The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection awarded a $1.25 million grant to continue the cleanup of more than one million tires remaining at a tire pile in Northampton County, Pa.
“I congratulate state and local leaders who have worked so hard to remove 1 million tires from this site,” said the DEP’s Secretary Kathleen McGinty. “Additional funding from the Rendell administration will help to finish the job, removing an eyesore to make these communities more attractive for redevelopment and addressing the potential environmental risks that waste tire piles pose.”
The $1.25 million grant comes from Pennsylvania’s Solid Waste Abatement Fund, which is administered by DEP and supported by fines and penalties imposed for violations of the state’s solid waste laws and regulations. The fund was created under the Solid Waste Management Act of 1980.
Two tire remediation grants totaling $799,950 already have been awarded to Wind Gap, Pa., where the tires are located. The borough used the grants to help finance the removal of more than 1 million tires to date. It is estimated that 1.2 million to 1.6 million tires remain on site. Tires were brought to the site for disposal in these quarries beginning in the 1970s.