Placentia is finally getting rid of its heaping pile of scrap tires. The Multi-Materials Stewardship Board has reached agreements with two cement kilns in Quebec — Holcim (Canada) Inc. and Lafarge Canada Inc. to take the tires off the town’s hands. Both companies will utilize the tires for tire-derived fuel. A tender for the transportation of the tires to Quebec will be issued by the MMSB.
A government press release issued today says, “We are all well aware that the recycling of tires is a complex issue that has posed problems for many jurisdictions in Canada, not just Newfoundland and Labrador. The MMSB has advised me that, based on their analysis and due diligence, this option is the most economical, offers the least amount of risk for the province and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the amount of coal burned by these facilities.
Tire derived fuel is a widely-accepted practice. In fact, it is actually the single largest use for tires in North America and it is an approved and certified practice in Quebec. The use of tires to generate energy is environmentally sound when used in appropriate applications that ensure complete combustion, have proper air pollution controls, and conduct all required testing, monitoring, and regulatory requirements. The end markets secured by the MMSB have these controls and reporting mechanisms in place and have been approved as tire derived fuel users by the Quebec Government for more than 15 years.
In addition to the two agreements reached today, to halt the growth of the stockpile, the MMSB entered into an arrangement in 2010 to send the tires that are collected on an annual basis through the Used Tire Recycling Program to Quebec. This arrangement has already resulted in the diversion of approximately 375,000 tires. These actions, coupled with today’s announcement, represent a positive step forward for tire recycling in the province.”
