Fire Starts at Tire Recycler in WV

Company had earlier been told to halt taking any additional tires.

A warehouse housing an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 tires has caught fire in Nitro, WV. The tires belong to U.S. Tire Recovery, a local waste tire processing company.

 

Late last year the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection had ordered the company to cease and desist from taking in any more tires company had been ordered to halt taking any new tires.

 

In its order, filed Nov. 18, 2005, the state DEP said that the company had violated the state’s Solid Waste Management Act by operating the facility without a solid waste permit. The state requires any company housing more than 100 tires to have the permit.

 

The company was required to submit a corrective action plan to achieve compliance. The company did not submit a plan, but did immediately cease tire collection activities at the facility.  Most recently, the company proposed a plan to remove 10,000 tires a week and was to have tire removal complete by April 7.  The company has failed to meet the requirements of the order and missed its deadline for tire removal.

 

The DEP’s current priority is to minimize environmental effects from the fire. 

 

The company is subject to civil penalties not to exceed $25,000 for each violation of the Solid Waste Management Act.  In addition, civil penalties may be assessed for violations of other environmental regulations.  The company may also be subject to criminal charges.