Tire recycling and cleanup grants awarded

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy announced today that the state is awarding $2.08 million to support 128 tire recycling and cleanup projects across the state.

They include $9,987 for 25 percent reimbursement of an athletic track maintenance system at the Cambridge Public Schools; $11,902 for a 100-ton scrap tire cleanup at Chase County Imperial and $14,010 for a 125-ton scrap tire cleanup for Hitchcock County in Trenton.

"The agency received many outstanding applications from across the state," Macy said. "These funds will provide needed support to local efforts which effectively deal with scrap tires in Nebraska."

The grants support local efforts to clean up tire piles and conduct community scrap tire collections. In addition, funds will be used by schools and organizations across the state to provide partial reimbursement for playground mulch, synthetic turf fields, running tracks, and other recycled rubber projects that were made from scrap tires.

Nebraskans generate nearly 1.9 million scrap tires each year, about one tire for every person in the state. The grants are part of NDEQ's Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants program, and are funded by a $1 fee on new tires purchased in Nebraska. Some highlights of 2016 grant recipients include:

Humphrey Public Schools received a $139,681 grant award to reimburse 25% of the cost of artificial turf for the football field, an athletic running track surface, and an artificial turf playground on the front lawn of the school for elementary students. The three construction products used a total of 534,717 pounds of recycled tire rubber from Nebraska scrap tires.

Nebraska Game & Parks Commission received a $23,366 grant award to reimburse 25% of the cost of 155 picnic tables to be used in 19 state parks and recreation areas in Nebraska. Each picnic table is made from recycled plastic and the equivalent of approximately seven passenger tires from Nebraska.

Millard Public Schools received a $74,784 grant award to reimburse 25% of the cost to replace an artificial turf football field originally installed in 2005. 80,000 pounds of crumb rubber infill were recovered from the old turf and reused in the new field, saving the school approximately $32,000.