(Authorization Environmental Article 9-228, Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 26.04.08)
Ever wonder why you pay a $.80 recycling fee when you buy a tire in Maryland? Funds collected from the tire fee support the Maryland Department of the Environment's (the Department) Scrap Tire Program that is dedicated to ensuring the cleanup of illegal scrap tire stockpiles and to managing the collection, transportation, recycling, and processing of the scrap tires generated in Maryland. A scrap tire is a tire that can no longer be used for its original purpose. Scrap tires, because of their size, shape and associated environmental hazards, present both difficult and costly disposal and recycling challenges for the entities responsible for overseeing their management.
Consider that the average American family owns two cars with four tires each needing to be replaced every two years. In Maryland, that adds up to almost 5.9 million new scrap tires each year requiring proper disposal. Since the inception of the Scrap Tire Recycling Act, the Department has successfully recovered over 10 million scrap tires from illegal stockpiles. Any person who transports, collects, processes, recycles, disposes, incinerates, or utilizes scrap tires as tire derived fuel will require the appropriate license.
Announcements
Scrap Tire Program
Scrap Tire Recycling Facilities and Haulers Listing
Zika Virus
Zika virus is a virus spread to people primarily through mosquito bites of Aedes species mosquitoes. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Zika has also been linked to Microcephaly. Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. Aedes mosquitoes also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. The Aedes mosquitoes prefer to breed in areas of stagnant water, such as flower vases, uncovered barrels, buckets, and discarded tires.
The Department is working with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to prepare for upcoming warmer temperatures when mosquito activity will increase and where that activity could affect residents’ health. As a rule, during warmer months, residents should work to eliminate standing water around their homes that could facilitate breeding grounds for the insects. For more information on mosquitos visit the Department of Agriculture’s Mosquito Control program. For more information on Zika, visit DHMH's Zika website or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Zika website.
Additional Resources
Contact Info
For questions about the Department's Scrap Tire Program, please call 410-537-3314.
