EPA's Wild Plan: Burn Old Tires as Fuel to Zap Pollution Piles
Published Date: 3/23/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is proposing a new rule to turn old, abandoned scrap tires into useful fuel for cement factories instead of waste. This change helps clean up tire piles that harm public health and the environment while boosting American energy recovery. People and businesses involved in tire cleanup and cement manufacturing should weigh in by May 22, 2026, as this could save money and reduce pollution.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Recovered Scrap Tires Treated as Fuel
The EPA proposes to designate scrap tires recovered from abandoned piles as a categorical non-waste fuel when they are managed as a valuable commodity and combusted in cement kilns. This change would allow recovered abandoned tires to be regulated the same way as collected scrap tires and remove the requirement to shred and dewire them before they can be used as fuel in cement manufacturing. Comments are due by May 22, 2026.
Facilitates Tire Pile Cleanup and Health Gains
The proposal aims to facilitate cleanup of abandoned scrap tire piles—estimated at about 48 million tires as of 2023—by making recovered tires easier and cheaper to use as fuel in cement kilns. EPA says this will reduce public health risks from tire fires and disease vectors (like mosquitoes and rodents) and can provide environmental benefits from reduced virgin fuel use; the agency seeks comments by May 22, 2026.
Broadened Definition for Tire Collection Programs
The EPA proposes to revise the regulatory definition of an "established tire collection program" to explicitly include programs that recover previously abandoned scrap tires and ensure they are not discarded after recovery. Under the proposed change, such collection programs could send recovered whole tires to cement kilns as non-waste fuel without needing to shred and dewire them first, reducing processing, logistics, and handling costs.
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