Local Enforcement Agency Correspondence

Tire Shark-Approved Technology for Tire Reduction

Date: May 4, 2007

To: All Local Enforcement Agencies

Board Approval Type:

Delegated approval

Date of Approval:

April 30, 2007

Summary of the Technology and Approval Analysis: What is the Tire Shark?

The Tire Shark is a hydraulically driven tire compaction unit that processes one tire at a time to reduce the tire’s volume to one-third its original size. After the tire is compressed it is bound together with four staples that serve to secure the tire in the compressed position. The Tire Shark is designed to compact passenger, light truck, and SUV tires. The Tire Shark can compress and staple a tire together in approximately twelve seconds.

Determination

The California Integrated Waste Management Board has determined that a waste tire that is processed by the Tire Shark meets the definition of an altered tire. The method employed mechanically compresses the tire, reduces its volume, and secures or binds the tire together with staples/nails to keep it from recoiling. Therefore, the “Sharked Tire” is considered a type of baled tire, PRC 42801.6, and a baled tire is included in the definition of an altered waste tire, PRC 42801.5. On April 30, 2007, Mark Leary, the Executive Director of the CIWMB, approved the above determination.

How Does this Determination Effect the LEA?

Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 17355(a) states that waste tires may not be landfilled in a permitted solid waste disposal facility unless they are permanently reduced in volume prior to disposal by shredding or other methods subject to the enforcement agency approval and Board approval. Consequently, even though the Board has approved the Tire Shark reduction method, the local enforcement agency will also need to give prior approval to allow disposal of tires that have gone through the Tire Shark process at their respective landfills.

Pertinent References

Public Resources Code

PRC 42801.5.
(a) "Altered waste tire" means a waste tire that has been baled, shredded, chopped, or split apart. "Altered waste tire" does not mean crumb rubber.
(b) "Alteration" or "altering," with reference to a waste tire, means an action that produces an altered waste tire.

PRC 42801.6. "Baled tire" means either a whole or an altered tire that has been compressed and then secured with a binding material for the purpose of reducing its volume.

California Code of Regulations

14 CCR 17355 Disposal of Waste Tires at Solid Waste Facilities.
(a) Waste tires may not be landfilled in a solid waste disposal facility which is permitted pursuant to Chapter 3 of Part 4 of the Public Resources Code, commencing with section 44001, unless they are permanently reduced in volume prior to disposal by shredding, or other methods subject to the EA approval and Board approval.

14 CCR 17225.715 Baled Tires
"Baled Tires" means either whole or altered waste tires that have been compressed and then secured with a binding material for the purpose of reducing their volume. Baled tires are waste tires as defined in PRC Section 42801.6, until fully enclosed or encapsulated in an engineered construction project for which all required local, state, and/or federal government approvals have been obtained. "Baling" in reference to waste tires means action which produces baled tires.

CIWMB Resolution 93-27, March 31, 1993
Summary: This resolution documents the Board’s approval of several tire volume reduction methods (including the baling of tires) and delegates authority to approve alternative volume reduction methods to the Executive Director, as per 14 CCR 17355(a).