"The past decade has been a dynamic and successful one for scrap tire markets and for states that have taken steps to clean up old scrap tire piles," says Michael Blumenthal, senior technical director for the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).
"But much more needs to be done and we cannot allow successes to lower our vigilance."
Blumenthal is promoting this week's scrap tire meeting in Memphis, Tenn. Three regions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), numerous state regulators and tire industry members will be attending the event tomorrow and Friday to discuss scrap tire issues.
The event, organized and sponsored by the EPA and RMA, features speakers and events designed to analyze the market forces on a regional and national level and allow participants to better understand the scrap tire marketplace.
Blumenthal says the conference, like others organized by RMA, brings together regulators and industry members to discuss trends, solutions and challenges.
"Since 1990, RMA and its members not only have worked with state regulators and legislators to create effective scrap tire clean up programs, but we also have worked with public officials and the private sector to promote end use markets for scrap tires."
According to the RMA, the use of scrap tires in end use markets has soared from 11% to 77% since 1990. Nearly 220 million scrap tires were used in end markets in 2001.
