WASHINGTON (April 4, 2005) — Tire manufacturers may use recalled tires in the construction of landfills, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ruled in response to a petition from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).
The original language of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act sought explicitly to limit the landfilling of tires returned to the manufacturer in a safety recall. Clarifying the law at the RMA's request, however, NHTSA determined that using recalled tires in a civil engineering capacity in landfill construction is not the same as simply burying a tire in a landfill.
“(The) RMA believes that the agency's ruling is appropriate and will not hinder the growing market for scrap tires in landfill construction,” the association said in a press release.