeles County)	$75,575	33,253
City of Westlake Village (Los Angeles County)	$38,385	16,890
Subtotal	$657,733	289,406

RAC Chip Seal Program

Applicant	Amount	Tires
City of Brawley (Imperial County)	$29,454	10,427
City of Buena Park (Orange County)	$65,000	4,602
City of Cathedral (Riverside County)	$75,667	5,358
City of Fort Bragg (Mendocino County)	$136,405	9,658
City of Laguna Woods (Orange County)	$39,503	2,797
City of Manteca (San Joaquin County)	$57,200	4,050
City of Moorpark (Ventura County)	$101,100	7,151
City of Oxnard (Ventura County)	$39,474	2,795
City of Pleasant Hill (Contra Costa County)	$125,000	8,850
City of Redding (Shasta County)	$137,032	7,045
City of Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County)	$18,252	6,462
City of Suisun (Solano County)	$151,691	11,219
City of Taft (Kern County)	$50,200	3,555
City of Upland (San Bernardino County)	$147,430	10,439
City of Victorville (San Bernardino County)	$227,000	37,878
City of Walnut (Los Angeles County)	$83,000	5,877
Subtotal	$746,368	138,163

Total Grant Awards: $1,545,601 | Total Tires: 428,916

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use and protecting public health and safety and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

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