The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal to address the cleanup of millions of abandoned tires across the country, according to a recent statement. The proposal aims to tackle health and safety concerns related to tire piles in American communities by allowing the use of abandoned scrap tires as fuel.
According to the EPA, these changes are intended to make communities safer and healthier by reducing risks from tire pile fires and eliminating breeding grounds for disease-carrying animals. The agency also said that removing these piles would help address visual blight on American landscapes.
"Abandoned tire piles across the U.S. pose a threat to the health and safety of Americans, but this waste stream can be and should be responsibly and carefully addressed to make America both healthy and energy dominant again. Our latest proposal provides a commonsense approach to better clean up scrap tires and realize their full potential as fuel," said Office of Land and Emergency Management Acting Assistant Administrator Thomas Croci.
The EPA reports that approximately 48 million abandoned scrap tires remain in at least 23 states and Tribal lands. Under the new proposal, whole abandoned scrap tires could be used in cement kilns as non-waste fuel, with established tire collection programs managing all scrap tires used as fuel under consistent guidelines. The agency said these changes would reduce risks from scrap tire piles while enhancing recovery of valuable energy resources.
The EPA will accept public comments on this proposal for 60 days, until May 22, 2026, according to the official roster page.
