PRESS RELEASE
from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

For more information,contact
Carla Felix (402) 471-4223,
Amanda Woita (402) 471-4243,
Nathanael Urie (402) 471-4245, or		 For Immediate Release
June 8, 2011

Over $1 Million Awarded For Tire Collection, Recycling Projects


Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Mike Linder announced today that the state is awarding $1.15 million to support 63 tire recycling and cleanup projects across the state.

"Nebraskans pay a $1 fee for every new tire they purchase," said Linder. "These grants put that money into use locally to help manage scrap tires. We like to see the highest possible beneficial use of these old tires, and these projects help us reach that goal."

Nebraskans generate over one and a half million scrap tires each year, about one tire for every person in the state. The grants awarded today will reimburse individuals and organizations for crumb rubber and equipment purchases, and will help prevent public health and environmental problems by eliminating tire piles, Linder said.

The grants are part of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants program, which is administered by NDEQ. The grants support both the collection of scrap tires and the purchase of new tire-derived products. 2011 grant recipients include:
Sidney High School - $28,968 to pay 25% of the cost of an athletic running track surface. The track will use crumb rubber produced from approximately 4,300 recycled passenger tires from Nebraska.
Lincoln Pius X High School - $74,123 to pay 25% of the cost of an artificial turf football field. The field used 234,000 pounds of crumb rubber made from recycled Nebraska scrap tires.
Dundy County Stratton Public Schools - $19,204.50 to pay 50% of the cost of 39,000 pounds of crumb rubber playground mulch for the playgrounds at Benkelman Elementary and Stratton Elementary.
York Area Solid Waste Agency - $24,514 to hold a scrap tire amnesty cleanup for York County and parts of the surrounding counties within the York Area Solid Waste Agency service area. It is expected that up to 30,000 passenger tire equivalents will be collected at this event.

Below is a listing of the 2011 Waste Reduction and Recycling Tire Grants.

Applicant Name and City
Project Description
Amount
Awarded
All Play Foundation, Inc. (Omaha)
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$10,411.50
All Saints School (Holdrege)
50% reimbursement of playground mulch
$8,700.40
Alma Public School (Alma)
25% reimbursement of athletic running track
$19,861.25
Aurora Public Schools (Aurora)
25% reimbursement of athletic running track
$25,201.25
Aurora Public Schools (Aurora)
50% reimbursement of crumb rubber for playground
$5,842.70
Bassett, City of
50% reimbursement of 58,500 pounds of crumb rubber
$4,505.00
Bruckman Rubber Co. (Hastings)
50% reimbursement of 19,675 pounds of crumb rubber for manufacturing
$1,377.25
Cathedral of the Risen Christ School-Lincoln
50% reimbursement of 85,800 pounds of rubber for playground
$11,737.00
Ceresco, Village of
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$12,954.54
David City Public Schools
50% reimbursement of 111,150 pounds of crumb rubber for playground
$15,640.00
Daykin, Village of
50% reimbursement of 6,000 pounds of playground mulch
$600.00
Diller-Odell Public School (Odell)
25% border blocks; 50% crumb rubber
$1,757.25
Dundy County Stratton Public School (Benkleman)
50% reimbursement of crumb rubber for playground
$19,204.50
Ft. Calhoun Community Schools
(Ft. Calhoun)
25% reimbursement of athletic track surface
$20,806.00
Franklin Public Schools (Franklin)
50% reimbursement of crumb rubber for playground
$2,250.00
Fremont, City of
25% reimbursement of installation costs of mats purchased in 2010
$1,119.74
Friend Public Schools (Friend)
25% reimbursement of athletic track surface
$24,063.75
Hastings Catholic Schools (Hastings)
50% reimbursement of crumb rubber for playground
$9,950.00
Hayes County (Hayes Center)
150-ton scrap tire amnesty
$16,150.00
Hitchcock County (Trenton)
150-ton scrap tire amnesty
$16,150.00
Homer Community School (Homer)
25% reimbursement of athletic track surface
$8,950.00
Imperial, City of
25% reimbursement of 2 8-ft. benches made from tires
$149.50
Jefferson County (Fairbury)
150-ton scrap tire amnesty
$12,140.00
Johnson County Central Public Schools (Tecumseh)
25% reimbursement of athletic track surface
$20,903.75
Keep Alliance Beautiful, Inc. (Alliance)
50% reimbursement 22,000 pounds of crumb rubber landscape mulch
$3,761.05
Lincoln, City of-Parks & Rec Dept-3 parks
25% reimbursement of playground mats for 3 parks
$17,023.23
Lincoln Pius X High School (Lincoln)
25% reimbursement of artificial turf
$74,123.00
Little Blossoms Childcare & Preschool (Blair)
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$1,117.57
Louisville Public Schools
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$9,988.05
Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation
(North Platte)
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$13,262.27
Minatare Public Schools
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$598.00
Nebr. Dept. of Roads-Hwy 183 Rose North (Rock Co)
Cost of 8.96 miles of rubber modified asphalt
$116,683.41
Nebr. Dept. of Roads-Hwy 183 Rose-Bassett (Rock Co)
Cost of 8.6 miles of rubber modified asphalt
$112,430.64
Norfolk Catholic Schools (Norfolk)
25% reimbursement of athletic track surface
$21,250.00
NW Comm Action Partnership HeadStart-6 Sites
50% 130,650 pounds of crumb rubber; 25% mats and borders
$24,712.70
Omaha Public Schools-Blackburn HS - Field
25% reimbursement of artificial turf football field
$62,783.13
Omaha Public Schools-Blackburn HS -Track
25% reimbursement of athletic track surface
$68,210.44
Omaha Public Schools-Minne Lusa Elementary
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$10,947.50
Omaha Public Schools-Pawnee Elementary
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$7,873.20
Omaha Public Schools-Boyd Elem
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$13,187.50
Omaha Public Schools-King Elem
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$12,625.85
Omaha Public Schools-Columbian Elem
25% reimbursement of poured-in-place surfaces (2)
$11,897.50
Omaha Public Schools-Saddlebrook Elememtary
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$9,106.25
Omaha Public Schools-Ponca Elementary
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$9,451.24
Omaha Public Schools-Florence Elementary
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$10,987.50
Omaha Public Schools-Oak Valley Elementary
25% reimbursement of playground mats
$14,524.27
Pierce Public Schools (Pierce)
25% reimbursement of athletic running track
$21,725.00
Sandhill Plastics (Kearney)
50% reimbursement of 88,938 pounds of crumb rubber for manufacturing
$5,046.90
Santee Community School (Niobrara)
25% border blocks & install/50% crumb rubber
$4,189.00
Schuyler Community Schools
50% of 62,400 pounds of crumb rubber for playground
$9,016.00
Sidney High School
25% reimbursement of athletic running track
$28,968.00
South Central Unified School-Sandy Creek-Fairfield
25% reimbursement of athletic running track
$18,452.90
South Sioux City, City of
50% reimbursement of crumb rubber for 2 playgrounds
$5,620.00
Southern Public Schools (Wymore)
50% reimbursement of 7,800 pounds of crumb rubber for playground
$1,240.00
St. Agnes Catholic School (Scottsbluff)
50% reimbursement of 13,650 pounds of crumb rubber for playground
$2,183.75
St. Edward, City of
50% reimbursement of 478 pounds of crumb rubber
$147.80
St. Isidore Elementary School (Columbus)
25% reimbursement of borders; 50% reimbursement of crumb rubber
$10,456.00
St. Joseph Catholic School (Lincoln)
25% reimbursement of mats for playground
$13,467.75
St. Wenceslaus School (Wahoo)
50% reimbursement of playground crumb rubber
$1,080.00
Sutton Public Schools
25% reimbursement of athletic running track
$18,248.30
Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public School (Syracuse)
25% reimbursement of athletic running track
$16,146.75
University of Nebraska Athletics (Lincoln)
25% reimbursement of artificial turf surface
$75,084.00
York Area Solid Waste Agency (York)
300-ton scrap tire amnesty
$24,514.00